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 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.

Top Ten Winter Anime 2022

We are now deep into the winter anime season, and heading into the spring season. There are a a few continuing anime from last year, and a few shows only airing this winter. Took me a while because I was having so much fun curating this list. Mind you again as a disclaimer that these are anime I actually watch. So, prepare to agree or disagree with me later. Let’s get it on!

Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department

At number ten we have ‘Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department’. This series is hilarious aside from the fact that it is a meta-analysis of the super sentai genre. Kuroitsu is an assistant who works for the nefarious Agastia organization who seeks to rule the world. Agastia’s obstacle to accomplish that? The super hero known as Blader. Kuroitsu’s job is to come up with monsters to defeat Blader. Her obstacles? The bureaucracy within HER OWN organization. Budget cuts, timetables, and executive meddling results into underperforming suboptimal monsters. This makes me smirk, and laugh out loud. You should watch it yourself to see what makes this series funny.

Police in a Pod

At number nine we have ‘Police in a Pod’. This is a buddy cop comedy led by your two female protagonists: Mai Kawai the Rookie, and Seiko Fuji the Superior Sergeant. Don’t let their good looks fool you. These two have spicy, and snarky attitudes to match their beauty. This is a slice of life anime that looks into the police life in Japan. Kawai is the primary engine of the comedy here with her rookie naivete. though Fuji is no small source for comedy in this series. The biggest reason why this series is so funny is the seiyuu that portray these two characters. The voice acting is brilliant, and on-point to deliver the punchlines. This is relaxed viewing at its finest.

Tokyo 24th Ward

At number eight, we have ‘Tokyo 24th Ward’. This is an original science fiction anime by CloverWorks. Best friends Shuuta, Ran, and Kouki receive mobile phone calls from deceased close friend Asumi that warn them of impending danger in the 24th Ward. Asumi gives them two options to prevent the disaster, and the call grants them superpowers. This is one of three CloverWorks anime this season, and two of them on my list. If you’re into science fiction mysteries give this series a try.

Love of Kill

At number seven we have ‘Love of Kill’. As hinted in the title, this is a love story between two assassins Song Ryang-ha, and Chateau Dankworth. Ryang-ha becomes enamored with Chateau upon encountering her on a hit. This leads into a funny love-hate relationship between the two protagonists. However, there is a mystery that ties the histories of these two that is slowly revealed as the story developes. In ‘Love of Kill’ you have comedy, action, and romance all rolled into one. The story, and animation is good enough to get on my top ten winter anime list.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

At number six we have ‘How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom’. Souma returns with his harem of advisers from the Elfrieden Kingdom, and continues to expand his influence. Souma’s Machiavellian approach is paying due dividends as he continues his domination in this isekai while gathering queens to increase his power. What? It’s true. He’s a handsome, and intelligent guy. Besides, marrying into royalty is a thing on his adopted world. More power to him. The cerebral appoach to ruling is what attracts me to this anime. Not a lot of action, but with a lot of good story. Whatever works, and it does for this series.

Sabikui Bisco

At number five we have ‘Sabikui Bisco’. This is my post-apocalyptic anime of the season, and it’s weird. Bisco is a mushroom keeper who creates mushrooms to grow with his arrow shots. I told you it was weird. There is a disease known as ‘Rust’ that is afflicting the denizens of this dystopian world. On the other hand, Milo is a doctor who joins Bisco on his quest for a mushroom cure to ‘Rust’.What complicates the situation is the fact that mussroom keepers are seen as the cause of ‘Rust’. To complicate the situation further, Bisco’s mentor, and Milo’s sister are infected already by the disease. These two protagonists are on the clock to find a cure, and save post-apocalyptic Japan. Join them in theri quest, if you will.

The Book of Vanitas

At number four we have ‘The Case Study of Vanitas’. This anime keeps getting better than better. It’s hard to come up with vampire anime tropes because of the ones that came before. Give credit to studio Bones for coming up with anothe quality anime. The action really picks up this season, and we also see Vanitas get struck…heartstruck that is. As if Vanitas wasn’t already entertaining as he is, we get to see a new side of him…in love. Ahh, love really makes your stomach rumble inside. Speaking of love stories…

My Dress-Up Darling

At number three we have ‘My Dress-Up Darling’. The other CloverWorks anime of the season on my list is also the best new anime of the season. This slice of life romantic comedy is ecchi, but who cares. Jobless Reincarnation is ecchi, and yet it got my vote for anime of the year. This is just a beautiful anime about cosplaying. The story revolves around the budding romantic relationship of Wakana Gojou, an aspiring hina doll maker, and Marin Kitagawa, an aspiring cosplayer. What starts off as a one-off to design one cosplay outfit developes into a friendship, and most likely much more. Gojou, and Marin are clueless of the developing feelings they have to each other which makes this series hilarious. Aside from that, there is a lot of accurate information about photography, and cosplaying. The animation is beautiful. The story is heartwarming. Marin is hands-down THE WAIFU of the season. Gojou is funny with his inexperience with girls. What else is there to say? Best new anime of the winter season.

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc

At number two we have ‘Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc’. I’m probably going to get a lot of heat on this. Number two? Yes it is on my list. The animation for this second season is just insane. It’ll probably get the best combat sequence of this young anime year. But, that’s just it. Half of the season is just one long combat sequence. Granted as well it has beautiful characterization in between the combat. Still, when you see number one on my list, you’ll understand why I prefer that over this juggernaut of an anime.

Ousama Ranking

At number one on my list is ‘Ousama Ranking’. Prince Bojji is king on my winter anime list. I love the underdog, and Wit Studio really knows how to deliver. That opening sequence for the second cour is even better than the first cour. Bojji’s story is truly inspiring, and as the story progresses we get more and more characterization on every major character in the series. There doesn’t appear to be any villains in this series only victims. When you start empathizing with the series antagonists even though you want Bojji to succeed, then you start asking, ‘What would Bojji do?’ This anime has won me over, and carries with it a great message: be kind, and everything else follows. I think we need a lot of that, especially nowadays. And that makes ‘Ousama Ranking’ number one on my top ten list for winter 2022.

Agree with me? Don’t agree with me? Let me know. I’m looking forward to spring which is coming very soon.