Highlights of Animation in 2023

2023 has been a very turbulent year for  animation. Whether it's because of the strikes, or because of the looming threat of AI. Regardless, there have been many amazing animated shows and movies, and in this video,  we'll be looking at the best of the best. Unlike in years prior, where I ranked  cartoons, I'll just be highlighting the shows and movies that made this year great. I don't know, I don't have energy to be a hater. And I enjoy talking about things I do like instead  of constantly ran

ting about things I don't like, unlike SOME YouTubers... Anyways, on with the show. Vinland Saga season 2 - The critically acclaimed  viking anime comes back and switches the setting to, uh, a farm? For those of you who haven’t  seen the show, the main character, Thorfinn, was exiled for attempting to kill Prince  Canute and was enslaved on a farm as a punishment. Despite its low stakes setting and  mundane plots, the second season of Vinland Saga is actually my favorite, not just because it  is

animated the greatest of all time MAPPA, but because of its heavy focus on philosophy  and atonement for one’s actions. You get to see Thorfinn evolve from a bloodthirsty warrior  to a humble pacifist who says he has no enemies. "Ore ni, teki nanka inai (I have no enemies)" Work It Out Wombats - one of the few PBS Kids shows in a long time where I am actively  keeping up with every episode. I mean, Rosie’s Rules, Alma’s Way, Donkey  Hodie, these shows are all pretty okay, but they’re not someth

ing I would watch everyday. But Work It Out Wombats is something special,  and as of this writing, I’ve seen every episode. I can’t pinpoint what exactly it is that  makes it stand out compared to the others. Maybe it’s the animation, and how they  used curvilinear perspective to make the characters stand out against the backdrops,  how each character has a complicated rigging system and walk cycle, and how they  all look fuzzy and really welcoming. Or maybe it’s the characters themselves,  how

they have really vivid personalities. Yes, it's a super sugary and colorful show,  but the characters are not all nicey-nice all the time, sometimes they get into arguments  with each other in a way that feels real. And the show doesn’t just  focus on the wombat characters. All the other characters get focus too,  which really makes the world immersive. Heck, one of the most recent episodes as of this  writing, “The Treeborhood Parranda,” revolves entirely around Sammy the snake and Louisa  the

tarsier, neither of whom are wombats. Also, we stan Mr. E in this house. (just pretend she's saying 'he') "She's got a point. (s)he's an icon, (s)he's a  legend, and (s)he is the moment. Now come on now." Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur - dare I say  it, one of the best Marvel cartoons ever? Yes, this was based on a Marvel comic. What I like the most about the series is the animation, provided by Flying  Bark, who also blessed us with Rise of the TMNT and LEGO Monkie Kid. It has a very distinctive

look and it combines a general comic book  aesthetic with a few anime tropes. Another things that makes the series  stand out is its use of music, usually licensed music during fight scenes. It suits them really well, and the disco remix of the theme song during the  season 1 finale is just perfect. Combine that with the lovable characters and  their dynamics, from the super genius Lunella, her supportive and quirky family, to her best  friends/sidekicks Casey and Devil Dinosaur, to the Tumblr s

exyman the Beyonder, and you’ve  got one of the best cartoons of the 2020s. Kiff - a highly distinct entry in the  modern Disney Television Animation lineup, mostly because of it being entirely  about animals instead of humans, and being a lighthearted comedy as opposed  to being DARK and having DEEPEST LORE. It pretty much consists of two friends  shooting the [NAUGHTY WORD] together and going wherever life takes them. It’s like a toned down version of Regular Show, but still just as engaging,

and filled  with friendship moments that feel genuine. The thing I like the most  about the show is its setting, which is based off Cape Town in South Africa. Heck, Kiff's name is actually  South African slang for "cool." I also like that they have a fake sponsor  at the beginning of every episode. " Brought to you by Dooley's Feather  Barn. If it's stinky, it's a Dooley's!" The Ghost and Molly McGee Season 2  - the second season of the Disney animated series is even better than the  first, grea

tly expanding on the setting, developing the characters further,  and introducing several new ones, most notably the Chen family, who provide conflict  in the series because they are ghost hunters, but eventually, Molly convinces Ollie  and later June that ghosts are not bad. As a side note, Molly and Ollie’s relationship  is cute, I don’t care what anyone says. We also get a glimpse into Scratch’s past,  as he had a friend named Adia who moved away. The Super Mario Brothers Movie -  this movie

