The Best Anime of 2022

MrAJCosplay, Monique Thomas, James Beckett + The Best Songs

5. Pokemon Journeys: The Series

Yeah, I know I'm cheating a little bit with this one, but how can I not? 2022 has been probably one of the most eventful years for Pokémon fans in a while, and as someone who has stuck with the anime since the beginning, seeing it actually come to what feels like a definitive end feels almost surreal. For months I've been on the edge of my seat trying to figure out exactly what this show was going to do, and while the production had its issues, I can't help but feel like Pokémon Journeys was finally able to go out on its own terms.

For me, Pokémon Journeys has always been a celebration for the franchise. We visited familiar regions, caught up with popular characters, and got introduced to aspects of the world that were only teased before. It may not have had the highest highs in terms of battles or character development, but it felt like a love letter to longtime fans who followed the series to this day. Sometimes, a show doesn't need to be perfect for it to be special, and ultimately this final season of Pokémon Journeys was one of those events that helped define 2022.

4. My Dress-Up Darling

As one of the resident cosplayers of Anime News Network, My Dress-Up Darling was tailor-made for me in some of the best and worst ways possible. Cosplay as a form of artistic expression has only become more popular over the years. While it has played a prominent part in various shows and films, we haven't had a show that's been about cosplay to this degree. I think the series could've expanded its perspective regarding the overall appeal of cosplay, but the fact that it was able to articulate some of its technicalities in a beginner-friendly way, all while telling a believable story about coming to terms with your personal insecurities, still puts it far above average in my eyes.

The main characters, Gojo and Marin, have a very refreshing dynamic, even if individually they can seem pretty standard. Gojo's insecurities about his self-worth are depicted very well within the show's context, and Marin's growing empathy as she interacts with others inside and outside her hobby is noticeable. These two characters operate on the opposite end of the social spectrum, and cosplay acts as an excellent medium to bring them together. Their romance is both believable and healthy. Combine that with the fact that the show looks absolutely gorgeous, with some incredibly intricate character animations, and we are left with a unique show that I hope to see more of in the future.

3. Spy X Family

There are a lot of shows that try to juggle multiple genres and/or storytelling approaches in a single package. Many fail, but Spy x Family nails that delicate balancing act. It is a series that combines action, espionage, warring states, and political relations in an incredibly wholesome and heartwarming package about a found family. Some episodes will make you laugh, some episodes will leave you at the edge of your seat like any good spy film would, and some may end up making you cry.

I like watching this family do random, everyday things as much as I enjoy watching them stop a terrorist threat, and I feel like that's not an easy thing for a show to accomplish. Loid is relatable in his position of shouldering so many responsibilities as a parent and secret agent. Yor is adorable in her overthinking attempts at being the best she can be for her new family. Bond is the goodest boy I have ever seen, and Anya is probably the most chaotic anime mascot of the year. Spy x Family does slow down as it expands the cast more than I think it needed to, but everyone is entertaining in their own right, and the show never loses its heart.

2. Chainsaw Man

I know we've already reached a point where the mere inclusion of Chainsaw Man in anyone's top list is already going to induce snickers and eye rolls, but sometimes being a contrarian isn't worth being dishonest about a production that is clearly filled with love and passion. While I do understand and even relate to some of the criticisms about the adaptation's handling of the source material, I would argue that most of the differences fans find an issue with are by virtue of the anime medium; there are some jokes and tone shifts that arguably only work strictly because of how they were presented in the manga, so I kind of respect the anime's approach in trying to tell the story in a unique way.

If anything, I hope the anime adaptation highlights just how dark and depressing Chainsaw Man is at heart when the audience sometimes boils it down to the memes. It's a story about people learning to make the best of their lives in an unforgiving world. Feelings of love, affection, or desire get turned on their head. I think it's funny that a boy who wants nothing more than to feel some boobs and enjoy a good meal because he was deprived of basic necessities is the driving force in a show with demon manifestations of society's fear of guns and violence. It's such a simple idea but executed in such a unique way that it's no wonder why this show is as popular as it is.

