The best anime of 2022, so far

2021 was a banner year for anime, featuring the long-awaited return of regular favorites such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Hero Academia alongside exciting new original anime like Odd Taxi, The Heike Story, Sonny Boy, and SK8 the Infinity. 2022 is shaping up to be much of the same, with popular series such as Mob Psycho 100 and Bleach slated to make their return later this year. And all signs point to the highly anticipated debuts of Chainsaw Man and Uzumaki!

There’s a wealth to choose from and not nearly enough time in the day to watch it all, which is why we’ll be updating our list of the best anime airing in 2022 throughout the year as the seasons progress. Take a look at the best anime the year has to offer so far, and be sure to check back in when we update our list! For clarity and convenience, this year’s list is ordered by premiere date.

---

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has secured its place as one of the breakout original anime of 2022. Produced by CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill, Promare) and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Promare), the series tells a stand-alone story set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077 and Mike Pondsmith’s original TTRPG. It follows a young street kid named David Martinez and his rise from a novice greenhorn mercenary to a bona fide edgerunner on the cusp of becoming a legend.

With blistering action, memorable characters, clever callbacks to Cyberpunk 2077, a fantastic soundtrack, and a rich plot that expands on the promise of Night City in a way that Cyberpunk 2077 never quite did, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners isn’t just one of the best anime of the year; it might just be one of the best anime Trigger has ever produced. —Toussaint Egan

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in available to stream on Netflix.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (Part 2)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure returns after the premiere of its fifth season last year, picking up immediately following the events of Jolyne Cujoh’s successful attempt to secure one of the two discs necessary to resurrect her father, Jotaro Kujo. Consisting of 12 episodes, the second part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean sees Jolyne and her allies square in the crosshairs of the villainous Enrico Pucci and his cadre of enemy Stand users in their plot to resurrect Dio, the Joestar family’s most hated nemesis.

Boasting gripping battles against necromancing gangsters, meteor-flinging security guards, and feng shui-practicing assassins, Stone Ocean part 2 proudly carries on the legacy of the series as one of the most outlandish, gruesome, visually audacious, and conceptually adventurous action anime to come out any year, but especially in 2022. —TE

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean is available to stream on Netflix.

Tekken: Bloodline

Opinions are mixed when it comes to Tekken: Bloodline, the Netflix anime adaptation of the long-running fighting game franchise. Produced by Larx Entertainment and Studio Hibari and directed by Yoshikazu Miyao (Hellsing, Gad Guard), the six-episode series adapts the plot of Tekken 3, telling the story of martial artist Jin Kazama’s quest to avenge the murder of his mother by training under the tutelage of his ruthless grandfather, Heihachi Mishima, before participating in the King of Iron Fist Tournament.

For what it’s worth, as someone who’s not especially passionate about fighting games but nonetheless passionate about anime, I quite enjoyed my experience with the series in spite of its foibles. From the outrageous characters to the impact visual effects and fight scenes, Tekken: Bloodline is an entertaining and inoffensive, albeit redundant, take on one of the most enduring fighting games of all time. It’s an enjoyable watch if you’re looking for something light on story but high on action to throw on and watch in the background. —TE

Tekken: Bloodline is available to stream on Netflix.

Komi Can’t Communicate season 2

This slice-of-life anime follows a regular high school student named Tadano who learns his incredibly beautiful and seemingly popular classmate Komi actually has debilitating social anxiety, to the point where she can’t talk to anyone. While everyone thinks she’s a gorgeous and aloof ice queen, she’s actually agonizingly shy and has a hard time connecting with others. Tadano takes it upon himself to help Komi make 100 friends by graduation — starting with him.

One of the best parts of Komi Can’t Communicate is how it never makes fun of Komi’s anxieties. For Komi, something that seems small — like ordering a coffee or asking a classmate for a pencil — is a huge and terrifying thing. The show is incredibly gentle about validating Komi’s fears and gives her the perfect friend in Tadano, who patiently helps her and nudges her along so that she can eventually take these steps and connect with others. Komi Can’t Communicate is super sweet and celebrates the mundane in life. Komi experiences the joys of friendship and connection for the first time, and it’s just heartwarming and really makes one appreciate the little things.

And if you’re here for a romance, let’s just say Tadano and Komi have the slowest of slow burns and the sweetest friends-to-lovers and it is great. —Petrana Radulovic

Komi Can’t Communicate season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.

Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure

The only thing you really need to know about Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure is that in the second episode, the titular bear-suited character cannot ride a rollercoaster because the bar will not go over his big bear head. For those who enjoy such high stakes as “oh no, we left our lunchbox on the bus!” and “dang, can we complete this stamp rally in time to earn the pancake special?” — this one is for you.

