My Best Anime of 2022

So here we are at the beginning of a new year, and in the middle of the first month. Still good enough time for me to come up with my top ten anime of 2022. If you’re curious about my top fall anime of 2022, you can find it here. There are a couple on that fall list that make it to my Best Anime of the Year list. Which ones exactly? Read on to find out…

Mizuki, Takina, Chisato and Kurumi

At number ten, I have ‘Lycoris Recoil’. A lot of people will remember this year for A-1 pictures because of ‘Kaguya Sama’. That anime is not on my list which would probably get the ire of many slice of life fans. ‘Lycoris Recoil’ is good enough to make my top ten, and as I always say, original anime have a special place in my heart. That’s not to say Chisato, Takina, and the rest of the staff of Cafe LycoReco are not entertaining. In fact, this dramedy of an anime is quite good, and reminds me a lot of how I was surprised with ’86‘. The second season is imminent, and it’s more of a question of ‘when’ than ‘how’. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Chisato dodging bullets with her spanking new heart.

Tengen Uzui and Tanjiro Kamado

At number nine, I have ‘Kimetsu No Yaiba’ aka ‘Demonslayer’. Arguably the anime with the best fight scene of the year, Ufotable continues not to disappoint with ‘Demonslayer’. My biggest complaint with this anime is that it only has one cour as compared to the first season’s double cour. That’s probably one of the reasons why Tanjiro and the rest of the demonslayers make it only to number nine on my list. With the new year, we are getting a season three of ‘Demonslayer’, and my hope is it holds up more in storytelling to season one with the much improved animation of season two. Let’s see what happens as Tanjiro tries to reforge his broken sword.

Marin and Gojo

At number eight, I have ‘My Dress-Up Darling’. One of my surprise anime of 2022, I took a risk on this, and it lived up to the hype. Marin and Gojo have a very loyal manga following, and I’m glad to join them in the anime. This is yet another beautiful anime by Cloverworks which continues to impress with the eclectic nature of the properties under its wings. This romcom is a cosplayer, and phtographer’s dream come true. It’s also one of those anime wherein the good guy attracts the best girl of the 2022. Gojo, and Marin are lucky to have each other in their lives. How they decide to properly express their feelings towards each other is something that many fans are looking forward to happening…while getting a ton of laughs along the way.

Kongming and Eiko

At number seven, I have ‘Ya Boy Kongming!’. When you combine an isekai with an idol anime, this is what you get. The mentor-mentee (father-daughter?) relationship of Kongming, and Eiko is just downright inspiring to see. Kongming uses his knowledge of battle tactics ala Sun Tzu to help Eiko realize her dream of becoming a successful performer. The road to stardom is wrought with many challenges, and Kongming has so far provided the answers to each one of them Eiko faces. Needless to say, ‘Ya Boy Kongming!’ has one of the best set of anime songs of the year. Just like ‘My Dress-Up Darling’, I’m looking forward to seeing Eiko succeed in achieving her dream.

Mio, Shinpei, and Ushio

At number six, I have ‘Summertime Render’. Now this is one anime that was on my radar, but still caught me by surprise. Composed of two consecutive cours, this masterpiece from OLM will reward you for sticking around. It’s not that it didn’t have good episodes to start. It’s that in order to get to the better episodes you had to endure the good ones. Sounds confusing, right? Well, the biggest initial concern with me was that Shinpei was a bit wimpy at the beginning. It took me time to understand that it was all part of the beautiful development of the character into manhood. Albeit, man enough to be a match for the alpha female that is Ushio. If you like time travel, and myster anime, then this is the best one of the year for me.

Reg, Riko, and Nanachi

At number five, I have ‘Made in Abyss’. It took five years for a second season of this anime to come out. Though a movie came in between, I needed a better fix deep into the Abyss with Riko, Reg, and Nanachi. Is it possible for the second season to actually be better than the first, and yet ‘Made in Abyss’ will most likely not win as many awards in the second season? I think that’s going to be the case. There are just so many excellent anime this year. That shouldn’t discredit the excellence that you find in the best Kinema Citrus anime of the year. There is news circulating that a new season is coming up, and I’m wondering how that will happen with just a few chapters left from the source material to animate. ‘Made in Abyss’ will make you sad, and sadder some more before providing you the hope it shares by season’s end. It’s pretty standard by now for the adventures of Riko as she searchers for her mom. Here’s hoping she finds her alive with a little help from Reg, and Nanachi.

