Ranked roundup
The best series of 2023
25 ranked · updated July 2026
The television landscape of 2023 was defined by a profound exploration of human connection, spanning from the quiet, melancholy reflections of fantasy journeys to the visceral, high-stakes survival dramas of dystopian worlds. These selections capture a year where storytelling prioritized emotional resilience, complex moral ambiguity, and the search for identity.
How this ranking works
Ranked by a Bayesian-weighted score combining each title's average rating and rating count (minimum 100 ratings to qualify, weighted toward titles with more votes), filtered to series released in 2023.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
This series earns the top spot for its meditative approach to mortality and the poignant, enduring legacy of time on those who outlive their companions.
Explores: Mortality, The Value of Time, Regret and Remembrance.
The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann
The show excels by grounding its brutal, post-apocalyptic survival narrative in the deeply intimate and evolving bond between its two central, fractured protagonists.
Explores: Survival, Found Family, Moral Ambiguity.
The Apothecary Diaries
It secures a high ranking through its sharp blend of medical procedural and court intrigue, anchored by a uniquely pragmatic and observant lead character.
Explores: Ingenue, Poison, Court intrigue.
Blue Eye Samurai
Amber Noizumi
This series delivers a masterclass in stylized action, using the visceral pursuit of revenge to explore deep-seated themes of identity and societal discrimination.
Explores: Revenge, Identity, Discrimination.
My Demon
Choi A-il
The series succeeds by subverting supernatural tropes, turning a high-concept contract marriage into a compelling study of vulnerability and the softening of a hardened heart.
Explores: Contract Marriage, Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers.
Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake
Adam Muto
This entry stands out for its imaginative use of the multiverse to facilitate a mature, existential journey toward self-discovery and meaningful personal redemption.
Explores: Self-Discovery, Existential Threat, Redemption.
The Good Bad Mother
Sim Na-yeon
The show earns its place by balancing legal comedy with a deeply affecting exploration of the complex, often painful evolution of the mother-son relationship.
Explores: Mother-Son Relationship, Amnesia, Second Chance.
Death's Game
Ha Byung-hoon
It earns recognition for its creative structural conceit, using twelve distinct lives to interrogate the heavy themes of punishment, regret, and the possibility of redemption.
Explores: Suicide and Second Chances, Punishment and Redemption, Multiple Lives.
Scavengers Reign
Charles Huettner
This standout work of science fantasy utilizes a stunning, alien ecosystem to cultivate a pervasive sense of existential dread and the raw desperation of survival.
Explores: alien ecosystem, existential dread, body horror.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles
The series provides a refreshing take on the magic academy genre by pairing high-stakes fantasy tropes with the physical comedy of an underdog protagonist.
Explores: Magic Academy, Underdog, Fish Out of Water.
Moving
Park In-je
This superhero drama distinguishes itself by prioritizing the grounded, emotional weight of family secrets over traditional spectacle, creating a uniquely intimate supernatural experience.
Explores: Superpowers, Hidden Identity, Family Secrets.
Twinkling Watermelon
Jin Soo-wan
The show is notable for its heartfelt fusion of time-travel mechanics and musical drama, providing a sensitive portrayal of CODA identity and youth culture.
Explores: Deaf Culture, Musical Prodigy, Time Travel Paradox.
Bloodhounds
Jason Kim
This gritty noir earns its spot through a propulsive, underdog-focused narrative that effectively highlights the human cost of financial exploitation and systemic debt.
Explores: Underdog Story, Financial Crime, Debt.
The Dangers in My Heart
It captures the awkward, tender reality of adolescence, elevating standard school-life tropes into a nuanced, sincere exploration of unrequited love and social growth.
Explores: Unrequited Love, Hidden Feelings, Social Outcasts.
Silo
Graham Yost
The series maintains high tension through its claustrophobic setting, expertly unfolding a mystery about social control and the dangers of seeking hidden truths.
Explores: Conspiracy, Social Control, Hidden Truth.
【oshi No Ko】
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Reincarnation, Show Business, Dark Secrets.
One Piece
Matt Owens
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: found family, relentless optimism, superpowered combat.
Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: transported to another world, cooking, isekai cooking.
Lessons in Chemistry
Lee Eisenberg
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Gender Inequality, Scientific Ambition, Social Conformity.
The Amazing Digital Circus
Gooseworx
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Virtual Reality, Existential Dread, Loss of Identity.
Fellow Travelers
Ron Nyswaner
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Forbidden Love, Homophobia, Political Persecution.
My Happy Marriage
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Arranged Marriage, Hidden Powers, Self-Discovery.
A Time Called You
Kim Jin-won
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Grief, Reincarnation, Doppelganger.
Hell's Paradise
Yuji Kaku
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Redemption, Moral Ambiguity, Survival.
See You in My 19th Life
Lee Na-jeong
A standout among the best series of 2023.
Explores: Past Lives, Childhood Love, Fate.
Common questions
What are the best fantasy anime series from 2023?
Top-rated fantasy anime from 2023 include Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, which explores the melancholy of a long-lived elf, and Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake, which utilizes multiverse-hopping adventures to examine existential themes and personal redemption.
Are there any good Korean dramas about redemption and second chances?
Yes, Death's Game is a notable choice that follows a man forced to experience twelve separate lives to understand the weight of his actions, while The Good Bad Mother focuses on a mother and son healing their relationship after a tragic accident.
What is the best dystopian science fiction series released in 2023?
Silo is a highly regarded dystopian series that explores life in a giant underground bunker. It focuses on an engineer who begins to uncover shocking conspiracies and hidden truths about the world outside after a series of mysterious deaths.