September means we're headed into the fall anime season, but that doesn't mean summer still doesn't have a few surprises up its sleeve. While we see the continuation of a few popular anime, there are still several season premieres this month. If you love incredible stories told in fantastical worlds, then we have a great list of shows for you.
From the return of anime classics to brand new shows, these are the best new anime to watch in September 2023.
ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Returns: September 5 | Platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll
Cast: Shūichirō Umeda, Tomori Kusunoki, Makoto Furukawa, Minami Takahashi
ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead was one of the breakout hits of the summer. If you haven't already been watching the series, it follows 24-year-old Akira Tendo, a young man whose spirit is broken after spending three hard years at an exploitative corporation in Japan. He can’t even confess his feelings to his co-worker Ohtori. However, one morning, the whole city’s swarming with zombies, and even though he’s running for his life, Akira has never felt more alive.
ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead takes everything we know about the zombie genre and turns it on its head. As the season nears its end, now is an excellent time to catch on the season before the finale.
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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Returns: September 7 | Platform: Crunchyroll
Cast: Junya Enoki, Yûichi Nakamura, Asami Seto, Yuma Uchida
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 returns for its long-awaited Shibuya Incident arc. After the first five episodes focused on Gojo and his past, the next chapter of the story will return to the present day and see Yuji Itadori reclaim the spotlight. In the present day, the time has come for Suguru Geto to put his plans in motion. A curtain is set to trap civilians in Shibuya, leading to them begging for the help of the world’s most renowned sorcerer, Satoru Gojo. Many squads are dispatched to the area, and that’s when we return to following Yuji Itadori and his classmates.
The Shibuya Incident is one of the most devastating arcs in the story thus far, and we promise that no matter what you think will happen, the series will find a way to surprise you.
Naruto 20th Anniversary
Available: TBA (Previously September 3) | Platform: TBA
Starring: Junko Takeuchi, Chie Nakamura, Noriaki Sugiyama, Kazuhiko Inoue
Naruto celebrates its 20th anniversary with four brand-new animations. We'll see Naruto and the rest of Team 7 (Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke) in a way we've never seen them before. While details are still scarce (and the project received a delay), that doesn't mean it's not worth getting excited. Naruto's world is one of shinobi and magic. The young ninja has dreams of becoming Hokage, and even though his story has been told, we can't wait to return to that world and spend a little more time with those characters.
As it stands, we don't know if the Naruto episodes will be retellings of the original series, such as The Land of Waves, The Chunin Exams, The Search for Tsunade, or Sasuke Retrieval arcs or if they'll be original stories. Either way, you best believe that Naruto is back!
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FLCL: Grunge
Available: Starting September 9 | Platform: Adult Swim
Cast: N/A
What is Fooly Cooly? How is Fooly Cooly? Why is Fooly Cooly? The world may never know the real answer. However, if you enjoy the franchise's madness, you're in for a treat with FLCL: Grunge. Set after FLCL, FLCL: Progressive, and FLCL: Alternative, this new series will follow Haruko Haruhara as she meets three teenagers as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.
FLCL has always been a coming-of-age story since the beginning, and now, a new generation of viewers will be able to see themselves in this new cast of characters.
Castlevania: Nocturne
Available: September 28 | Platform: Netflix
Cast: Edward Bluemel, Thuso Mbedu, Pixie Davies, Sharon D. Clarke, Richard Dormer, Iain Glen, Sydney James Harcourt
While the main series might be over, the Castlevania franchise is still going strong. Castlevania: Nocturne takes us to France in 1792 during the height of the French Revolution. In a remote part of western France, the counter-revolutionary aristocracy has allied with a terrifying Vampire Messiah who promises to ‘eat the sun’ and unleash an army of vampires and night creatures to crush the revolution and enslave humanity. Annette, a sorceress from the Caribbean, seeks out Richter Belmont, the last descendant of the long-fabled family of vampire hunters, to lead the resistance.
Castlevania: Nocturne has the same creative team as the original Castlevania series, so that should mean great things for the show. If you love high fantasy, you should definitely add Castlevania: Nocturne to your watch list.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Available: September 29 | Platform: Crunchyroll
Cast: Atsumi Tanezaki, Hiroki Tochi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yoji Ueda
In a fantasy world where demon kings rule, we follow our heroes after the battle has already been won. The mage Frieren defeated the Demon King alongside the hero Himmel's party after a 10-year quest. Peace was restored to the kingdom. Since she is an elf, she can live for over a thousand years. She promises Himmel and the others that she will return to see them and then leaves alone. 50 years later, Frieren goes to visit Himmel and the others. She remained unchanged, but Himmel and the others have aged significantly, and only a little of their lives remain. Frieren is hurt by her desire to have spent more time getting to know people. With that regret in her heart, she then journeys to do just that. She meets many people on her journey, and many events await her.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is unique because it follows life after the story. While most action shows focus on the battle at hand, seeing Frieren's life and how she readjusts is the focus. Making for an exciting deconstruction of the genre.
Ragna Crimson
Available: September 30 | Platform: HIDIVE
Cast: Junichi Suwabe, Fairouz Ai, Mamiko Noto, Hiroki Tochi
In Ragna Crimson, dragons terrorize the earth, sea, and sky. Humans rely on the mighty dragon hunters to survive, but they have to even the odds if they will take on these powerful beasts. Our main character and dragon hunter, Ragna, must team up with a mysterious man named Crimson, who has likewise sworn to stand against the dragons menacing the world. Although Crimson’s motivations may be mysterious, his goal and Ragna’s are perfectly aligned, and together, they’ll fight to vanquish the dragons once and for all.