had every reason to suck. First off, it’s a video game movie, and  we all know how bad video game movies are. Also, it’s made by Illumination,  who uh, let’s just say aren’t the most well-received animation studio. But man, did they go above and beyond. It’s so jam-packed with references and in-jokes  to the game, and even the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, and yet manages to avoid feeling  like 92 minutes of references, as it has a solid storyline and memorable characters. The voice acting was a

lso pretty decent. Chris Pratt’s performance as Mario actually  wasn’t too bad, because he went for a Brooklyn accent similar to what Captain Lou Albano gave  him in the Super Mario Brothers Super Show. Don’t forget about Jack Black’s  performance as Bowser. He’s probably the best celebrity they  could have gotten to voice him. ♫Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches,  Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches-♫ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal - this show  is a complete trip, let me tell you, w

hich makes it a highly distinct entry  in Genndy Tartakovsky’s filmography. Get this, it takes place in 19th century England, features a girl who gets possessed by  the spirit of a black haired woman and has a sorta romance with a guy with long white  hair and also there’s a monk - wait a minute, this show is a ripoff of Inuyasha! Nah, just kidding. The show does take inspiration from anime, but the  really old stuff like the works of Osamu Tezuka, and also western stuff like the art style of  F

leischer, for example, Popeye and Betty Boop. It’s such an odd show but it also has an engaging,  adventurous story and well-rounded characters. One thing I also like, along with My Adventures  With Superman, which we’ll get to in a bit, is how it blurs the lines between  “kid” animation and “adult” animation. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse  - the long-awaited sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, AND MAN IS IT GOOD. Actually, good or even great are understatements. There are not enough words in

any language  to describe how immaculate this movie is, and that’s saying something considering that  the first movie was already insanely excellent. This is one example of a sequel that’s even  better than the already great first movie. The animation has improved quite a bit,  which was a difficult task considering the high bar that the first movie set. This movie expands on the multiple different Spider Universes and the members  of Spider Society, all of whom are memorable and compelling in

their own right. This movie also examines responsibility and fate within the context of  Spider Society and “canon events.” Much of the movie’s conflict is derived from  whether Miles should let his father die or not, since every Spider-Person had to lose a  loved one on their way to becoming a hero, and Miles clashes with the movie’s  antihero, Miguel O’Hara, over this. And the ending is NOT happy, but that’s  just because it ended on a cliffhanger. And with the way that the Spider-Verse  anima

tors are being treated, I wouldn’t mind waiting 10 years for a sequel just  as long as they are treated properly. My Adventures with Superman - one of  the best Superman media in a LONG time. Seriously, I’m sick of all of the EDGY  and DARK interpretations of Superman. “BRUH WHAT IF SUPERMAN WAS EVIL” shut up. This show is great specifically because it takes a more lighthearted approach to the Man of  Tomorrow, and very much feels like a shojo anime. Of course, there’s still a  lot of action and

whatnot, but a lot of focus is put on the romance  between Clark and Tomboy Lois. Plus, Superman is pretty much a magical girl now. We need more positive and sincere shows like this. Elemental - let me tell you, I never  understood the hate for this movie, but thankfully it was vindicated. The marketing really did it dirty. In this movie, Pixar treads into romcom  territory, featuring a story about the relationship between a water man and a fire  woman, while also using the personifications of

the elements to discuss racism. The director of this movie, Peter Sohn, based this movie on his experience as the child  of immigrant parents, and how said parents reacted to be him being in an interracial relationship.  Does it borrow heavily from other movies? Yes. Is it super cheesy? Also yes. But goddamn if it isn’t good. Nimona - after Blue Sky shut down, the state of  their feature film, Nimona, based on the graphic novel series by ND Stevenson, was put in jeopardy. Luckily, it was saved b

y Netflix and finally completed, and it is glorious. It’s like those 2000s fairytale parody movies, but less cynical and instead  of poking fun at a specific fairytale, it pokes fun at fairytale tropes in general. And it is much more LGBTQ+ positive, since Ballister and Ambrosius are gay and a  couple, and Nimona’s shapeshifting and her being treated like a monster for it can also  be read as a metaphor for being genderfluid. It’s chaotic, full of heart,  and the animation is beautiful. Long liv

e Painted CGI, and Blue  Sky will never be forgotten. Ready Jet Go! Space Camp - oh come  on, you all knew this one was coming. Unfortunately I can’t really show any  footage because Universal is extremely copyright strike happy, probably even more so  than Disney, Paramount, and Warner at this point. I already have a review about it on  my channel, so check that one out. To make a long story short, I am so glad that  RJG came back one last time, and four years of agony really paid off in the en

