The Winter 2024 anime season is underway, bringing with it greater than 30 series across a variety of genres, themes, and streaming platforms. While perhaps not as overflowing with big names and sequels as some recent seasons, this quarter is just not lacking in quality or variety either. Winter 2024 is very eager about motion, comedy, and isekai stories, all of which have multiple representatives which can be price trying out. Although not as plentiful as another genres, romance anime might steal the highlight throughout this quarter.
With near 500 episodes airing each season, maintaining with every thing is near unattainable; consequently, narrowing the choices barely may also help get someone began. Let’s take a take a look at the best anime of Winter 2024.
The cutoff point for the present selection is February 9, 2024, and the article can be updated weekly. While each show’s MyAnimeList rating is mentioned, this data is only one piece of the equation and never the only real criterion behind the rankings.
The next anime can be excluded:
-
Fall 2023 Continuations (
Frieren
,
Undead Unluck
, etc) -
Long-running Anime (
One Piece
) - OVAs & ONAs
14 Bucchigiri?! (-1)
MyAnimeList: 7.34
Winter 2024 has a number of original anime. Metallic Rouge garnered essentially the most pre-debut attention resulting from being a celebration of Bones’ twenty fifth anniversary, and it’s definitely visually striking. That said, the show’s storytelling has been predictable up to now, especially because it mostly appears to be covering themes which have been thoroughly exhausted by the sci-fi genre. Still, it’s decent.
Compared, MAPPA’s Bucchigiri?! has slipped by somewhat unnoticed, which is a shame because it is shaping as much as be a fun throwback to old-school delinquent anime. Arajin Tomoshibi moves back to his old neighborhood, and he finally ends up getting dragged right into a war between a number of different gangs. Luckily, he also meets a genie who grants him a considerable power boost when he’s honest about his feelings.
Bucchigiri?! offers over-the-top slapstick, endearingly cliché characters, and incredible animation. To date, this anime is just attempting to be an entertaining romp that pays homage to series from the ’90s and early 2000s, and sometimes nothing hits the spot like a little bit of silliness. For all its positives, this show has one big issue: Arajin is unlikable. Hopefully, this changes sooner somewhat than later.
13 The Witch And The Beast (NEW)
MyAnimeList: 7.19
The Witch and the Beast has many great things going for it, even when the anime has yet to completely capitalize on its concept’s potential. Set in a reality inspired by the Victorian Era, the story follows Guideau and Ashaf as they tackle supernatural-themed cases, with the previous only being onboard in an try and locate the witch who placed a curse on her. Following an episodic structure up to now, the season covers a series of interesting cases which can be enjoyable in isolation but don’t seem to attach all that much, although they do flesh out the world.
Guideau and Ashaf are “cool,” and so they are each shrouded in mystery despite having wildly different personalities. That said, they’re a bit too aloof for the time being, which makes it difficult to root for them beyond their status because the show’s protagonists. In actual fact, The Witch and the Beast‘s best episodes up to now revolve around one other detective team entirely, the much more interesting Phanora and Johan.
12 Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 7.63
Don’t judge an anime (or manga) by its title. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! sounds a bit too silly to be taken seriously, and it fails to color an adequate picture of the show’s appeal. Adachi can hear people’s thoughts when he touches them, an influence that has mostly been a negative addition to his life. Nonetheless, someday, he by accident touches his popular coworker, Kurosawa, and learns that he has a giant crush on him. This news not only comes as a shock to Adachi, but additionally forces him to recontextualize his views on his coworker. Because the two slowly catch up with, the protagonist finds himself pulling back as he doesn’t want to offer Kurosawa false hope; nonetheless, Adachi’s feelings are also beginning to develop into muddled.
Cherry Magic takes a reasonably traditional Boys Love pairing – a confident man who’s eager about an inexperienced guy – and introduces a supernatural twist that adds depth to most of their encounters. Adachi is likable as a confused guy in a troublesome situation with no easy answers. Meanwhile, the protagonist’s power provides insight into Kurosawa’s actions, revealing a one that is hardly as confident and secure as he might sound.
11 Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 7.71
Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- has all of the ingredients synonymous with generic isekai anime: an overpowered protagonist, strong female characters who immediately determine they need a master, and a bog-standard medieval-style world. Nonetheless, the show still manages to ascertain a novel identity, and it serves as a major example that tropes are nice so long as they’re utilized well. The anime’s best strength is its characters, specifically Makoto, Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki. While able to destroying disaster-level threats without breaking a sweat, Makoto is nevertheless likable, largely due to his comedic sensibilities and the very fact he faces prejudice resulting from his looks. He has some flaws, even in the event that they will not be that detrimental.
In most isekai stories, the MC attracts a colourful forged of supporters willing to do anything to garner their leader’s attention. While following this formula, Tsukimichi allows these characters to exist away from Makoto’s shadow. Tomoe and Mio have arguably essentially the most entertaining dynamic within the series, and so they often produce big laughs and have prominently in motion sequences. Season 2 is constructing nicely on its predecessor’s strong foundation.