The gorgeous stop-motion animated show follows the bear and his friends as they enjoy a day at a theme park. So much of the humor and cuteness comes from Rilakkuma and his friends’ physicality. The little bird hops around, trying to wrangle his friends. Rilakkuma lumbers forward, undaunted by caution barricades. It’s utterly delightful. Beyond being adorable, the show is just a huge flex in animation, with some segments shifting the style to convey flashbacks or characters telling stories. It’s one of the most visually stunning shows out there. —PR

Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure is available to stream on Netflix.

The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún

Originally released as an feature-length original animation DVD (OAD), and subsequently re-edited into a three-episode short series released on streaming, The Girl From the Other Side follows the story of a Shiva, a small girl abandoned in a forest filled with “cursed” beasts. The girl is discovered and adopted by a mysterious human-like beast known as “Teacher,” who proceeds to care for her as he searches for a way to reunite her with the rest of her kind.

An abbreviated adaptation of Nagabe’s 2015 Gothic fantasy manga, The Girl From the Other Side is a beautiful series brought to life through brilliant expressionist-style animation replete with watercolor hues, wispy outlines, and gorgeous muted earth tones. If you’re looking for a short anime capable of stunning your senses while stirring your heart, The Girl From the Other Side is a must-watch. —TE

The Girl From the Other Side is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Uncle From Another World

In a fiendishly clever twist on the genre of isekai (see: “other world”) fantasies, Uncle From Another World follows the story of Takafumi Takaoka, a young man who cares for his disheveled 34-year-old uncle, who has miraculously awakes from a 17-year coma. The twist: Takafumi’s uncle was in fact mentally transported to a fantastical world of monsters and magic, honing his skills as a powerful warrior for almost two decades before being whisked back to the mundane world of modern-day Japan with his magic abilities intact.

Now, along with the help of his childhood friend Sumika and his uncle’s old comrades, Takafumi must help his uncle acclimate to a strange, inhospitable world where Sega has lost the console wars, while making a living as a YouTuber performing dazzling feats of supernatural prowess for the amusement of bored shitposters worldwide. Irreverent, inventive, and surprisingly well-animated at points, Uncle From Another World easily ranks as one of the most memorable anime comedies of the year. —TE

Uncle From Another World is available to stream on Netflix.

Tokyo Mew Mew New

Tokyo Mew Mew New is the modernized and condensed version of the magical girl classic from 2002. The series centers on Ichigo Momomiya, a young girl who becomes an alien-fighting magical girl after she is infused with the DNA of an Iriomote wildcat. Teaming up with four other girls (who were also given endangered species DNA), she has to deal with invading aliens while also juggling her love life and secret identity.

While the story may not seem particularly new, the original Tokyo Mew Mew helped pioneer the magical girl genre and it remains a staple classic. With greatly designed anime girls, an adorable cafe aesthetic, and a love triangle between the high school heartthrob and the invading alien, what’s not to like? It’s the perfect show for reliving your childhood Saturday mornings (though you don’t have to deal with awkward English dubs and name changes this time). —Julia Lee

Tokyo Mew Mew New is available to stream on Hi-Dive.

Lycoris Recoil

Directed by first-time series writer-director Shingo Adachi, known for his work as a character designer on Sword Art Online, and produced by A-1 Pictures, Lycoris Recoil centers on Takina Inoue, a high school girl working as a member of an elite all-female organization of assassins known as Lycoris. Dismissed from her unit for disobeying orders, Takina is transferred to one of Lycoris’ covert branches — a unassuming cafe named LycoReco — to work alongside Chisato Nishikigi, an indefatigably bubbly Lycoris agent known for her formidable fighting abilities and paradoxical aversion toward killing. Together, the two perform odd jobs and contracts around Tokyo on behalf of the cafe, all while growing closer together as they devise a plan to get Takina reinstated.

A prime example of the “moe girls with guns” anime subgenre à la Gunsmith Cats and Gunslinger Girl, where Lycoris Recoil lacks in originality it more than enough makes up for in plentiful laughs, blistering shootouts, impressive character animation, and a strong central dynamic between its two protagonists that keeps the action going. Lycoris Recoil stands out far and away as one of the standouts, if not the standout original title of the 2022 summer anime season. —TE

Lycoris Recoil is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Spy x Family

Despite only having four episodes out, Spy x Family’s debut season is poised to be one of the best anime of 2022. The show follows Loid Forger, a spy who’s tasked with a top-secret operation to stop the leader of the National Unity Party from harming peace relations between two neighboring countries. His plan is to get close to the political leader by meeting him through an event hosted at a super-elite elementary school. There’s only one problem: Loid is a bachelor.

Enter his adopted daughter, Anya, and new wife, Yor. While the two don’t know of Loid’s real identity, they have secrets of their own. Anya is a telepath who can read minds, and Yor is an assassin. The family’s story starts with them living under the same roof, all trying to maintain the facade of family while juggling their respective secrets.