Bojji, and Kage

At numbe four, I have ‘Ousama Ranking’ aka ‘Ranking of Kings’. Just like Cloverworks, Wit Studio has shown with this tale of deaf-dumb Bojji that it has a wide range of animation approaches. I’ve been rooting for Bojji since 2021, and this has carried over to last year. More so, the second cour of ‘Ousama Ranking’ puts Bojji and Kage in a more favorable position than the first. Bojji is really a character to my mind that’s worth rooting for. Sure Bojji is a prince, but that just underscores how misereable, and sad his live is to begin. There is no better anime on my list to inspire you in achieving greater heights in spite of overwhelming challenges than this one. Long live Bojji!!!

Pochita, and Denji

At number three, I have ‘Chainsaw Man’. Highly anticipated, and highly hyped, this anime lived up to the expectations. Though there’s something about studio MAPPA and its penchance for supernatural anime. Is it a coincidence that they made both ‘Chainsaw Man’ and ‘Jujutsu Kaizen‘? I think not. The big difference between Denji, and Itadori is that Denji is a true blue antihero. I’ve said this before already, Denji’s needs are very basic: food, women, and lodging. Can you blame him though? With an upbringing like his, it’s no wonder Makima can manipulate him the way she does. This also has my vote for best music of 2022. Of all the thirteen songs there is not a one worth ignoring. It’s just a question of choosing your favorite. No word yet on season two, but that is a sure as Reze appearing soon.

Yor, Anya, and Loid Forger

At number two, I have ‘Spy Family’. The Forger family was my frontrunner to be my anime of the year for 2022 but fell a bit short. Not its own fault, but rather due to the surprise, and excellence of what is at my number one spot. For now, let’s focus on ‘Spy Family’ which is a masterpiece of both Cloverworks (My Dress-Up Darling), and Wit Studio (Ousama Ranking). It’s really unfair to have a version of Bojji in Anya, Marin in Yor to combine with the suave super spy that is Loid Forger. There is no greater family anime on my list. There’s already a new season set for this year to go along with a movie. More Spy Family is always good. Also, more Anya means more peanuts.

Ichigo

At numer one, I have ‘Bleach: Thousand year Blood War’. A while a go I mentioned that ‘Made in Abyss’ took five years for the second season to come out. In the case of ‘Bleach’, it took studio Pierrot over ten years to come up with the latter portion of Ichigo’s saga. I was just happy to have this anime back with little expectation of it being good. Surprise, surprise…it has gone well beyond what I expected. Cinematic animation. Excellent Storytelling. Hightened Anticipation. Whatever those creators from Pierrot ate while making ‘Bleach’, keep feeding it to them. And, it appears that the best is yet to come. This makes ‘Bleach’ my Best Anime of 2022.

Do you agree with me? Disagree with me? Tell me what you think in the comments.

My Top Ten Summer Anime of 2022

The summer season of 2022 is jampacked. Compared to my Spring viewing list, I had a lot more to watch. If I were to numerically rate these anime in my top ten, then the lowest ranking would be eight out of ten. That’s how good the crop of summer anime is. In fact, I still have five more anime of the summer that didn’t make this list, but rank seven out of ten. Which anime made my top ten? Read on, and enjoy.

Fuuto PI Cover

At number ten, I have “Fuuto PI”. This is on my list because of two words: Kamen Rider. This is a quirky action adventure sci-fi anime that gives justice to the Kamen Rider franchise. The Narumi Detective Agency seeks to protect the citizenry of Fuuto from those who abuse Gaia Memories to transform into monstrosities. This animated version of the Kamen Rider tokosatsu franchise provides just enough comedy, romance, and action to make my list. It would’ve been better if this anime came up earlier in the season, but it’s good enough to for Shoutarou, Philip, and the rest of the cast to be at number ten on my list. Plus, that clossing song production is too funny not to watch repeatedly.

