The Best Anime Of 2022

Espionage action and family comedy go hand-in-hand in the anime series "Spy x Family," based on the manga series of the same name by Tatsuya Endo. The story follows a covert operative codenamed Twilight who is tasked with spying on a politician from a neighboring rival nation incognito. In order to maintain an effective cover, Twilight brings on a woman and a young girl to pose as his wife and daughter as he moves close to his target through the politician's children. However, Twilight is unaware that his makeshift family has major secrets of their own, complicating his mission more than he could ever imagine.

Mining plenty of humor from Twilight's double life and the odd family dynamics he has taken on to go undercover, "Spy x Family" takes advantage of its cloak-and-dagger premise as a means for hilarity. Yor and Anya, Twilight's presumed wife and daughter, respectively, bring a legitimate amount of emotional depth to the story while comically throwing off Twilight's well-planned assignment. The first half of the anime series debuted in April of 2022, with the second half launching in October. "Spy x Family" is available to stream on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

The dark fantasy series "Attack on Titan" has taken its time in unveiling its fourth and final season, dividing the concluding chapters into three distinct acts released over the course of three years. 2022 saw the release of the middle act in Season 4, with the story taking a shocking turn as it expands beyond the Kingdom of Paradis. Following protagonist Eren Yeager, "Attack on Titan" has tension between Paradis and the outside world reach a fever pitch, giving way to plenty of bloody violence.

Adapting the manga series of the same name by Hajime Isayama, "Attack on Titan" takes place in a medieval steampunk world beset by carnivorous giants known as Titans. Over the course of the series, the Titans are discovered to be engineered superweapons that have largely broken free from their original control. Taking viewers through plenty of twists and turns, "Attack on Titan" ends this stretch of episodes on a dark cliffhanger to build anticipation for the series finale, with the show available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

From "Sailor Moon" to "Kill la Kill," the magical girl friendship squad has become a well-worn sub-genre in anime, and the new series "Lycoris Recoil" breathes fresh life into it. Protagonist Takina Inoue leads a government-assembled squad of assassins, codenamed Lycoris, to defend Tokyo from terrorists and criminals while disguised as high schoolers. After Takina is officially disavowed for a mission gone disastrously wrong, she tries to find a way to get reinstated into her old government job.

One of the things that makes "Lycoris Recoil" work is that the show is less about magical girls but sanctioned covert operatives armed to the teeth with guns and gadgets. The premise feels like "Atomic Blonde" in Japan instead of Cold War Germany, with stylized action unfolding while the characters play off each other with engaging wit. Debuting in the summer of 2022, the first season of "Lycoris Recoil" is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.

While "Uncle from Another World" opens with a seemingly familial slice-of-life premise, it quickly takes a turn with self-aware fantasy elements. Based on the manga series by Hotondoshindeiru, Takafumi Takaoka picks up his uncle Yosuke Shibazaki after the older man emerges from a lengthy coma. Yosuke reveals he spent his time in a coma in a fantasy world, proving this bold claim by being able to cast magical spells — to Takafumi's obvious surprise — and the two begin taking advantage of Yosuke's powers.

More than just transposing fantasy elements into present-day Japan, "Uncle from Another World" plays out like a fish-out-of-water comedy as Yosuke acclimates to modern society. One of the funnier elements of the series is Yosuke's deep love of '90s era Sega video games informing how he uses his powers and strategies as a nerdy twist. Uncle from Another World is available to stream on Netflix, with a second set of episodes unveiled in November 2022.

The manga series "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" by Hirohiko Araki took the unique storytelling pattern of focusing each of its major story arcs on a different protagonist, each bearing a variation of the name Jojo. The manga's sixth storyline, "Stone Ocean," is the latest adapted by the current anime series, with elements updated for modern audience sensibilities. Set in Port St. Lucie, Florida in the year 2011, "Stone Ocean" follows Jolyne Cujoh, the estranged daughter of the former series protagonist Jotaro Kujo.

"Stone Ocean" has Jolyne learn that her father is being targeted by a protege of the villainous Dio Brando, with Jolyne breaking out of prison to save her dad and recover his stolen powers. Giving "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" a hard revenge angle, Jolyne is a charismatically determined protagonist that makes the show her own. Split into three acts, "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean" released its final two sets of episodes on Netflix in 2022 to wrap up Jolyne's violent vendetta.

The new anime series "Do It Yourself!!" is as much a celebration of teenage friendship as it is about taking the initiative towards self-empowerment and forging one's own destiny. The show revolves around a group of high school girls who form an extracurricular do-it-yourself club while thinking about life after school. Featuring an imaginative and lush animation style, "Do It Yourself!!" provides a solid slice-of-life story with its heavy themes of self-discovery and found family.

Bolstered by a main cast of eight different friends who come together over their mutual love of building and repairing things, "Do It Yourself!!" has a surprisingly diverse set of backgrounds for its characters. The show keeps its stakes heartfelt yet subtle, focusing more on the bonds forged between friends and how the differences between their backgrounds and outlooks are overcome. "Do It Yourself!!" is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll, with new episodes released on Thursdays.

The biggest and most surprising anime return of the year was "Bleach," coming back with new episodes after its initial run ended in 2012. After a decade-long hiatus, the fantasy series is back to adapt the final storyline in Tite Kubo's bestselling manga series, "Thousand-Year Blood War." To further underscore that this is a continuation of the original "Bleach" anime series, production studio Pierrot is back behind the production, along with much of the voice cast returning.

"Bleach" takes place in a vision of Japan where figures known as Soul Reapers are able to move between the living world and the afterlife, ensuring that souls of the recently departed can safely cross over to the Soul Society. When a new enemy begins targeting Soul Reapers, series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki dives back into the heat of battle to defend the Soul Society and the lost souls it safeguards. Back where it left off a decade ago and then some, "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" is a fine return to form and is available to stream on Hulu.

If "My Hero Academia" delves into more conventional superhero action, the new anime series "Chainsaw Man" effectively blends superhero action with supernatural horror to tremendous success. Based on the popular manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the show has an orphan named Denji merge with his pet chainsaw devil Pochita to become Chainsaw Man. With the pull of a ripcord from his chest, Denji's head and hands transform into deadly chainsaws as he hunts monsters and devils across Japan.

Elevated with a surprising amount of heart and humor, "Chainsaw Man" is the strongest anime series debut of the year, and a nonstop thrill ride. Living up to its protagonist's powers and appearance, the show doesn't pull its punches as Denji rips through enemies with his chainsaw appendages while remembering to have fun with it all. A rip-roaring triumph that balances action, horror, and comedy all at once, "Chainsaw Man" is available to stream on Hulu and Crunchyroll.