Summer 2023

My take: summer 2023 leaned hard on theatrical releases and a handful of sequels that actually moved stories forward. LINK CLICK 2 (LAN Studio) picked up its emotional time-manipulation premise and dug deeper into character stakes, with tighter animation and a couple of legitimately tense episodes. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse kept showing up in conversation too — its bold animation choices and soundtrack moments made it feel like more than just a crossover spectacle.

Mushoku Tensei’s “Guardian Fitz” cour slowed the pace to focus on relationships and worldbuilding, which paid off if you were invested in the cast. The Boy and the Heron reminded viewers why Miyazaki still drew crowds, with dreamlike framing and texture-heavy visuals. Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King delivered straightforward, punchy action that satisfied fans, and even some sequels like Record of Ragnarok II leaned into big set pieces. With 206 releases, the season was busy, but the memorable bits came from strong visuals and character work rather than quantity alone.