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting

At number nine, I have “The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting”. So far, this is the father-daughter anime of the year, and it comes from an unlikely pair. Yaeka is the daughter of Yakuza boss Kazuhiko Sakuragi. Tooru Kirishima is the first lieutenant of Sakuragi. Kirishima is asked to babysi–bodyguard Yaeka as part of his responsibilites. The result is a heartwarmingly funny anime that just hits the right emotioanl beats. Yaeka proves to be the counterpoint who softens Kirishima’s view on his obligations. This anime is really endearing. And, as much as I love Anya from “Spy X Family”, Yaeka is undoubtedly her demure, and sweet counterpart.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

At number eight, I have “Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?”. When the first season of this anime came out, I dropped it after two episodes. Hestia was too ecchi for me, and I didn’t really like that it didn’t serve the storytelling in my opinion. I’m a true blue fan of fantasy anime, and this didn’t sit well with me. Fast forward to this fourth season, and some friends of mine recommended it so I was willing to give this new season a try. It didn’t disappoint, and made it to my list of summer anime to watch. Less Hestia, and more dungeon exploring with Bell Cranel is a lot better. The fact that he is doing it with a complimentary party of adventurers, albeit mostly female (harem, right?) makes it that more entertaining. I’m just wondering what the hell kind of stingy Dungeon Master allows their character to reach a maximum of level four in four seasons. That just boggles the mind.

Shadow’s House

At number seven I have “Shadow’s House”. Emilico, and Kate are back for a second season courtesy once again of Cloverworks. This is a fantasy-mystery anime in the tradition of Studio Ghibli…they use children to move the story along. Mysteries solved lead to more mysteries as we find out that the union between shadow and living doll erases the consciousness of the living doll, and could lead to the death of both parties. Yikes. Also, it appears that there is no escaping the Shadow’s House unless it’s through the Grandfather Shadow’s wing. Curiouser, and curiouser. Keep watching.

Call of the Night

At number six, I have “Call of the NIght”. Trivia: Did you know that the voice actress of Nazuna is the same voice actress responsible for Aqua from “Konosuba”? That just shows the voice range, AND comedy range of voice actress Sora Amamiya. This to me is THE romantic comedy of the year so far. Yamori wants to be a vampire. Nazuna thirsts for Yamori’s blood. Thus, a deal is struck with the only way for Yamori to be a vampire is to fall in love with Nazuna. It’s dark. It’s quirky. It’s dysfunctional. It’s romantic comedy at its finest. Imagine a character like Yamori having a harem without even him realizing it. Though this really happens in real life when a beautiful girl (every other girl in this anime) gets rejected by a guy (Yamori) who has eyes for some other girl (Nazuna), and the result makes the guy (Yamori) that much more attractive to chase. It was a close call for this anime to break my top five. Mostly because of the next anime AT number five.

Uncle from Another World

At number five, I have “Uncle from Another World”. This anime beat out “Call of the Night” for the number five slot by the skin of its teeth. Very appropriate for Ojisan who is often (always?) seen as an orc due to his looks. This reverse isekai features the uncle (Ojisan) waking up from a coma that sent him to a magical fantasy world. He wakes up with his full magical powers from that world. You’d think with all his power he’d figure out another way to generate income other than making a Youtube Channel. It is what it is, and poor nephew Takafumi appears to have inherited the denseness of his uncle when it comes to women. There are a lot of head-scratching, AND brain wracking situations in this anime that make it outright hilarious. This is a mature viewing anime because of its content, but I don’t care. It’s as entertaining as an orcish sacrificial ritual.

Classroom of the Elite

At number four, I have “Classroom of the Elite”. Returning for its second season after five years, Ayanokouji is back to his old tricks of attracting every single beautiful girl in his school through sketchy means. And I say that with the utmost respect. His cool, and uncaring demeanor attracts all the girls in his path including those who consider him as an enemy. In an anime built on competion, there’s no beating Ayanokouji as the master of quietely building his own harem. Watch, and learn fellow otakus. Watch, and learn.

