‘The Simpsons’ anime episode explained, when and where to watch

The “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween specials are often fan favorites, as they force The Simpsons to break out of its comfort zone and try something a little different. The immortal series occasionally uses the non-canon status of the specials to try out a new animation style, for example. The pioneering CG-animation used in 1995’s “Homer3” and 2020’s Pixar-parodying “Toy Gory” spring to mind. But the most recent TOH episode went where The Simpsons have never gone before: into the realm of anime.

Indeed, season 34 proved to be one where The Simpsons celebrated Halloween twice over. Following the full 30-minute long parody of Stephen King’s It in 2022, which launched a new format titled “Treehouse of Horror Presents,” the regular three-in-one anthology episode aired one week later. While the opening and closing installments spoofed The Babadook and Westworld, it’s the middle entry that fans have raved about most.

Titled “Death Tome,” the installment is naturally a parody of iconic anime series Death Note, and to do the tale justice, the story is realized in an authentic anime art-style, with unique takes on all your favorite characters. If that concept has you hooked then you’ll want to track down “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII” — yes, they’ve made 33 of them at this point! — but where can you find it?

How to watch The Simpsons’ first foray into anime

As always, The Simpsons’ “TOH XXXIII” premiered on Fox on Oct. 30, 2022, aka Halloween Eve. However, if you missed the network debut and didn’t bother to bring out the old VCR to record a copy of it on a blank VHS, there is a more modern approach to watching it. Specifically, you can track down “TOH XXXIII” on Hulu by looking up season 34 episode 6.

If you’re in a situation where you only have Disney Plus to fulfill your need for The Simpsons viewing, you can also view the episode beginning on Oct. 11, 2023.