What an amazing week one of AniMarch Madness 2023 we had! More than 8,000 votes poured in for 32 matches across six different platforms. You guys really showed up! And now our field is narrowed to 32 anime who will compete in 16 matches over four days this week to decide the sweet sixteen!
In case you haven’t seen the updated bracket, here it is!

There were no huge upsets in round one, with every anime seeded one through five in their region (Emerging, Classics, Action/Sci-Fi/Horror, and Romance/Comedy/Sports) making it through. But that 6 vs. 11 matchup was tricky, with Horimiya falling to Bocchi the Rock by just three votes (!) and Sword Art Online handling The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Close matchups included Cyberpunk: Edgerunners edging out 86 (11 votes), One Piece snatching the treasure away from Evangelion (9 votes), Bleach slipping by InuYasha (8 votes), and Mob Psycho 100 defeating Code Geass by a single vote! Meanwhile, Spy x Family and past four-time winner, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, smashed their competition in gathering more than 80% of the vote, defeating Ya Boy Kongming and Fist of the North Star, respectively.
What upsets and big wins are on the way this week? Let’s find out! Vote below and on our social media platforms as well: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Discord, and Mastodon.
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