Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Happy New Year to everyone out there. As is tradition with the new year, we take a final look back at 2022 by naming the best animes that year. 2022 was an odd year to say the least for the industry. There were seasons where we went through a bit of a dry spell, then there were seasons that were loaded, and then we got animes on hiatus indefinitely due to behind-the-scenes issues. I’m Nitsuj and these are the top 11 Anime of 2022.
#11. My Dress-Up Darling
One of the first hits of 2022 and an anime a lot of people wouldn’t stop talking about. This was an anime I originally skipped over, but I started watching clips of it online and got interested in it. Once I finally sat down and watched it, I finally understood why everyone talked about it. It nails its story perfectly. While it’s not the most outlandish or presents any major issues, the anime makes up for it by giving us well-done and likable characters that we can all relate to. You want to be as passionate about something as much as Wakana. Marin is one the best-written female characters I’ve seen in anime and is a top-tier waifu. The interaction off these two characters is great and the friendship that blossoms between them represent goals that everyone wants to have in life.
#10. Overlord S4
Overlord made a fantastic return last year with a lot going on this season but balancing everything out to deliver great storytelling, action, and events that will no doubt have some serious consequences in the future. Once again, it’s great to see Ains and his crew do what they do best and the new characters they introduce are interesting and show sides of themselves that are unexpected and shocking. While some characters unfortunately lose their lives, they’re taken down in a respectful manner and are shown the respect they deserve by the people they interacted with. A great follow up to the previous season and a show I can’t wait to see continued.
#9. Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners
Netflix has been throwing its hat into the anime industry here in the west and if they’re giving shows like this a chance to shine, then they’re doing a good job. While a little shorter than the average anime, Edgerunners manages to deliver a gripping, intense, and action-packed story in the Cyberpunk world that doesn’t feel out of place and even introduces new aspects of the world we didn’t know about before. The animation was great, the characters likable and memorable, and it managed to revive fan interest in the game. That is an impressive feat. I don’t know if we’ll be seeing any more stories take place in anime form, but this is definitely one story that’s going to stick with me.
#8. The Eminence in Shadow
In the growing landscape of isekai anime, The Eminence in Shadow manages to stand out from the pack. Rather than the main character seeking fame and fortune as a hero, he’s instead content with ruling from the shadows and fighting secret cults that the kingdom isn’t aware of. While the main character is this cool and calculating badass, he also displays signs of dorkiness that we can relate to and has a number of females who serve him and are ready to do his bidding in order to protect the world. While the story can be a little slow at times, the anime never once loses you. You’re glued to your screen wanting to know what happens next and what actions the main character will do next.
#7. To Your Eternity S2
A big hit from 2021, To Your Eternity returns to give us a good dose of growth through pain. Despite the season starting off on a slower note than the previous season, the anime continues to deliver great character interactions and growth on Fushi’s character. It’s also great to see the world around Fushi change and become more aware of who he is and what he can do. Some see him as a god others see him as a demon. With the first half of the anime done, I can’t wait to see what Fushi will deal with next, what he’ll learn, and who he’ll meet in his journey.
#6. My Hero Academia S6
The sixth season of MHA. Man, this season came out swinging. From the very first episode, this season made it clear that things were going to get serious. After many seasons of build-up, the heroes and villains have finally come to blows and unleash everything on each other to control society. Shigaraki has become more dangerous than ever and it looks like Izuku’s time will come sooner than he and All Might expect. Each episode so far has been more intense than the last and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what’s going to happen next. Will good prevail over evil? Will the villains finally destroy this hero society? What will be the fate of the characters and the world? While we’re currently at the halfway point in the season, the second half looks to keep the intensity going and with rumors of the manga coming to end this year, I have a feeling that MHA will truly reach its anime peak this year and next year.