Lycoris Recoil

At number three, I have “Lycoris Recoil”. The best new anime of the summer is also an original anime brought to you by A-1 Pictures. This action adventure sci-fi anime got me at Chisato, and her non-lethal ammunition rounds. And lo and behold we have four female protagonists almost similar to every single four heroin anime trope. This composition reminds me a lot of “K-On!” or “A Place Further than the Universe” but with firearms. I wouldn’t be surprised if people suddenly start to dress up as Chisato or Takina in cosplaying events moving forward. You want some totally new anime to watch for the summer? This should be at the top of your list.

Summertime Render

At number two, I have “Summertime Render”. You know, I was on the fence with this anime as to how good it was when it came out in the spring. That has changed with the second cour continuing in the summer. My word, this anime is bada@@!!! This anime will most likely make my top ten list of best anime for 2022. It also appears that before this anime ends you’ll run into a freight train of great anime storytelling. This would be my highest ranked anime of the summer if not for these children from the Abyss at number one.

Reg, Riko, and Nanachi

At number one, I have “Made in Abyss”. It’s funny that I was joking how Kinema Citrus probably focused all of its resources in making this anime’s second season instead of the second season of “The Rising of the Shield Hero.” I think I was right. This anime is beautiful, and comes back after an award winning first season in 2017, and a similarly beautiful anime movie in 2020. Riko, Reg, and Nanachi are now in the Golden City of the Scorching Sun. The city was created based on someone’s wishes…or was it? This is the most likely fantasy anime of the year with all due respect to my boy Bojji in Ousama Ranking. This is a sad heart-wrenching anime. However, unlike most of its kind, this anime shows you the light at the end of the road. “Made in Abyss” is a classically depicted story of a hero’s quest with these children overcoming challenge after challenge. Yes, they are children, but the challenges they continue to face have matured them beyond their years. Be ready for the one hour season finale. I’m sure that will solidify “Made in Abyss” as the best anime of the summer season.

Agree with me? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. Thank you.

My Top Ten Spring Anime of 2022

It’s that time of the year again when I count down the top ten anime of the spring season. Take note once again that these are anime that I watch, and have by now reached around six or seven episodes. Whether they remain high on my year-end list remains to be seen. But, that’s a story for another day. Here we go…

I’m Quitting Heroing

At number ten is “I’m Quitting Heroing’. This is a fantasy anime with an op character in Leo who defeats the forces of Demon Queen Echidna. Later, Leo decides to join the forces of Echidna to fight the humans that he once protected. It’s entertaining enough to be on my list though the storytelling pace is a bit slow. Still, there is a mystery behind Leo as to why he IS that powerful. That plus his sincerity to help Echidna, and her forces who are in fact not-so-bad keeps me interested. Moving on.

Kyoukai Senki

At number nine we have “Kyoukai Senki”. The only mecha anime on my list is cour two of the first season. Cour one came out last year, and this second cour is actually better than the first. There are parallels to Code Geass here, but that’s to be expected with Sunrise (the animator of Code Geass). The mecha also looks a little Gundam-like. Regardless, the story brings to the table something new to the mecha genre, and that is the existence of AIs that help pilot the robots here. The icons for these AI are cutesy to mask just how deadly they are in battle. This is the second best mecha anime of the year so far. So, if mecha is your genre, give this a shot.

The Rising of the Shield Hero

At number eight we have “The Rising of the Shield Hero”. I’ll be honest. I was expecting this to be higher on my list with the return of Naofumi after three years. However, the storytelling has slowed down, and the animation from Kinema Citrus is not as up-to-par as the first season. Makes me wonder if they are saving all that energy (and animation) for “Made in Abyss” which is coming this summer. People say that it follows the story in the written material. That shouldn’t be an excuse for this anime to be in my lower ten for the season. Good enough to be on my list. Sad that it’s not any higher.