d. I think everyone should watch this, but you’d have to watch the Ready Jet  Go! series first to understand it. TMNT Mutant Mayhem - Painted CGI  strikes again, and this time it’s come for the latest generation of TMNT. I must say, it works REALLY well, it gives it a school sketchbook kind of look. It might be too early to say it, since the TV series hasn’t come out yet, but I think this  might be my favorite incarnation of TMNT yet, and that’s because the turtles actually  act like teenagers f

or a change. They like Kpop, watch anime, roast  each other, and say the word “rizz.” It helps that they’re voiced by real life  teenagers, okay well Nicolas Cantu is 20, but it’s close enough. In fact, in spite of the great animation and over-the-top action, I think the  strongest part of the movie is the characters. I already mentioned how I liked that the turtles  act their age, but I also liked Splinter’s story, how he’s characterized as someone who  was hurt by society and doesn’t want his

sons to endure the same fate. Plus, Superfly, based villain. Fionna and Cake - the Adventure Time  sequel/spinoff series. You know, I thought this was just going to be a show about  the gender flipped versions of the characters, but it’s so much more than that,  since it revolves around the multiverse and the characters visiting  different universes in every episode. Plus, it turns out that Fionna and Cake weren’t  just made up by Simon, but actually real. I know we’re getting fatigued about so

many  shows and movies incorporating a multiverse into their narratives, but Adventure Time  already established different universes in previous episodes, so I don’t mind. I mean, sure, I loved seeing Fionna and Cake in action, as well as Marshall Lee  and Prince Gumball oops I mean Gary Prince, but for me, the best part of the show was  seeing Simon and Betty’s relationship. It’s so sweet and so tragic and genuinely  interesting to follow because of Betty’s codependency and how she sacrificed 

everything just to be with Simon. I may not show it 100%, but I haven’t been  this obsessed with a cartoon pairing in ages. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - I wasn’t  really interested in this show at first. I saw that it had a high rating  on Anilist and I thought “this show must be overrated like Oshi no Ko.” Im sorry but Oshi no Ko had a GREAT first episode, and then it gets boring. But, back to Frieren. Eventually, I decided to watch it, and after watching it, it DOES deserve all the hype. It

starts out as a typical medieval story with mages and elves and stuff, and the story  is about an elf named Frieren, dealing with the loss of her party members after they completed  their journey, while also making new friends. There is plenty of drama, but it  is also very relaxed, calming, but still interesting to follow and entertaining. I promise you, after watching just one episode, you'll be hooked. And if there's any anime deserving of the "best anime of 2023" title  besides Vinland Saga

season 2, it's Frieren. The Amazing Digital Circus - I’m gonna be  honest, I wasn’t interested in this show at first due to it being tangentially related to SMG4. I’m sorry, but I don’t want anything to with SMG4 because of the fanbase being EXTREMELY immature. But then I realized, that besides sharing an animation studio, they have nothing  in common, and just because it has a connection to SMG4 doesn’t mean it’s bad. So I checked it out and I am GLAD I did. This show has to be one of  the bes

t in indie animation. This and Lackadaisy, they  show just how far it has come. I would have given Lackadaisy  its own section, but I have more to say about The Amazing Digital Circus, so  Lackadaisy will remain an honorable mention. Anyways, Digital Circus has animation so vibrant,  so expressive, so colorful, that it can genuinely rival major animation studios like Pixar, and  the intro alone is a great demonstration of this. Not only that, but it excels at capturing  the aesthetic of 90s comp

uter games. The series is simulataneously silly and colorful,  while also having a mystery to it, since none of the characters in the digital circus can remember  their identities before they ended up there. It’s existential horror that  looks like Toontown. Kinda. Also, I have to give props  to the character of Jax. He’s basically an industry plant because he  was purposefully designed to fit typical Tumblr sexy man tropes, and he eventually  did become a legit Tumblr sexy man. I bet his parent

s have pages on wikipedia. Blue Eye Samurai - I finally got around  to watching this, and it absolutely does deserve all of the hype. First off, the animation. It was made to look like it was hand painted,  and it excels at pulling off that look. The character designs were also  based off of bunraku puppets. It looks gorgeous, and the animation is  especially great during the fight scenes, which were carefully choreographed. This is what adult animation should strive to be like. For one thing, i

t actually looks good, and the story is legitimately  interesting as well, since it takes place in Edo-period Japan and follows a biracial  samurai who is disguising herself as a man, hence why Mizu is called the blue eye samurai. I also liked how the series is astonishingly casual about sex and nudity. There are a few scenes featuring nudity and prostitutes, but given the time period,  it doesn’t feel unnecessary at all, which is more than I can say for other adult animated shows. If you liked