© Aka Akasaka／Shueisha・Kaguya-sama: Love is War Production Committee

1. Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-

I love romantic comedies—they are my bread and butter. Yes, it is going to be a little obvious that the climactic season of what has arguably been one of the most popular romantic comedies of the past decade is going to make my number-one pick for anime of the year, but if you watched the season, could you really blame me? Since season 1, Kaguya-sama: Love is War has to be one of the most consistently polished shows I've ever watched. The episodes are incredibly well-directed and filled with visual metaphors that create a unique watching experience, even if you've already read the original source material. The rap episode alone is enough to put this season in my top five.

Ultra Romantic wasn't as funny as the previous seasons, but it was chock-full of character development and dramatic emotional beats that genuinely shook me to my core. When we hit that final stretch of episodes leading up to the grand emotional climax, I was overwhelmed by a sense of validation that I didn't think was possible. Obviously, this season didn't mark the end of the franchise—a follow-up movie just released, and there is material for at least one or two subsequent seasons—but it was impressive how hard this season went in portraying some of the deep-seated insecurities driving our characters. This season even calls itself out on just how immature the overall premise of the series was! Kaguya-sama: Love is War is undoubtedly one of the best romantic comedies in the medium.

5. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean

What would anime be without Jojo's? Nothing! To add to that, this is my favorite season despite everything conspiring against it. As the only female star of Jojo's and technically the last in the legacy, many more expectations were riding on Jolyne than her forefathers. Then Netflix came along and put my girl in jail! Truly criminal! No more hype, no more Jojo's Fridays, and a rougher schedule that hinged some of the production.

The binge model could've killed what was good about the series, but the fact that it still stands proud in my heart proves its strength and determination. Stone Ocean expertly consolidates its reoccurring themes throughout the series, wrapping up entire generations of storytelling. Jolyne's growth from a victim of circumstance to a wielder of her destiny is an inspiring journey, and it's all pushed along by a great villain following the name of DIO with a complex worldview and motivations.

Corporations be damned, don't let this one rot in your queue, never to see the light of your screen. It's a story bursting to get out and be talked about! Stone Ocean is still heavily flawed and bizarre, but undoubtedly some of the best, most creative, and most purposeful work Araki has done. It is a mad break full of feelings and fury that will thrill you and leave you crying. Now, if you excuse me, I have to swim out of my ocean (of tears).

4. Pop Team Epic Season 2

This is not a joke! Or maybe it is? Really, who's to say that's a bad thing? I always like to say that there's always a bit of sincerity within irony. Contrary to what one might think, a quality shitpost or the finest tomfoolery takes a fair amount of, if not more effort than trying to play it straight. This is why I think it's fair to call this series of short gags some peak art!

And I really mean that! Even if the goal is to deliver the worst joke possible, there's so much effort being put into PTE that you cannot help but watch in awe. A charming display of artistry from every angle that doesn't care whether you understand it or not. While guising as satire, there's endless love in recreating a false tokusatsu series starting Shōta Aoi, hiring the legendary mech animator Masami Obari, or having an internet indie artist animate your ending. The joy, chaos, stupidity, and indulgence are all infectious enough to make my day and make me feel comfortable that I can do anything, no matter how unfunny.

3. Shadows House Season 2

Welcome back to the Shadows House, put up your feet and make yourself at home. My second stay has been different but as wonderful as the first. Visually, the house may look a little duller than my previous visit, but the show pops off when the spotlights are up—incredible showmanship all around, especially from this season's central antagonist.

Nothing about the story holds back, as this season escalates the central conflict and leaves it on a single lingering note. Kate takes over the lead from Emilico and casts insight into our central mysteries. While both new and returning cast members add their flair, I love all the kids from the debut trial. Seeing them work together and not against each other builds the central theme of camaraderie in the face of oppressive situations. It's clear this is only the beginning of Shadow House's grand opera, and I can't wait to drop by again and see what's inside those manor doors.

2. Chainsaw Man

Everyone has called Chainsaw Man amazing because it is cinematic. After all, it is, but only a few elaborate on what that means. It's not just that Chainsaw Man uses a bag of tricks that filmmakers use or something pretentious like trying to “act” like a movie when it's still part of our juvenile realm of anime (that I love and cherish dearly). Instead, I feel like it's part of seeing one of animation's great potentials. All animation, including TV anime, is under the umbrella of film. Yet most productions deal with limited resources or are constrained to match some of their source material of manga or novels.

