Most watched Anime of 2024: Being so close to the end of the year. This is the time to look back and reflect on both the good, bad and the ugly. This doesn’t just refer to life choices and events. But also entertainment like movies, music and animation. It would be safe to assume that most people are not hearing the word “Anime” for the first time. The Japanese animated medium has been a popular form of entertainment not just in Nigeria but across the world.
In keeping with the theme of reflections this article seeks to compile a list of the most popular anime released in 2024. Consisting of a wide variety of genres and plots, each of the shows on this list have risen among their peers to captivate the minds and hearts of viewers across the world.
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Top 10 Most Popular Anime Around The World 2024
10. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
The 24-year-old office worker at ZLM, Akira Tendo, finds himself stuck in a regular and meaningless life. He is disillusioned with his profession and lacks ambition, but everything changes when an unexpected zombie outbreak brought on by experimental bioweapons sweeps Tokyo. Akira refuses to give in to fear, viewing this as a chance to live life to the fullest rather than return to his routine life.
In order to demonstrate his continued life and to experience everything directly, he makes a list of everything he wants to do before passing away. This choice is made with a renewed feeling of intent. Along the way he meets others also struggling to survive in this new world shaped by the apocalypse.
Together with his friends, Akira Tendo goes on adventures and together they learn the importance of friendship and the endurance of the human spirit. The series has been praised for its unique tale on a well worn genre. It has humor, optimism, and quirky crazy fun and is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.
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9. Mobile Suit Gundam: The witch from Mercury: From the ever popular Gundam series comes another heart wrenching take set in an alternate timeline. The Ad Stella (AS) calendar system is the one used in the series. In this alternate history, humankind has progressed into space, but a struggle has left the people who live there, known as “Spacians,” apart from those who are born on Earth, or “Earthians,” with a significant economic gap between them[4]. These disputes centred on a substance called Permet, which was mined because of its ability to link information. Permet has been combined with other materials or propellants to create a variety of technologies, including the development of mobile suits.
In this scenario, a number of megacorporations are founded with the primary goal of developing technology for Spacians. However, these corporations also contributed to the social and political division that existed between Spacians and Earthians. In thr middle of all this our main character transfers from Mercury to the Asticassia school of technology where her paths will cross with Miorine Rembran who seeks to escape her father’s shadow. It has received critical acclaim for its striking fight scenes and deep poignant emotional scenes. If you are a fan of mecha series with great character development give this a try.
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8. Hell’s Paradise: The series kicks off with the protagonist Gabimaru in prison. Gabimaru the Hollow, who was captured during an assassination attempt, is given the death penalty, but because of his superhuman physique, nothing seems to be able to take his life. Executor Yamada Asaemon Sagiri gives him the chance to be absolved of all crimes by the Shogunate if he finds the elixir of life on Shinsenkyo, a legendary region newly found southwest of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Sagiri believes that his love for his wife is unconsciously keeping him alive.
This time, the Shogunate sends a group of death row inmates to the island after losing five expedition teams previously dispatched there. Each of the convicted is handed a Yamada Asaemon executioner, which they must bring back to receive the pardon. Thus Gabimaru must undertake this journey to find the fabled elixir of life ahead of other assasins and return safely with his executioner in order to return to his wife. For fans of gore, mystery and thrilling action this is just the anime for you. It has been favourablly compared to Junji Ito’s horror scenes in the reaction it invokes. So keep the lights on and have fun.
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7. Heavenly Delusion: The manga series authored and illustrated by Masakazu Ishiguro in Japan served as the inspiration for the anime Heavenly Delusion. The anime version aired between April and June of 2023. The narrative takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where people and monsters coexist. A specific percentage of children are raised in a facility distant from these threats since these creatures represent an existential threat to humanity.
Maru and Kiruko set off on a quest to find Heaven in the outside world. These two terrible figures have tragic histories that cause a series of puzzles to be solved in an odd way, progressively dismantling the nature of the world they live in. Because of its intellectual stance, Heavenly Delusion is among the most well-liked series of 2023 with a mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. The characterization is excellent as well. Mystery fans put on your thinking caps and go watch this.
6. Mashle: Mashle takes place in a magical world where everyone uses magic indiscriminately. Mash Burnedead, our protagonist, lives in such a world. Mash has his greatest-kept secret—that he is incapable of using magic—guarded from the outside world. He lives among the dense, dark foliage of the forest.
Mash has always desired a peaceful life, but destiny has sent him to a world full with magicians who are vying for his peaceful existence. Mash must use his physical might to combat magic in this world in order to ascend to the position of Divine Visionary, the head of the magical realm. Fans of One Punch Man will enjoy this tale packed humor and action aplenty.
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5. Vinland Saga: Beginning in 2023, the epic adventure anime series Vinland Saga returned to viewers’ attention. Following the first anime adaptation in 2019, which was based on the original manga series serialised since 2005, Mappa, well known for Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, is responsible for the current season.
After the death of his longtime foe Askeladd, the young Viking protagonist Thorfinn, who had no purpose in life, embarks on a new plot arc in the second season. The series continues to go strong after its hyped season 1.
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4. Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
The very popular action-adventure anime Bleach is still making waves in 2023 with the release of its last chapter, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (BLEACH 千年血㈦篇). Bleach, an animated series from 2004 to 2012, was first based on the manga that was serialised from 2001 to 2016.
In 2022, the new anime series Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War aired to conclude the previously incomplete anime. After the first part’s thirteen episodes, the second part ran from July to September of 2023, consisting of thirteen more episodes. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s animation quality has stunned both fans and professionals. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Ichigo and his pals’ fate as the big finale of this enduring epic masterpiece approaches.
3. Dr Stone: New World: The third season of the series, Dr. STONE: New World, debuted in April. Weekly Shonen Jump published the original sci-fi adventure manga series Dr. STONE from 2017 till 2022. It tells the tale of Senku, the main character, a perceptive and intelligent scientist.
The third season features a number of thrilling adventures to fit the genre and the story, as Senku and other members of the Kingdom of Science go across the Stone World.
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2. Demon Slayer; Swordsmith Village
The third season of the anime series, Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc, debuted in spring 2023. It has garnered an incredible amount of love from its followers and is the highest-grossing and most popular anime show of 2023. The emotional highs and lows of the season are frequent, and the triggers are extreme.
Love, forgiveness, adventure, and imagination are among the many themes that permeate Demon Slayer and mostly drive the story. The third season delves into the lives of Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Mitsuri Kanroji, with a particular focus on Muichiro Tokito. The characters are severely dissected and rebuilt for the audience to understand for the entirety of the third installment, which is packed with diverse intricacies. As usual fans of the series are eating good in 2023.
1. Jujutsu Kaisen: Although Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is still in progress, the first episode of the season has already generated a lot of interest in the public. One of the longest arc adaptations for the series, the ongoing Shibuya Arc includes one of the story’s most devastating and deadly confrontations.
Gojo’s Past Arc and Shibuya Incident Arc, both of which revolve around Gojo Satoru, are the main topics of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. Some of the most horrific and deadly forces attack the sorcerer, and in order to release him from this impending menace, his students and supporters must vanquish these cursed allies. The reason this is ranked first ahead of Demon Slayer is because though Demon Slayer was released first, Jujutsu Kaisen has had more hype because of the intensity of this arc and the amazing fight scenes.
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Conclusion
The year has not come to an end and there are sure to be more amazing additions to the list by the conclusion of 2023. Anime has something out there for every viewer. Be it romance, comedy, romance, tragedy etc. So as the year winds up don’t forget to relax and pick up one of these series. You are sure to have a fun time.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.