WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the previous seasons of mentioned shows.New year, new anime – January and February 2023 are looking to be packed with exciting new shows, long-awaited second seasons of old favorites, and even some theatrical movie releases spanning all styles and genres.
From the stakes rising in the second season of Tokyo Revengers’ gangland drama to a high school romance deepening even further in the film continuation of Sasaki and Miyano, there will be something for every anime fan in this next airing season. The year starts off with quite the bang for all audiences.
Way Of The Househusband Season 2 (January 1)
This adaptation of Kousuke Oono’s hit Manga took the anime world by storm in the Spring 2021 airing season, chronicling the life of the ex-yakuza boss Tatsu. Though he’s given up crime for domestic life with his beloved wife Miku, he still takes on everyday struggles as if they were high-stakes yakuza business.
Season 2, streaming on Netflix starting January 1, continues the slice-of-life story and will treat viewers to more of Tatsu’s interactions with his wife, his ex-coworkers who have joined him in retirement, and his neighbors who still don’t know quite what to make of him.
Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4 (January 4)
Atsushi Nakajima, a timid orphan with the ability to transform into a massive tiger, is brought into the Armed Detective Agency, joining their ranks of super-powered crimesolvers. As Atsushi grows braver and stronger, the challenges he and his friends must rise to face only get bigger.
Continuing one of the best anime based on classic literature, season 4 promises several harrowing situations for the Agency, as they are hunted by the police and military for crimes they have not committed. Bungou Stray Dogs can be watched on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
Tokyo Revengers Season 2 (January 7)
Subtitled Christmas Showdown, this second season continues the uphill battle of Takemichi, one of the strongest anime characters to travel through time. To save his girlfriend and himself from dying in the future, Takemichi must rise to the top of the Tokyo Manji Gang in the past.
After the first season’s cliffhanger ending, it’s clear that Takemichi’s greatest enemy, Kisaki, will begin to act much more directly, and the secrets of both Takemichi’s powers and Kisaki’s grudge against him will begin to come to light. Fans can catch back up exclusively on Disney+ starting January 7.
Nier Automata Ver1.1a (January 7)
One of the biggest hits in gaming in 2017, Nier Automata is coming to the small screen once more in this adaptation, retelling the story of a desperate battle for the fate of Earth and mankind as a whole between androids and alien machines.
The anime will showcase the stunning visuals and action sequences that the game is famous for, while purportedly giving certain characters more screen time than they had in the game, which should be a treat for devoted fans. It can be watched on Crunchyroll starting January 7.
Trigun Stampede (January 7)
Trigun’s original run ended in 1998, with its last movie Badlands Rumble airing in 2010 (both of which are now available to stream on Hulu). Now, Studio Orange is bringing the classic show back into the limelight with Trigun Stampede, which will be available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Stampede is a computer-animated reboot of the show based on the original manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. According to producer Katsuhiro Takei, the show will focus more on the depths of powerful and pacifistic hero Vash the Stampede, his origins, and his relationship with his twin brother and foster mother (via Anime News Network).
Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro! Season 2 (January 8)
Senpai still cannot catch a break in this rom-com that was one of the hits of the Summer 2021 season. Once Hayase Nagatoro uncovers her senpai’s secret affinity for art, she becomes quickly attached to him. But unfortunately for Senpai, Nagatoro shows affection through relentless bullying.
Aptly subtitled 2nd Attack, Nagatoro and Senpai’s shaky rivalry-friendship-romance grows deeper in this second season, as Senpai’s confidence steadily builds with Nagatoro’s unconventional support. Fans can watch on Crunchyroll starting January 8.
Vinland Saga Season 2 (January 9)
The first season of Vinland Saga did not end well for Thorfinn: not only did he fail to join the ranks of anime’s best revenge plots when Askeladd died on his own terms, by Canute’s blade instead of his own, but his subsequent attempt to kill Canute also fails, and he is taken prisoner.
After this twist, viewers are anxious to see where this dark turn will lead the angry young Viking. They can see his story continue to unfold on Netflix and Crunchyroll starting January 9.
BOFURI Season 2 (January 11)
Also known by its full title of I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense!, BOFURI takes a simple concept and runs with it hard: a novice player to a virtual reality game, nervous about getting hurt inside the game, puts all of her points into defense and unwittingly attains some of the most powerful abilities in the game.
Season 2 continues to follow Maple, having accidentally become one of the best players in the world by being the only one with maxed out defense, as she explores the game and her team own potential even further with her newfound allies. Fans can catch up with them starting January 11 on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales Of The Macabre (January 19)
The last animated adaptation of Junji Ito’s legendary horror Manga may rank among the creepiest body horror in anime, but it still failed to capture the depth and intensity of Ito’s original art even while accurately adapting his stories.
Maniac claims to stick closer to Ito’s genre-defining style as it adapts 20 of his best works, including some that have never seen animation before such as “The Hanging Balloons.” Fans can catch it on Netflix starting January 19.
Sasaki And Miyano: Graduation Chapter (February 17)
The first season of Sasaki and Miyano was a favorite of the Winter 2022 season. After a chance meeting with the tough and mysterious Sasaki, Miyano falls into a relationship with him, as their initial bonding over Miyano’s secret love of BL manga deepens into a romance story of their own.
Graduation Chapter will not only continue Sasaki and Miyano’s story, but be released alongside Hirano and Kagiura, a spin-off short film based on the show’s side characters. Though its theatrical release in Japan is set for February 17, it is still unknown when or if it will receive an English release. In the meantime, fans can catch the original show on Crunchyroll and Funimation.