Legendary gaming auteur Hideo Kojima has declared a surprise Netflix series as his top pick for the best Anime of 2023. For his money, Blue Eye Samurai is as good as it gets this calendar year.
When it comes to respected voices in the gaming industry, few are on par with the venerable Kojima. Decades of pushing boundaries with genre-defining projects and exceedingly convoluted narratives have led to millions of fans watching his every move.
Giving social media plenty to discuss, he’s often sharing his latest experiences outside of the game development lifestyle. Whether it be sharing detailed reviews or hilariously blunt movie impressions, his opinions online have become increasingly prevalent over the years.
And as 2023 begins to wind down, Kojima appears to have been keeping plenty busy checking out the latest offerings in the world of Anime. While there’s been a great deal of heavy hitters this year, one newcomer stands out as the single best release, according to the Death Stranding creator.
Just finished watching all 8 episodes of BLUE EYE SAMURAI! Well, everything is wonderful! Everything is all beautiful! Without a doubt, the best anime of the year! It is a visual work that transcends the common sense of animation!The new generation of CG-based animation reached… pic.twitter.com/pQT9eEIkdh
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) November 23, 2023
Released on November 3 without a great deal of fanfare, Blue Eye Samurai hit Netflix with its initial season spanning eight episodes. Despite a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Kenneth Branagh, George Takei, and many others, and a perfect debut on Rotten Tomatoes, the series largely flew under the radar.
Though it managed to catch the eye of Kojima, who was quick to sing its praises as a true highlight of 2023 upon rolling the credits.
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“Everything is wonderful,” he began on his translated Twitter account. “Without a doubt, the best anime of the year! It is a visual work that transcends the common sense of animation.”
Praising the likes of Into the Spider-Verse and Arcane for helping “CG-based animation reach maturity,” he argued Blue Eye Samurai is the “next level” in this new breed of entertainment.
“Highly recommend! If you don’t watch it, you’re missing out.”
For now, there’s no telling if a second season of Blue Eye Samurai will be ordered at Netflix despite its unanimous critical acclaim. We’ll have to see how the series tracks with a wider audience now Kojima has sung its praises.