CSM stands out because of how organic it feels in comparison. The early parts of the manga have some pacing issues, with only so much you can do within the pages of weekly chapters. By comparing Fujimoto's standalone works like Goodbye, Eri or Look Back, you can tell how many (notably, the dramatic) moments had to be limited. I was happy to see the anime do justice to some early characters like Himeno. It also has a more considerable emphasis on foreshadowing, bringing Denji's thoughts and feelings to the forefront in a way that unifies the themes in the original work. I feel blessed to have two excellent works that utilize their mediums to the fullest.

© Aka Akasaka／Shueisha・Kaguya-sama: Love is War Production Committee

1. Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-

A few seasons ago, I ranked Kaguya S3 as the champion of romcoms this year, but upon reflection, nothing couldn't unseat it, even when fighting against other weight classes. While many series may excel at this or that, Kaguya excels at it all. It's a romantic comedy first, but it's got plenty of drama, characters, and energy to match the action-heavy competition.

Like CSM, Kaguya-sama is undoubtedly a great adaptation that knows how to enhance the existing material with its visuals. On top of that, the three seasons' worth of buildup meant that the characters could efficiently function for laughs or drama. Even Inoue, who I didn't like as much in the second season, really comes into her own as a character and member of the council. But nothing tops the will-they-won't-they between Kaguya and Shirogane. It's hard to describe how some small things, like a high school romance, can feel high stakes, but no other anime this year quite captures or balances the heightened emotions of adolescence as well. That's why it's this year's biggest champion!

5. Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2

Yes, we can make any number of jokes about how MAPPA has marketed and distributed the multi-year-long, three-part monstrosity that is Attack on Titan's final “season.” Enough words have already been written about the series' messy appropriation of historical symbolism in its pursuit of political allegory. Even at its best, Attack on Titan has never been a perfect show and never has the series' glorious imperfection been more apparent than in these final batches of episodes. Here's the thing, though: Attack on Titan still absolutely rules the school, and these almost-final episodes from 2022 continue to provide some of the most harrowing and thought-provoking war fiction in all of anime.

Now, more than ever, the gruesome body horror of the Titans' warfare is set in stark contrast to the equally terrifying experiences of the humans on the ground. Eren Jeager's descent into radicalized monstrousness has been a heel-turn for the ages. Whatever his ultimate motivations prove to be in next year's “Absolutely For-Realsies Final Season (No Takebacks!)”, I don't know if fans will ever forget the harrowing journeys that the surviving Marleyans and Paradisians have made in their efforts to stop Eren from burning the world down completely.

4. Akiba Maid War

A lot of the time, it is a criticism to claim that a comedy is rooted entirely in one single joke, but in the case of Akiba Maid War, it is the series' defining strength. Yes, every single aspect of this show's story and sense of humor is rooted in precisely one comic concept—“What if we took every violent cliché and overblown archetype from a classic yakuza-style mob drama but hit Control+F and replaced every instance of the word ‘yakuza’ with 'cute, animal-themed Akihabara café maid'?”—but you know what? That joke is absolutely hilarious, no matter how many times Akiba Maid War doubles down on the bit. It also helps that P.A. Works' positively deranged commitment to the melodrama and ultraviolence causes Akiba Maid War to loop back around on its core concept and become a legitimately compelling example of the mob war sagas that it is spoofing.

The trials and tribulations that the world-weary Ranko and the still naïve Nagomi eventually develop into truly edge-of-your-seat suspenseful material. The result is one of those wonderful examples of an anime-original production that manages to tell a satisfying and complete story in just one 12-episode season. Akiba Maid War is a smorgasbord of bloody street warfare, lifelong grudges born of betrayal and vengeance, the most tragic omurice ketchup doodles ever committed to screen, and more over-the-top moe moe kyun vibes than any one person could reasonably be expected to handle; in other words, it's an obvious pick for one of the best anime of 2022.

3. Teasing Master Takagi-san

There may be funnier or more technically impressive romcoms to compete with this year, but there is not a single other anime that made me swoon as much as Takagi-san did in its masterful third season. This time around, the show takes the years it has spent painting an adorably goofy but realistic take on young love and pays it all off by relentlessly beating its audiences' hearts into submission.