Arcane, you should definitely watch this show. They’re not made by the same  studio, though they were both made in France, but the animation and pacing is  somewhat similar, so you will like it. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - I love Scott Pilgrim. I haven’t read the comics or played the video game, but the 2010 movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the  World is one of my favorite movies ever, because of its inventive premise, beautiful video-game  inspired visuals, and engaging characters. The news that Scott Pil

grim would be getting  an anime adaptation had me stoked, and yes, as much as MyAnimeList wants to deny it, it is  an anime, and this is why Anilist is better. The premise is the same as always, Scott  Pilgrim is a complete loser who, one day, meets a mysterious girl named Ramona Flowers,  and in order to date her, has to defeat her seven evil exes in video game style battles. But, what makes Scott Pilgrim Takes Off stand out is that it expands on all of the other  characters besides Scott, espe

cially Ramona. In the second episode, Scott is killed  by the first evil ex, Matthew Patel, and the rest of the series is about Scott’s  associates producing a movie about him. With Scott out of the picture, this gives  Ramona more time to grow as a person, more time to confront her exes herself. And I especially love how they gave more development to the exes. They made Gideon Graves,  aka Gordon Goose, into a pathetic babygirl, they made Todd Ingram obsessed with Wallace, and they  actually to

ok Ramona’s relationship with Roxie seriously instead of dismissing it as a phase. And it’s not just the exes, but Knives Chau as well. Scott really didn’t treat her well, and  his death allowed Knives to get the happy ending. I don't know, she really got  screwed over in the movie. And don’t worry, Scott eventually does come back. Leo - I didn’t wanna watch this at first, because  it seemed like just another generic kids movie, and in some ways it is. The celebrity voice cast, the cliches like

the talkative nerd, the  kid with overprotective parents, the spoiled rich girl, the evil substitute teacher. But then I saw that it got great reviews, with many proclaiming it to be a masterpiece and  peak fiction, well the reviews on Letterboxd are different, but that’s just because they  hate any film that isn’t DEEP and ARTSY. Also, it was a huge hit for Netflix  in the same way that Squid Game was, so I decided to check it out. And it is indeed quite good. I mean, yes, it’s cliche, but  cli

ches aren’t inherently bad, it’s how you use them that matters. For example, Leo, the main character and the class pet, spends time with each of  the kids and encourages them to basically break away from their assigned roles. For example, he encourages Summer to listen to others instead of talking over them,  Eli to let go of his drone, and for Jayda to acknowledge that her parents aren’t really that  great. You know what this movie reminds me of? Assassination Classroom. I mean, think about it.

In Assassination Classroom, Class 3E has  to kill Korosensei, and before they do, Korosensei motivates them to be better students. In the same way, Leo doesn’t have  a lot of time left on this earth, at least that’s what he thinks at first, but  he makes the most of it by giving out helpful advice to the kids and being their friend. I’ll take this over Eight Crazy Nights. Hilda season 3 - the third and  final season of Hilda, one of the best animated shows to come from Netflix. It’s always sad

to say goodbye to a favorite series, but at least it had a good run, plenty  of merchandise, and a feature film. The third season of Hilda is the best yet, featuring a  timeskip where Hilda and her friends are all a little older, and taking on more emotional and  action-oriented plot lines while not becoming too EDGY or losing the special, comfy Hilda  magic. The season adds more mythical creatures, of course, while also expanding on Hilda’s  family, and her deadbeat dad in particular. I don’t w

ant to give too much away, so  it’s best if you watch it for yourself. The Boy and the Heron - I just wanna  say that the movie’s Japanese title, which translates to How Do You Live, is a  much better title because it’s thematically relevant, and I wish they didn’t change it. Anyway, this is yet another masterpiece produced by Hayao Miyazaki after coming out of retirement  for the 69th time, and to see it absolutely dominate the box office makes me so happy. It has to be one of Ghibli’s most ima

ginative movies yet, with all of its strange  creatures that manage to be both ugly and beautifully animated at the same time. It uses all of the odd imagery to tell us a story about coming of age, grief, the  inevitability of death, and acceptance. I also have to give HUGE props  to the voice cast in the dub. A lot of animated movies get flak  for their celebrity voice casts, and while Ghibli movies do have celebrity  voice actors, they’re actually well-casted, as is the case with this movie. I