Anya forms the emotional and comedic core of the show. The short, pink-haired child’s earnestness (and, to be frank, sheer stupidity) brings the show together in a series of charming character moments. Upon learning Yor has literally murdered people for a living, Anya reacts with starry eyes, “I’m so excited!” Despite these goofier moments, you get the feeling that Anya is just a girl who wants to be loved. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and the show has provided a much-needed balm from the woes of the world. —AD

Spy x Family is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

Kaguya–sama: Love Is War –Ultra Romantic–

Three seasons in, Kaguya-sama: Love is War’s setup still feels fresh. For those not familiar, Kaguya-sama follows class president Miyuki Shirogane and vice president Kaguya Shinomiya — two ambitious, proud, and intelligent students — who’ve decided to play a game where they get the other person to confess romantic feelings. The only problem is that somewhere along the way, they both fell head over heels for each other but now refuse to be the first to budge. As the cast grows — inviting in colorful characters like peppy Fujiwara, gamer loner Ishigami, and goody-two-shoes Miko, just to name a few — so does the hilarity. Every week, Kaguya-sama manages to surpass itself in sheer secondhand embarrassment and every week, that somehow turns from something devastatingly cringey into something deeply heartfelt. The romantic relationship between Shinomiya and Shirogane is still at the center, but the friendships between all of the student council members and the other people in their lives become just as compelling and moving. —PR

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic- is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Ya Boy Kongming!

Ya Boy Kongming! tells the story of Zhuge Liang Kongming, a third-century Chinese statesman and strategist who wishes on his deathbed to be reborn in a more peaceful time. Drawing his last breath, Kongming gets more than what he bargained for when he wakes up in an alley in present-day Shibuya on Halloween night. Believing himself to be in hell, Kongming is lured by a pair of partygoers to visit a nightclub, where he meets Eiko Tsukimi, a part-time bartender and aspiring singer. Moved to tears by the beauty of her singing voice and at a loss for what to do in this new life, Kongming volunteers to become Eiko’s manager and use his legendary skills as a military tactician to help guide her young career.

Every episode of Ya Boy Kongming! has been a blast so far. From using ancient war stratagems to draw in new audiences and foil underhanded rivals to recruiting reluctant allies with his freestyle rap skills, Kongming proves himself a shrewd manager and a savvy decision-maker. The heart of the show’s appeal is in seeing its characters bond through their mutual love of music and the gut-busting comedy of watching Kongming adapt to modern life in spite of being several centuries out of sync. That’s not even mentioning the series’ meme-worthy title track, a Japanese cover of the Hungarian pop song “Bulikirály,” which aside from being beautifully animated is a total bop. —TE

Ya Boy Kongming! is available to stream on HIDIVE.

Tomodachi Game

Between the mysterious underground game the teens of Tomodachi Game are roped into, the capitalistic debt that keeps them playing, and the life or death stakes that moor every episode, it’s easy (too easy) to compare this to Squid Game. But while the latter deals in economic anxiety, the former uses that merely as a cudgel. The friend group is initially tricked into playing a few rounds of the “tomodachi game” with the dangling promise that doing so could rid one of their friends of debt. But with a handful of episodes under our belt it’s clear that the central currency of Tomodachi Game isn’t yen, it’s friendship. And with that camaraderie comes a lot of secrets.

Tomodachi Game isn’t a wower in its animation, and its pacing can be a bit baffling. It’s the kind of anime that can make you want to pick up the manga just to see where the hell this story is going already. But if you’re anything like me — hopelessly nosy for the drama that comes with people ping-ponging off each other — then it’s irresistible. Where can all these considerably sizzling threads lead? Nowhere good, and I cannot wait. —ZM

Tomodachi Game is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Healer Girl

If, hypothetically, we were living through a year that felt at times interminably bleak, then one could be glad for a show like Healer Girl out in the universe. The original anime directed by Yasuhiro Irie (who also directed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the GOAT), follows three young girls training to be “vocal medicine” healers. They treat their patients’ ailments with the power of songs, crafted specially for the individual.

Healer Girl occupies a similar space in my anime rotation. It is small, contained, nourishing, and warm-hearted. And while that may not be the exact selling point everyone is looking for in their shōjo adventures, trust that the art direction of the show offers its own rich rewards. Irie’s eye is careful to pull out the most expressive angles on any given scene, expertly alternating between the finer details and the wider scope. Couple that with lush, magical singing montages set to new bops every episode, and Healer Girl is easy (and essential) charm in a cruel, cruel world. —Zosha Millman

Healer Girl is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

The Orbital Children

After nearly 15 years since his last original anime, Dennou Coil director Mitsuo Iso returns with The Orbital Children, a six-episode anime (released in Japan as two feature-length films) following the story of five children stranded aboard a commercial space station on the brink of a cataclysmic disaster. Through a dizzying tapestry of rich world-building brought to life through beautiful animation, Iso and co. weave a coming-of-age story that takes the lives of five unsuspecting children and places them at the precipice of humanity’s expansion into the vast unknown of space. It’s a brilliant anime with dense, beautiful visuals that rewards both attentive first-time viewers and repeat watches alike. —TE

The Orbital Children is available to stream on Netflix.