10 The Fallacious Way To Use Healing Magic (-1)
MyAnimeList: 7.59
With 10 shows covering the theme, Winter 2024 is just not devoid of isekai anime. All these stories are popular, however the concept’s overexposure makes it difficult to get excited over latest stories since they have an inclination to recycle the identical few tropes. While that holds for a number of the season’s offerings, Winter 2024 has quite a number of isekai anime that go against convention. Although the difference has been a mixed bag, My Easy Death Ability is So Overpowered is the last word anti-isekai tale. Sasaki and Peeps is a bizarre mix of clichés that stretch beyond isekai, while Ishura has loads of fascinating parts.
Then, there may be The Fallacious Method to Use Healing Magic, which follows a high-school student who’s by accident summoned to a different world by a kingdom in need of heroes. Dragged together with two exceptional schoolmates, Ken Usato learns that he has an affinity for healing magic, a development that grabs the eye of Rose, a peculiar mage who leads the Rescue Squad. Unfortunately for Ken, his latest master’s training methods are the stuff of nightmares.
The Fallacious Method to Use Healing Magic provides an inspired tackle the isekai formula, and Ken is an honest protagonist. More importantly, the show has been hilarious up to now, with Rose’s antics producing almost non-stop laughter. Hopefully, the anime will proceed to construct momentum because it progressively introduces the opportunity of a full war.
9 Delicious In Dungeon (+1)
MyAnimeList: 7.72
A clever twist on the DnD formula, Delicious in Dungeon follows a gaggle of adventurers who’re on a crucial mission to rescue a friend (and relative) who’s being slowly digested by a dragon. The stakes are high, and they can not afford to waste time by stocking up on an excessive amount of food; consequently, they determine to catch their meals. Yes, this anime is all about living off the land, specifically a dungeon stuffed with all varieties of fantastical monsters and creatures. One way or the other, Delicious in Dungeon can turn essentially the most disgusting of entities right into a mouthwatering dinner that will not look misplaced in Food Wars.
Obviously, this series is a comedy, and it’s a fairly hilarious one. The humor largely comes from Laios and Senshi’s enthusiasm for eating monsters, reactions that juxtaposition brilliantly with Marcille’s reluctance to partake in this sort of cuisine. The animation can be quite good, and the dungeon’s levels are stuffed with neat details that may likely please fantasy or tabletop fans.
8 Classroom Of The Elite 3 (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.05
Classroom of the Elite‘s third season offers more of the identical: mind games, academic contests, and threats of expulsions. All in all, fans of the previous cours will likely enjoy watching the present saga, especially because the anime is finally beginning to present Ayanokouji with challenges that threaten to stretch beyond his control. Season 3 has also pushed Arisu Sakayanagi and Honami Ichinose to the forefront greater than ever before, and so they are each fascinating characters who utilize very different methods to wield influence over their classmates.
As enjoyable as season 3 has been, Classroom of the Elite also has its issues. In an try and cover the remaining first yr’s arcs, the difference is moving at a blistering pace, to the purpose of rushing through storylines. Although that is par for the course for this anime, season 3 feels especially on rails, with the characters and audience being granted little or no room to breathe.
7 seventh Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys A Carefree Life Married To Her Worst Enemy! (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 7.87
While not quite as popular as isekai, same-world reincarnation stories are fairly common compared to other area of interest themes, and Winter 2024 has produced one of the vital interesting takes on the concept in an extended time. Rishe, a noblewoman, finds herself caught in a wierd time loop. Without fail, she dies when she is 20, at all times reincarnating a number of years earlier just as her awful fiancé is about to humiliatingly dump her. Despite leading very different lives every time, Rishe’s path at all times results in death, courtesy of a war began by a prince from a neighboring country. Nonetheless, on her seventh loop, she runs into that exact same man, starting an unexpected romance that may hopefully allow her to carve out a future.
A powerful premise means nothing whether it is executed poorly or features bland characters; fortunately, seventh Time Loop can’t be accused of either. Rishe is a fabulous, confident, and proactive protagonist, one whose capabilities are born out of real experiences cultivated over multiple (short) lives. Mysterious but additionally oddly charming, Prince Arnold is an interesting male lead in his own right, and he has chemistry with Rishe.
6 Urusei Yatsura (2022) 2nd Season (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 7.72
Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura is an influential comedy and sci-fi manga that has spawned two anime adaptations. A cult classic, the 1981 version is price trying out, but it surely is just not easy to seek out this present day. Thankfully, the story received one other adaptation in 2022, one which is instantly available on HIDIVE. Featuring great animation and adhering closely to the manga, Urusei Yatsura‘s latest incarnation demonstrates why this property has endured for therefore long, especially in Japan.