mean, Robert Pattinson is the voice of the heron, and yet, he uses  such a distinct voice that you can’t even tell that it’s him. What makes this even better  is that it’s his first voice acting role ever. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget - a sequel  to the iconic antifacsist political thriller Chicken Run, 23 years in the making. You know, Aardman really often gets the short end of the stick, so I always want  to support them, as well as Laika, as they are practically keeping stop-motion movies

alive. Like how the first movie was a parody of the Great Escape and other such prisoners-of-war movies,  Dawn of the Nugget seems to be a parody of 60s spy movies in the vein of Mission: Impossible. It did remind me a little of those direct to DVD Disney sequels a little, but it was  still a fun watch, and we love to see Hilda’s chickensona and Mrs. Tweedy, who  is somehow still alive, serving country. Now that we're through with the highlights,  let's take a look at some honorable mentions. S

hows and movies that I didn't get  to watch but are probably good. And shows and movies that I did watch, did  like, but I don't have a lot to say about. Buddy Daddies - it’s like  Spy x Family, but gay! Ok, so they’re not actually a couple  and they’re assassins, not spies, but Buddy Daddies is still good, wholesome,  and quite emotional in some places. And now onto Spy x Family itself,  specifically Spy x Family season 2. It’s not bad by any means, and it's  still enjoyable most of the time, b

ut I didn’t enjoy it as much  as season 1. But I still tune in every week just for the awesome  opening and ending sequences though. Another anime with a season 2, Jujutsu Kaisen. The Gojo flashback arc was great, the Shibuya incident arc was also great up to a point. This season was really plagued by animation issues because of the animators at MAPPA being  abused, and with that knowledge, it’s hard to watch something like this or Chainsaw Man or  season 2 of Vinland Saga without feeling bad. M

y Dad the Bounty Hunter - it has  an interesting story and great character interactions, but I haven’t  gotten around to watching season 2. Supa Team 4 - pretty entertaining  magical girl show that also uses painted CGI for the animation, but  again, I haven't seen season 2 yet. Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix - I  haven’t watched this because it’s based on Far Cry and I never played Far Cry, even though I  don’t play Cyberpunk 2077 and I enjoyed Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and though I won’t

touch League  of Legends with a 10 foot pole, I loved Arcane. It’s probably a good show though. Also, Rayman  is in there and he’s evil for some reason? Jessica's Big Little World. I had no idea  this show came out, I knew that it existed, but I thought it got scrapped entirely, and  it is gonna end after 20 episodes because WBD doesn’t want to do Cartoonito anymore,  but I mean it’s probably a cute show. And this is a segway to Craig Before the Creek. Maybe the real creek was the  friends we m

ade along the way. Frog and Toad - what can I say, it’s a super cute adaptation of the classic books,  and the ending theme is a banger. Wish - I already said my thoughts on the movie  in my Disney ranking video, and it's included here so I can say that I keep getting videos  in my recommended about how Wish is the worst thing ever and was made with AI. This movie wasn’t made with AI! Just because you don’t like it doesn’t  mean that it was AI-generated. I’m sick of all of these videos purposefu

lly spreading  misinformation over the internet, that, and all of the Digital Circus/ Leo and even Trolls  fans praising their favorite works just to dunk on Wish. Hey, did you know it’s possible to praise  something without dunking on something else? "ALRIGHT, I GET IT!" And speaking of Trolls, Band Together is probably  the best Trolls movie yet, I actually saw this movie twice, and it’s definitely a movie you  have to be in the theater to see. I’m glad that it’s getting positive attention, ev

en  if it’s only because of Velvet and Veneer. Bossy Bear - I didn’t wanna watch this at first,  but then Ready Jet Go! Space Camp came out, and I found out that Stella Singularity has the same  voice actress as Bissy, Bossy Bear’s older sister. I checked out a couple episodes and it  was quite enjoyable and cleverly written. It sometimes felt like a regular  Nickelodeon show rather than a Nick Jr show. invincible season 2 - it’s an honorable mention  instead of being a highlight because the sea

son isn’t complete yet, and it’s currently on  hiatus, but I really like the season so far, and PLEASE stop whining about the hiatus,  it’s literally just one month, you’ll live. And that is it for this video!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! Let's look forward to next year, and  all of the shows and movies that it has to offer.