2023 has been a massive year for anime. Attack on Titan came to an end, One Piece saw the arrival of Luffy’s Gear Fifth, Studio Ghibli released its latest knockout in The Boy And The Heron, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury continued to soar the heavens. Among a big list of anime heavy hitters, there was only one anime series that could stand above the pack and lay claim to Comicbook.com’s Golden Issue Award for Best Anime TV Series in 2023.
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And the winner of 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Anime TV Series is…
Vinland Saga!
Vinland Saga’s second season is nothing like its first, and it’s in this fact that the story of Thorfinn finds its strength. The first season of this viking anime, which was animated by Wit Studio, focused on Thorfinn’s quest for revenge and what he was willing to do to avenge his father’s murder. Traveling alongside Askaladd, the viking responsible for his dad’s death, the protagonist acts as a viking himself, to finally have the opportunity to kill his target. The first season ends in an unexpected way that not only robs Thorfinn of his revenge, but does so in such a way that he is left with nothing in his life. Season two picks up years after the events of Askladd’s death, seeing Thorfinn on a farm as a slave. Not only is he attempting to win his freedom, as his benevolent owner will offer his slaves a choice deal of working their way to being free of their shackles, but the former viking is attempting to find peace in a world that’s anything but peaceful. Thorfinn finds himself joined by Einar, a new slave to the farm, and anime viewers are introduced to a story as brutal and dark as it is life-affirming.
Thorfinn, throughout the entirety of the second season, swears to never take another human life, coming to grips with his past sins and struggling with how to move forward. During Thorfinn’s time on the farm, we are also introduced to several side characters whose fates are so tragic, yet so real for the era, that it drags viewers into their precarious situations. The viking era applauded violence and saw compassion as a weakness, which makes it all the more impressive to see Thorfinn stand tall throughout it. While being focused on a story that sees its main character turning its back on violence, Vinland Saga‘s second season certainly doesn’t shy away from it. The fights of the series hit that much harder when it comes to the brutality of this time period, and luckily, Studio MAPPA was able to perfectly depict the conflicts sent Thorfinn’s way along with the bloody battles that took place on Ketil’s farm.
In a year that was fit to bursting with heart-wrenching moments, earth-shattering battles, and shining examples of the medium, it’s a true testament to the story of Vinland Saga that the anime’s second season was able to win the Golden Issue Award for Best Anime TV Series. Vinland Saga‘s second season isn’t just the greatest example of anime in 2023, it’s one of the best examples of anime storytelling in the history of the medium.
The nominees for the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Anime TV Series are:
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury
Oshi no Ko
Skip and Loafer
Trigun: Stampede
Vinland Saga Season 2 — WINNER