While “modernized” in its presentation, the anime’s humor and characters echo the source material’s age, with each elements seeming like they were ripped right out of the ’80s. The “pervert” protagonist is perhaps dated, but Ataru holds up as one among this trope’s higher representatives, and his antics are consistently hilarious. Lum – Ataru’s soon-to-be bride – steals the highlight while covering a plethora of roles. She works well as a straight (wo)man to Ataru’s shenanigans, all of the while adding a touch of heart to the story. Nonetheless, she can be often funny, especially as a driving force for the anime’s stellar slapstick.
5 Mashle: Magic And Muscles – The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.12
With fairly repetitive humor and a few underwhelming fights, Mashle‘s Spring 2023 cour was decent but not particularly great. Still, the anime showed enough positives to suggest it could produce something of upper quality once the groundwork for its secondary characters has been laid.
Season 2 must prove this story can produce excitement and laughs in episodes that push Mash, the muscle-brained protagonist, to the side. This appears to be coming true, and a number of of this season’s funniest moments have featured other characters, although Mash continues to be very much the star.
4 A Sign Of Affection (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.27
Winter 2024 loves romance, and A Sign of Affection has all of the pieces to be an important one. Yuki Itose, a hearing-impaired college student, has a meet-cute with the well-traveled Itsuomi Nagi while on a train, and he or she finds herself hoping to see him again. Luckily, her friend happens to know him, and so they wind up going to his workplace; more importantly, Yuki gets the courage to ask for his contact information.
A Sign of Affection has two immediately likable protagonists. Yuki is charming and refreshingly direct, all of the while still showing nerves as she is just not accustomed to feeling these varieties of emotions. Meanwhile, Nagi comes very near being barely too perfect, but his healthful interest in Yuki is just endearing.
3 Solo Leveling (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.44
Without query, Solo Leveling was essentially the most highly-anticipated Winter 2024 anime. Based on arguably the preferred manhwa of all time, the difference must knock almost every thing out of the park if it wants to satisfy expectations, and A-1 Pictures has mostly hit the bottom running. That said, Solo Leveling‘s first episode mostly focused on establishing the world through some fairly heavy-handed exposition, leading to an enjoyable but weirdly-paced opener. Still, even when it mostly acted as a tease of things to return, the content was generally good. Fortunately, the following episodes greater than deliver on their predecessor’s hype, and so they do an important job of highlighting this story’s appeal: vicious, intense motion and a likable lead with a high power ceiling.
After gates to fantastical worlds began to pop up around the globe, people began to develop special abilities, resulting in the rise of the hunter occupation. Split into ranks determined by their powers, hunters haven’t any forward momentum; consequently, an E-rank member like Sung Jin-woo is destined to stay weak. While on a mission in a D-level gate, a gaggle of hunters determine to enterprise down a secret passage searching for riches. This proves to be a mistake, and Sung Jin-woo finds himself on death’s door; nonetheless, he’s chosen to develop into a player, allowing him to enhance his stats as a reward for completing every day challenges.
2 Kingdom Season 5 (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.69
Kingdom needs to be greater than it’s. The manga is rightfully hailed as a masterpiece, however the anime got off to a notoriously underwhelming start resulting from the primary season utilizing terrible CGI. The storytelling was already incredible, but anime is a visible medium, and poor animation might be difficult to look past. Season 2 was a step in the suitable direction on this regard, and season 3 saw the animation develop into genuinely great, which has remained the case ever since. With over 120 episodes under its belt, season 5 is basically inaccessible to anyone who has not followed Kingdom through the years, meaning the show won’t get as much attention as another Winter 2024 anime; nonetheless, that has no bearing on its quality.
Kingdom season 5 covers the Koko You Campaign arc, which finds Li Xin’s unit being assigned to work with Huan Yi’s massive army as they tackle Zhao’s forces on a definite battlefield set in a forest. With the armies having fairly opposed philosophies, Li Xin and Huan Yi’s forces have fast tension, and so they are going right into a fight that might go south almost immediately. In a number of episodes, Kingdom brilliantly sets up the present storyline’s key players, the terrain they can be fighting over, and the central strategy that may likely determine the victor.
1 The Dangers In My Heart Season 2 (+/- 0)
MyAnimeList: 8.72
The Dangers in My Heart was one among 2023’s best romance anime, and season 2 could thoroughly be higher than its predecessor. Anna and Kyotaro’s relationship has completely transitioned from awkward banter to heartwarming camaraderie built on support and mutual respect.
While they will not be exactly an open couple yet, the story doesn’t downplay their fondness for one another, while still acknowledging they’re each trying to return to terms with the overwhelming feelings they’re experiencing. Even without the romance angle, Anna and Kyotaro’s friendship is admirable and refreshingly grounded, despite being romanticized to an extent. With beautiful animation, earnest characters, and charming humor, The Dangers in My Heart is an all-around masterclass in character development. Romance is just not everyone’s cup of tea, but this series is comfortably among the many top Winter 2024 anime, and a must-watch for anyone who’s remotely eager about the genre.