There is a scene in this season that involves our heroes Takagi and Nishikata performing the lead roles in a silly little school festival play, where Takagi gets swept off of her feet and is left, for one of the first times ever, entirely at the mercy of Nishikata's unwitting coolness. It is, without any exaggeration, one of the most romantic moments I've ever seen in an anime, and I still don't think my blood sugar levels have recovered. If you have any interest at all in stories about true love, the awkward foibles of growing up, and how much fun it can be to have a cute girl bully the heck out of you (but in a nice way!), you need to go out and catch up on Teasing Master Takagi-san right now.

2. Chainsaw Man

I am glad that I waited until the airing of its season finale to put the finishing touches on this list. Now I can confidently say that, so far as adaptations go, Chainsaw Man is essentially perfect. The amount of care and cinematic flair that MAPPA has injected into Tatsuki Fujimoto's already stellar source material is so impressive throughout each of CSM's inaugural 12 episodes that it honestly beggars belief. The manga already whips enough ass that this adaptation could have put in, like, 50 percent as much effort, and the end result probably still would have been gunning for one of the year's top spots. MAPPA did not need to go this hard.

With its swaggering and stylish direction, pitch-perfect voice performances, and infectious soundtrack, MAPPA isn't just making a great anime here. Some sequences in this series, including at least one entire episode, rank amongst the most impressive things I've ever seen in a broadcast anime, period. This would have been the clear pick for the #1 spot in any other year, and it probably wouldn't have been close. And yet…

© Akihito Tsukushi・Takeshobo／Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Production Committee

1. Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

Ultimately, I had no choice but to name Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun as my pick for the Best Anime of 2022 because no other anime wedged its way into the depths of my consciousness this year like Made in Abyss did. The dark and tragic story of Princess Faputa and her Village of Hollows is a messier and less approachable adventure than the ones that Riko, Reg, and Nanachi have weathered in the past—and dear lord, is that really saying something—but Made in Abyss is a series that has always shined the brightest when all of its pieces come together in the climax of its story.

True to form, by the time we learn the truth about what the Village of Hollows really is and what Faputa's legacy means for our heroes, the stage is set for another brutal and cathartic climax, not to mention a denouement that is just as quietly devastating as anything Made in Abyss has ever done. It is an awe-inspiring fairytale laced with darkly beautiful and haunting magics, one that gives viewers like me a way to work through difficult periods of grief and fear, and it will be lodged in my heart like a thorn for many years to come.

© Aki Hamaji / Houbunsha • Aniplex

Early in Bocchi the Rock!'s run, I remember that its primary influence was the band Asian Kung Fu Generation. This made perfect sense to me and explained why the music resonated with me so strongly right off the bat. See, I like a lot of anime music, but I wouldn't listen to it if it weren't connected to a series I like. “Chikichiki Banban” and “KICK BACK” may be certified bangers, but they're not my music, you know? My most enduring music-related memories in high school are of seeing bands like Rilo Kiley and the pillows and The Brunettes in dark little clubs without seating in Hollywood and then going out for Denny's afterward. I don't remember most of the bands that opened (though I do remember Feist was among them), but they were often raw, inexperienced, and nervous. Did they fall out of sync? I don't know. Probably. Honestly, my choice was a toss-up between any of Kessoku Band's tracks because they all bring up similar images. This is my music.

©'82,'84,'87,'92,'94,'95,'97,'02,'18 BW ©'07 BW/MFP・M ©'09,'11,'21 BW/MFP ©'12 BW/MFB7P ©'15,'17,'21 BW/MDP

This is easily the most edgelord pick I could have made, and I mean that as affectionately as possible.

One of the three pillars of Macross is its music. For decades, it has featured numerous characters expressing themselves through song and shifting the fates of battles and wars across the galaxy. But something it's never really committed to is a villainous songstress. Sure, you might get a character brainwashed for an episode, and Delta flirted with an enemy singer for a bit. Still, there's never been a full-on, trueborn evil songstress out to conquer the infinite universe with song until now. Absolute Live!!!!!! saw the introduction of Yami_Q_Ray, the quintet of cybernetic doppelgangers to Delta's central idol unit, Walkure. And their introduction arrives via one of the best songs in franchise history.