Ranking of Kings

Ranking of Kings is a fantasy series where monarchs are measured by their deeds, and more importantly, their strength. Enter Bojji, a tiny, warm-hearted boy who is next in line to take the throne from his ailing father, who is king. Bojji isn’t physically strong and struggles to speak, thus leading him to communicate primarily through sign language. However, where his characteristics might lack in comparison to more traditional leaders, he makes up for it in heart. In the first episode, he literally takes the shirt off his back for someone in need.

Bojji is one of the most moving and compelling anime protagonists I’ve seen on screen. Ranking of Kings charges even the most banal of moments with the highest stakes; it makes a non-lethal spar between Bojji and his half brother somehow feel more important than a fight between gods. He makes for the perfect protagonist as his tiny stature and sense of awe make a sweeping fantasy land populated with golems, wizards, and giants feel all the more grand. That being said, Bojji is far from being the only character who stands out. Alongside him is his companion, Kage, who is the sole survivor of a once-persecuted clan, as well as his half brother Daida, who struggles to find a way to power that feels true to him.

Ranking of Kings works because I would die for Bojji. However, this series is more than an underdog story. Based on the manga written and illustrated by Sosuke Toka, the anime nails all the fixings of a great fantasy series: intriguing creatures, mystical and dark magic, palace intrigue, and an adventure that takes a little lad to the depths of hell. It’s an incredible series so far, and one that I can’t recommend enough. —Ana Diaz

Ranking of Kings is available to stream on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

My Dress-Up Darling

High school students Wakana Gojo and Marin Kitagawa both have uncommon hobbies: Gojo likes to make hina dolls (traditional Japanese dolls), and Marin is largely into anime and gaming, with an affinity for cosplay. Marin, a bubbly girl who dresses in gyaru fashion, asks Gojo to use his crafty skills to help make her cosplay and from there, a fantastic duo is born. Marin’s bubbly and kind personality mixed with Gojo’s reserved-but-determined mindset makes for an interesting relationship that breaks free of the usual setup of a gyaru girl with a quiet boy (in which the gyaru girl simply teases the boy relentlessly while hiding her own feelings for him). Marin obviously cares for Gojo and isn’t doing anything to purposely hurt him or stress him out, even if he ends up getting embarrassed while taking her measurements. My Dress-Up Darling does have an uncomfortable amount of fan service that makes me unsure if I can really recommend it, but the story itself is so refreshing that I had to include it on this list. —JL

My Dress-Up Darling is available to stream on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2

The final season of Attack on Titan may be the most contentious anime on this year’s best-of list. Much has been said and written on the final chapters of the Attack on Titan manga, from creator Hajime Isayama’s inferred pro-Imperialist sentiments to the series’ uncomfortable allegorical parallels to real-life historical atrocities. Bearing these criticisms in mind, it’s understandable to ask why Attack on Titan is on this list.

The answer is simple: Directors Jun Shishido and Yuichiro Hayashi and studio MAPPA have taken what is a messy and divisive conclusion and have produced (through 22 episodes) the best possible animated incarnation of it. The combined one-two punch of the season’s 20th and 21st episodes alone easily ranks as one of the most shocking revelations of any anime in recent memory, rendered through some of the most apocalyptic imagery seen in the series to date.

There’s nothing quite like being along for the ride of a Big Anime Event, where it seems everyone is watching (and dissecting) each new development in the series’ ongoing climax right alongside you. For all its controversies, the final season of Attack on Titan represents not only the culmination of one of the significant anime of the past decade, but undoubtedly qualifies as one of the must-watch anime events of 2022, flaws and all. —TE

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 is available to stream on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc

After the frankly devastating Mugen Train Arc, Demon Slayer returns with heightened stakes. The Entertainment District Arc sees young hero Tanjiro and his friends Inosuke and Zenitsu following flashy Uzui, the Sound Hishara, as he goes undercover in the Entertainment District to sniff out a demon hiding in the midst. This arc starts out with more subterfuge than the typical Demon Slayer episode, as Tanjiro and his friends disguise themselves as courtesans and try to figure out where the powerful demon is hiding. The final battle takes up most of the arc, a devastating fight between the Demon Slayers and not one but two powerful demons. It’s all gorgeously animated, with twists upon twists and, most heartachingly, a brother-sister parallel between Tanjiro and Nezuko and the two demons. —PR

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc is available to stream on Funimation and Crunchyroll.