Skeleton Knight in Another World

At number seven we have “Skeleton Knight in Another World”. This is the better of the the two fantasy isekai on my list, and it is entertaining as Arc. The animation tapered off from the first episode, but the entertainment value did not. If it had maintained it’s animation, it would be higher on my list. Arc is an op Paladin-like character who got transported in a fantasy world in a skeleton body. It’s the reason why he keeps that armor on. Arc is overpowered because he is a paladin with mage/sorcery skills. I mean, come on guys, when you give a paladin (in D&D) access to teleportatin spells ASIDE from cleric healing spells…THAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF OVERPOWERED. However, this is part of what makes this anime so entertaining. Ponta is a cute spirit creature too so that helps.

Love After World Domination

At number six we have “Love After World Domination”. This reminds me of another Super Sentai parody that came about last year with a different approach. The intro song reminds me of “Miss Kuroitsu and the Monster Development Department”, and rightfully so because it’s upbeat and funny. Unlike “Miss Kuroitsu”, here we have Red Gelato aka Fudou who falls in love with Desumi, the Reaper Princess. Both characters are on opposite sides in the Super Sentai war of good vs. evil. As a result, they hide their romance from their co-workers which leads to all sorts of hilarious situations. Poor Desumi. If only she came out in a different anime year she would have a chance for best girl of the year. That’s almost impossible considering the current competition. More on that some other time.

Summertime Render

Starting our top five is “Summertime Render”. One of two OLM studios entries on my top ten list (more on that later), this follows the reincarnation trope that has become popular in anime. Reminds me a lot of “Re:Zero“, but a lot drearier, and “Summertime Render” is set in modern times. Unlike Subaru, Shinpei Ajiro has a limited number of reincarnations so he is forced to make his decisions with a little more sense of urgency. I mean, if he doesn’t then the world gets engulfed by these mysterious shadow creatures. Talk about pressure. This spring anime has beautiful visuals to accompany its mystery thriller story. Watch it to find out what the mystery is all about.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

At number four is “Legend of the Galactic Heroes”. I really hate it when Production IG scheduled this anime. They put it near the end of the winter season, and thus this is one of the first anime ending in the spring. It has done this before in “Fena: Pirate Princess“. Having said that, this is one fine space opera that follows in the footsteps of its origninal run. There are lots of intrigue, dogfights, misidrections, and on top of all that beautiful visuals that Production IG has worked on so well. No mecha here, guys. Just ships, and power suits. You don’t get a lot of great space opera anime around nowadays, and this should be one of those you should be watching.

Komi Can’t Communicate

At number three we have “Komi Can’t Communicate”. The second entry from OLM studios on my list is a slice of life anime that is better than its first season. Why do I say that? Because, Komi is actually putting some effort in communicating here. It was so frustrating during the first season seeing her get into situations where she just shuts down. In the second season, she has shown how much she has grown, and how willing she is to overcome her communication difficulty. Communication disorder is a real problem, guys. “Komi Can’t Communicate” shows us how it can be overcome with a certain degree of effort, and help from the people around us.

Ya Boy Kongming!

At number two is “Ya Boy Kongming!”. I love this anime from P. A. Works. This blindsided me, and since I starting watching, it didn’t disappoint. Combining tropes from both isekai, and idol anime, “Ya Boy Kongming!” just has such a beautiful message to it. Through Kongming, we see that this is an anime about believing in yourself, and what you can do. In the case of Eiko, the other main protagonist, she is the one who is holding her musical dreams down, and Kongming is helping her realize just how special she is. And, how many times have you NOT succeeded because YOU are the biggest obstacle to your own success? I think many people can relate to this. Heck, other characters in this anime can relate to this. The animation matches the mood while the memorable soundtrack is so good that it’s making waves around social media. I am loving the message of “Ya Boy Kongming!”, and I’m not alone in loving this spring anime hit. Still, that is not enough to make it to my number one spot.