“Diva in Abyss” isn't just a villain song; it's every villain song, a gloriously campy take on what a team of evil idols set on conquering the universe would sound like. The familiar voices of Walkure are distorted and glitched out as they deliver an eeeeeeeevil version of the unit's motto. “Music is ecstasy! Music is despair! Music is desire! Music is madness! Music is Darkness!” It's phenomenally cheesy and pitch-perfect for the Macross equivalent of the Psycho Rangers. JUNNA and Minori Suzuki especially relish the chance to play heels, soaking every lyric and note with theatrical malice that perfectly complements the soaring, nigh operatic arrangement. As the lyrics say, they are screaming ruin through song, and it absolutely sounds like it. Anyone who loves villain songs even a fraction as much as I do owes it to themselves to give it a listen.

©Yuto Yotsuba・Ryō Ogawa・Kodansha／Ya Boy Kongming! Production Committee

It's easy enough to write a manga about an up-and-coming singer, showing the trials they overcome and how their music sways the hearts of their audience on their way to stardom. It's quite another thing to adapt it to screen. The big hurdle is delivering a musical performance that makes the viewer believe that the singer we're following has the musical talent to be a star and the actual songs to match.

The first episode of Ya Boy Kongming! raises the stakes even higher as we have to not only be charmed by Eiko's performance but also believe that an ancient Chinese general will devote his second life to her after hearing a brief sample of her music. And in a mere 16 seconds of screen time, she does just that.

The moment when Eiko, dressed as a demon, sings the chorus of “Be Crazy for Me” for the first time is a transcendent one. Her style, her character design, and the way she owns the stage make it obvious she has the potential to be a star. Of course, much of the success of this song comes from the power of 96Neko's voice, but composer Katsumi Onishi also deserves more than a bit of recognition. And each time the piece is reused in subsequent episodes, we hear different, equally awesome sections of it while also seeing that Eiko's first performance was anything but a fluke. It's a solid example of great diegetic music and how it can make or break a show.

Runners up: “Backlight” (One Piece Film Red), “Good Morning [New] World!” (Dr. Stone: Ryusui), Capabilities Unseen (RWBY: Ice Queendom), Mixed Nuts (Spy X Family), “I Really Want to Stay At Your House” (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners)

© so-ma-to／Shueisha・Shadows House Production Committee

Maybe “Shall We Dance?” wasn't quite as good a song as the ending theme to the second season of Shadows House, but the imagery more than made up for it. And it's certainly a catchy song anyhow; the way it skips through time as it features different forms of dance music is fun to listen to on its own. But when we add in the excellent Alice in Wonderland imagery, the song becomes a microcosm of the symbolism used in the show, from Kate walking through the looking glass to falling down the rabbit hole to finally embracing her other half, it's full of nice visual nods to the main story.

© Kazushi Hagiwara/Shueisha, BASTARD!! Project

Bastard!! is heavily inspired by metal music to the point where many characters and locations are directly named after metal bands and famous metal rock singers. It's edgy and unapologetically in your face, but the soundtrack was a big reason why it filled me with so much energy. I honestly just wanna put the whole soundtrack down for this section, but if I had to pick a specific song, I would probably go with the ending song "BLESSLESS" by Tielle due to just how emotionally involved it felt.

For a fast-paced and explosive show, having an almost somber ending song play with a gorgeous rendition of the world ending in the background felt like the perfect cooldown between episodes while still feeling surprisingly appropriate. I can listen to this song in the background while looking outside at the world catching fire. While it's not exactly a happy song, I can't help but feel a sense of comfort from it. And if you know anything about Bastard!!, then comfort feeling appropriate has to be an accomplishment in and of itself.

© 2022 CD PROJEKT S.A. All rights reserved.

Does "I Really Want To Stay At Your House" qualify as an anime song? It was apparently written for Cyberpunk 2077, the video game before being incorporated into Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. I'd say it's close enough to qualify; in some ways, Edgerunners feels like a long-form AMV designed to give emotional context to the song. I'm still replaying the heart-wrenching final minutes of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in the back of my brain, accompanied by an endless loop of this damn song. There's a lot I can give Edgerunners credit for, and one of those points is that I didn't really know what "crying in the club" meant until the series inflicted this musical sledgehammer on me.