#5. Attack on Titan the Final Season Part 2
After the first part left us on a major cliffhanger, the second half picks up where the first half left off. Much like MHA, the intensity of this season was amped up with each episode and didn’t let up. The Rumbling has begun thanks to Eren who has decided that the only way to protect himself and the people he loves is to do a global genocide on the world to thin out their numbers and make them weak. This leads to new alliances being formed, former allies becoming enemies, enemies becoming allies, and the death of likable characters. With the third and final part set to come out this year, you can bet things will only get more intense and you have to wonder if the finale to the series will be changed. And speaking of finales-
#4. Mob Psycho 100 S3
The third and final season of Mob Psycho. This season does an excellent job continuing not only Mob’s growth but the growth of other characters as well and wrapping up the series on a positive note that we can all get behind. We laughed, smiled, and cried throughout the season and honestly felt proud to see the timid boy we met in season one become a young man able to think on his own, speak his mind, and just become a better person through his trials and interactions. While it’s sad to see Mob end, I’m glad it was able to tell its story from beginning to end and with rumors of One Punch Man returning the legacy of One will continue.
#3. SpyxFamily
The wholesome and comedic anime had a lot of fanfare going into it and I’m happy to say it lived up to the expectations and then some. Our three main characters Loid, Anya, and Yor are just perfect and work off each other wonderfully. Even though they’re a pretend family they’ve slowly come to enjoy their lives with each other and are becoming a real family. With excellent animation, a great story, a wonderful soundtrack, funny moments from everyone in the show, and an excellent first season, is it any wonder why this series became such a hit in the first place? With the announcement of a second season as well as a movie coming out this year, it looks like Wit and Aniplex are going all in on SpyxFamily and don’t intend to let this momentum end any time soon. And you know what, I don’t blame them.
#2. Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun
After the disaster of Shield Hero last year, I was a little worried about this anime. Thankfully, Kinema Citrus put on their work boots and manage to give Made in Abyss the time and effort it needed. While I admit I like the first season a little more, the story we get here was well worth the wait and delivered. Exploration takes a backseat this season and instead we focus on a village of hollows where we discover the dark history of how this village came to be, who the inhabitants are, and even learn a little bit more about Reg. Out of everything we’ve seen in the series so far this is the most gruesome stuff we’ve seen and given what we’ve seen so far that says a lot. Despite only being on one floor the landscapes are still gorgeous to look at, the hollows are creative, and the level of mystery, horror, and suspense keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what happens next and if these characters will make it out alive. A great follow up to the first season and I can’t believe there are more mysteries and explorations to be done in this series.
Before we name the number one anime of 2022 here are a few honorable mentions that were also good: Golden Kamuy S4, Isekai Ojisan, Call of the Night, Classroom of the Elite S2, Danmachi S4, Lycoris Recoil, Vermeil in Gold, Engage Kiss, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom S2, Kaguya-sama: Love is War S3, Summer Time Rendering, The Tomodachi Game, Ya Boy Kongming!, Date A Live S4, Trapped in a Dating Sim, Love After World Domination, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt, Arifureta S2, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, Uzuki-chan Wants to Hang Out S2, Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun! S3, Reincarnated as a Sword, More than a married couple but not lovers, Urusei Yatsura, and Akiba Maid War.
And the number one. . .
#1. Chainsaw Man
I know it’s cliché but it’s really hard not to love this anime. The Rated-R shonen series has been teased by MAPPA for years and to finally see it in anime form is truly great. While the first episode was a little wonky (still great and enjoyable), the episodes following it managed to show the greatness of this series. Great characters who you could connect with, excellent visuals and devil designs, and of course a good amount of violence and gore that satisfies the maniac in you. The only downside is that it only got 12 episodes instead of 24. I want more! Still, these 12 episodes were great and did their job. Fans of the manga were happy with the adaptation, it brought in new fans, and each episode more entertaining and enjoyable than the last. Here’s hoping we get a second season after Jujustu Kaisan and Attack on Titan.
And that’s my list. What was your favorite anime from 2022? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading, happy new year, and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.