10 best anime of Winter 2024, ranked

The Winter 2024 anime season is almost over as fans await new series in Spring – so here’s a look at the 10 best anime series of the season.

The first quarter of 2024 was a bit underwhelming, but we’ve still had some fantastic anime shows like Solo Leveling, which received global popularity. Now that the season is almost near its end, it’s time for the Spring 2024 anime season to bring forward some of the most highly anticipated anime series of the next quarter.

However, while Solo Leveling was the highlight of the season, some terrific anime has also been sidelined. There will always be series that fail to gather attention due to low publicity or because they don’t have the same eye-catching character design.

Now that the Winter 2024 anime season is about to wrap up, we have prepared a list of the ten best series.

10. Delicious in Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon is an endearing adventure series. The story is set in a fantasy world where guilds go on expeditions to raid dungeons, hoping to find the mysterious Golden Kingdom. Laios, the leader of one guild, is attacked by a dragon, who devours his group and his sister Falin.

As such, Laios and a new team rush back into the dungeon, determined to save Falin. Because time is of the essence, Laios suggests breaking the dungeon’s taboo of eating the monsters to acquire supplies.

Where to Watch: Netflix

9. Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga

Blue Exorcist is one of the Shonen classics, and it returned with its third anime season in Winter 2024. It centers around Okumura Rin, who believes himself to be an ordinary teenager until, one day, he discovers he’s the son of Satan. Season 3 follows Rin and his friends living their usual lives in True Cross Academy.

However, strange events started occurring across the world, which caught the attention of the Knights of the True Cross. When the True Cross Academy Festival is in full swing, Lucifer, the King of Light and Commander-in-Chief of the Illuminati, emerges and declares war on the Knights in order to revive the demon deity Satan and unite the human world, Assiah, with the demon realm, Gehenna.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

8. Tsukimichi – Moonlit Fantasy Season 2

The story follows high school student Misumi Makoto, who is suddenly called to a fantasy world by the god Tuskuyomi to become a hero. However, not everyone is welcoming toward him, so they kick him to the edge of the world. Tsukuyomi declares that he must leave Makoto to find his own way.

Now, Makoto must rise up against all odds and become the hero he is destined to be. In Season 2, the goddess becomes aware of Makoto’s power and sees him as a rival. Makoto continues his efforts to grow his outcast community and meet more Hyumans.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

7. Kingdom Season 5

The underrated Kingdom series gets its fifth anime season in the Winter of 2024. The story follows Shin and Hyou, two war orphans from the kingdom of Qin who dream of proving themselves on the battlefield.

However, a minister apprehends Hyou, and the latter escapes to his hometown with severe injuries. Shin then encounters a mysterious kid who shares a striking likeness to Hyou—a boy who will one day become Emperor!

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

6. Ninja Kamui

Directed by Sunghoo Park, director of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Ninja Kamui is an action anime about a former Ninja, Joe Higan. He escapes his clan and hides with his family from his brutal past in rural America.

However, he suddenly gets ambushed by a group of assassins who want nothing more than to make Joe pay for his betrayal. As his past comes back to haunt him, Joe must reemerge as his former self, Ninja Kamui, to avenge his friends and family.

Where to Watch: Prime Video

5. Classroom of the Elite Season 3

Classroom of the Elite is a psychological thriller series focusing on high school students. Set in a prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, the series follows Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. Season 3 follows Kiyotaka and his classmates, who have now advanced to Class C.

However, a frenzied third term awaits them as they face an exam called “mixed training camp.” It’s a co-ed test that encourages all classes to work together. As if being forced into an unpredictable group with former enemies isn’t bad enough, they will also face expulsion if they fail.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

4. Mashle Season 2

The series follows Mash Burnedead, who cannot use any magic despite living in a world where it’s a basic skill anyone can use. He wishes to live a peaceful life with his family until, one day, he finds himself the target of dangerous assassins.

After a series of events, Mash enrolls in a Magic School and aims to become a “Divine Visionary,” the elite of the elite. In the second season, he surpasses the best of the wizarding world with his ripped muscles and faces the Divine Visionary Candidate Selection Exam.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

3. A Sign of Affection

Based on the manga of the same name, this anime series made its debut in Winter 2024. A Sign of Affection is a lighthearted, romantic comedy centering around Yuki Itose and Itsuomi Nagi. Yuki is a hearing-impaired university student. 

She rarely interacts with anyone except for her best friend, Rin Fujishiro. However, her life slowly begins to change after she meets the silver-haired and multilingual Itsuomi Nagi, Rin’s mutual friend.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

2. The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

The Dangers in My Heart is a heartwarming romantic comedy following Kyoutarou Ichikawa, a middle school student, and his classmate Anna Yamada. Despite his shy demeanor, Kyoutarou wants nothing more than to see Anna’s face full of pain as he kills her. However, his impression of Anna changes when he realizes the model student is actually an airhead.

As he spends more time with her, Kyoutarou’s murderous intent changes into endearment. Season 2 follows the duo after an eventful winter break. The bond between them only grows stronger when they realize their budding feelings for one another. Now, they must decide whether to remain friends or become a couple and change their relationship.

Where to Watch: Prime Video

1. Solo Leveling

The biggest anime of Winter 2024, Solo Leveling, is based on a manhwa of the same name. The story is set in a world 10 years ago after the appearance of a “gate” that connects the world to a realm of magic and monsters. The gates drastically changed the world in every way. Modern weaponization doesn’t work on these monsters, but some humans are granted supernatural powers and are called “hunters.”

The story follows Sung Jin-Woo, who hunts monsters tirelessly in low-rank Gates to pay for his mother’s medical bills and his sister’s education. However, things take a turn for the worse when his team encounters a double dungeon.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Check out the best anime like Solo Leveling and our guide to the release date of Demon Slayer Season 4 for what to watch next.