© Aki Hamaji / Houbunsha • Aniplex

This is a last-minute contender, if there ever was one, just squeaking into eligibility as an insert song from this weekend's season finale of Bocchi the Rock! Nevertheless, I fell in love with it the moment I heard Ryo's funky bass in the opening bars, and I double fell in love with it when the concert's climax rested on an empty sake glass from Bocchi's boozehound mentor. The arrangement is an excellent showcase of Kessoku Band's technical strengths, as is the rest of their self-titled debut, which I am listening to as I write this.

A fake album from a fake band is probably going to end up as one of my favorite pieces of music from 2022, and that's due to the amount of care the showrunners put into getting the right people from Japan's alt and indie rock scene to pen and perform these songs. Not only are the tunes slappers, but they sound like stuff a young and talented power pop band would try to flex with—a little precious and overambitious at times, but it's that youthful exuberance that makes them so compelling. No other anime from 2022 had this pitch-perfect music.

©Mato Satō・SB Creative Corp／The Executioner and Her Way of Life Production Committee

Much like the Best Anime of 2022 list, nailing down a single selection for best song of 2022 was a borderline impossible task this year. As much as I was tempted to do so, claiming “The Entire, 32-Track, 2-Hour Long Soundtrack to Made in Abyss Season 2” as the year's best song would probably be cheating, so I instead had to figure out which of Chainsaw Man's twelve unique ending themes would earn the honor of placement on this list.

Then, in a complete twist of fate, I ended up going with a pick that is entirely unrelated to either of those two masterpieces—it isn't even from a show that cracked my Top 5 Anime of 2022! Despite the many flaws of The Executioner and Her Way of Life, its incredible opening theme was not one of them. Mili's “Paper Bouquet” combines a lovely mix of English, Japanese, and appropriately fantastical-sounding gibberish to create the perfect fairytale vibe to fit with the tone and setting of the series. The very loaded lyrics contain line after line of deliciously ironic romantic foreshadowing.

The song is so damned good, in fact, that it inspired my completely unexpected year-long obsession with the mobile rhythm game Cytus II, simply because I needed more of these kinds of up-tempo fantasy dance dirges in my life. If that doesn't make “Paper Bouquet” a clear pick for my favorite anime bop of 2022, I don't know what else could.

© Yuto Yotsuba・Ryō Ogawa・Kodansha / Paripi Kōmei Production Committee

So, fun fact: I first heard "Chikichiki Banban" in a Twitch stream from noted Japan-touring streamer Robcedee. As I googled this song that went so intensely hard, I found that the associated anime opening it was attached to went even harder: a variety of outfits for Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming; a gaggle of characters dancing traditional Chinese dances; a trio of evil idol singers in sexy costumes (that's how you know they're evil), Kongming in an absolutely-bitchin' spread involving lowriders and bottles of 40... this is one of the best openings this whole year. If you're feeling sad, queue up this opening—instant serotonin.

And the wildest part is that this song is a cover based on the 2013 Hungarian pop-hit Bulikirály from Jolly. It doesn't have any Three Kingdoms-era tacticians, but it also goes hard. Perfect stuff for jamming out with your buddies. Stone Ocean's self-titled opening is kickass... but in the end, I had to give the nod to my boy Kongming.

© Akiba Maid War Production Committee

Is anyone here a fan of enka music? The genre is oft poked fun at in karaoke episodes because it's considered passé and overdramatic. As someone with little to no sense of shame anymore, it's right up my alley. I enjoy music that is emotionally overwrought, or "cringe" as the kids might say. Is enka really so far removed from the emo hits of my youth? Ranko voice actress Rina Satō sings "Meido no Komoriuta" with all the gravely emotion of an adult woman who has experienced the kind of loss only a murder maid can. Like the rest of Akiba Maid War, it's played entirely straight right down to each heavily-delivered "moe moe kyun." This is one of only a few songs that I listened to every time. A close second is Pop Team Epic season two's "PSYCHO:LOGY" by Shota Aoi, a song that I've been told is headache-inducing. I make no apologies for my musical taste.