Spy x Family

At the number one spot on my list is “Spy x Family”. This is one of those anime that a lot of people had high expectations for including me. This anime has a beautiful, and well-loved manga that carries the burden of doing good in its anime adaptation or else. In that regard, Cloverworkds, and Wit Studio have shown us how two juggernaut studios can come up with arguably the best anime of the year (Yes I’m saying that now!). Did they crumble under the pressure? No. Did the anime look like it was made by two separate studios? No. Did they do justice to the “Spy x Family” manga? That is a big YES. Think about it guys. These are the studios that came up with “Ousama Ranking”, AND “My Dress-up Darling”. Think of Bojji (Anya), and Marin (Yor) in the same anime. Then you have the dashing, and suave Loid to hold it all together. It’s unfair actually if you look at it. Though, with two high profile anime studios, you’d think that there would be a lot of egos flying around to ruin the material. That is not the case here. The transition from one studio’s production to another is so flawless that you can’t even tell which anime is responsible for each episode. “Spy x Family” was a concerted effort, and it shows.

Add to that the message of the anime itself, and I’m not forgetting about that. “Spy x Family” focuses on family. Family does not just mean blood relations. Family will help you out in times of trouble. Family will be there in your ups, and downs. Put that theme on family with the entertaining story, and gorgeous animation; and you have “Spy x Family” as my number one anime of the spring season.

‘Made in Abyss:Dawn of the Deep Soul’ Delves Deeper into Overcoming the Darkness of Your Soul

It has been over a year since the two previous movies came out. It has been over three years since the first season of story came out. Now, we find Riko and Reg in their continuing adventure into the depths of the abyss they now have come to love and hate. And, guess what? This anime movie provides us with story beyond what the previous movies AND anime series have provided. This is a welcome sight for fans of this beautiful anime created by Akihito Tsukushi and developed for animation by Kinema Citrus.

In this film, the pair of Riko and Reg accompanied by Nanachi face the Sovereign of Dawn, Bondrewd , in order to progress beyond the fifth layer of the Abyss. Of course, Nanachi has a beef with Bondrewd who is not only responsible for her current form. Additionally, the Sovereign of Dawn is also the reason why Mitty, Nanachi’s friend, suffered in her immortal distorted form. Reg would eventually mercy kill Mitty with the blessing of Nanachi. With Mitty dead, Nanachi joined Riku and Reg in their quest to look for Riku’s mother, Lyza, in the deepest depths of the Abyss.

‘Dawn of the Deep Soul’ continues the journey towards the inevitable encounter with Bondrewd in his home, Ido Front. The trio of adventurers(Riko, Reg and Nanachi) meet Prushka, Bondrewd’s daughter, who plays an integral part to the resolution of the story. There is no other known way to head to the lower levels of the Abyss, and so this sets the stage for what is one of the best anime of the year.

If you’re fan of the anime, then you’re in for a treat. If you’re not yet a fan of this anime, then this will movie will make you fall in love with it like the rest of us. In spite of its focus on children as main characters, this is a movie for mature minds. You have some very adult themes tackled which continues what the anime started three years ago. Love, death and manipulation are at the core of ‘Dawn of the Deep Soul’. These emotional themes strike hard at the psyche of our young core of characters, and this is highlighted by the conundrum that is the Sovereign of Dawn.

Bondrewd is depicted as a shrewd and calculating villain, but at the same time he also shows his kind and fatherly nature. His charismatic manipulation confuses and confounds our young trio of adventurers, particularly Nanachi who has known him the longest. Bondrewd’s personality creates the perfect counterpoint to the inner conflicts experienced by Nanachi, Riko and Reg. Of the three protagonists, Reg gets a literal shock to the system that unleashes a side of him that hasn’t been seen thus far in the anime.

‘Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul’ focuses on overcoming the darkness of your soul, but it comes at a great sacrifice. The film shows that such a feat is possible, and, though the sacrifice is great, it is necessary to move the story forward to greater depths. And this is true in the movie as it is in real life. The gripping ethical dilemmas presented in the film will leave you wondering if the sacrifices are well worth it. In the end, they truly are necessary to our young main characters as they continue to grow in maturity far more quickly than what is required of children.

If you’re looking for an anime with deep themes accompanied by an entertaining story, give ‘Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul’ a try. It will show you that you need not be alone in the darkness, and you have people who can guide you from the abyss of your soul.