2022 proved to be an outstanding year for manga and anime alike. There were many new anime that managed to shock the viewers with their incredible quality. While there were others that made a return after years of being sidelined for one reason or another.
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Suffice it to say, there wasn’t a shortage of top-notch anime available to watch. Out of the vast number of anime, a handful of them were so amazing that they managed to surpass the expectations of the viewers. These anime managed to stand out due to the level of animation, the story, and the characters.
8Demon Slayer
Check it out on Hulu!
Demon Slayerhas already cemented its reputation as one of the best shonen anime. The series broke onto the scene with its well-made first season. Being an anime with no fillers and high-level action scenes boosted its popularity.
Viewers were expecting the second season of the anime to be just as good. However, Ufotable took things up a notch, and their hard work could be seen in the subsequent season. It had recap episodes that covered the Mugen Train arc, and after that, it focused on the Entertainment District arc. The good news is that it has been renewed for a third season, which will premiere in April 2023.
7Bocchi The Rock!
Check it out on Crunchyroll!
Bocchi The Rock!started airing in October 2022, and it finished in December 2022. When the anime adaptation was announced, no one expected it to be anything special, but the opinion quickly changed once the first episode was released. The main reason for its success was the portrayal of characters dealing with anxiety and how they overcame these hurdles.
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Bocchi The Rock!focuses on the life of Hitori Gotou, who dreams of playing in a band one day. Sadly, there is a multitude of problems that stand between Hitori and her dream. After searching for a possible way to achieve her goal, Hitori comes across Nijika Ijichi, who offers her an opportunity to join the Kessoku Band.
6Spy x Family
Spy x Family’ssuccess has truly been staggering. The slice-of-life, spy anime has won the hearts of viewers with its cute characters and intriguing story. Due to the immense reception that it received, the anime has already been renewed for a second season, along with a movie release in 2023.
Spy x Familyfocuseson the life of Twilight, who is considered the best spy in the world. Known for completing every single mission, Twilight is assigned his most important mission to date. But, in order to complete it, he needs to find a fake family.
5Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Check it out on Netflix!
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswas notonly the best sci-fi anime, but it also had a case for being the best anime of the year. The dystopian cyberpunk anime series is based onCyberpunk 77by CD Project. Before its release, fans had grounded expectations, but it managed to supersede them by quite a margin.
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The series is set in Night City, a futuristic place in California that serves as home to David Martinez. He has only one goal: to reach the top of Arasaka. Having a lofty goal was never going to be easy, and Martinez finds out the hard way.
4Blue Lock
Sports anime, especially thosecovering soccer, tend to misfire more often than they succeed. So, there was a lot of pressure onBlue Lockto get it right, and thankfully, it did just that. The anime was a big hit, and it provided fans with top-quality soccer matches between different teams while adding interesting plotlines.
Blue Lockfollows the story of Isagi Yoichi, who has a strong desire to become a soccer star. With opportunities being scarce, things don’t look for Isagi until one day when he receives an invitation to join the Blue Lock training facility.
3Bleach
2022 was a big year forBleachfans, as their beloved series finally made a comeback with the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.Bleachfans would have been happy with a normal adaptation, but Studio Pierrot delivered a masterpiece. The first cour earned very high ratings, and currently, it is rated 9.2 on both MyAnimeList and IMDb.
The current season ofBleachis an adaptation of the final arc of the manga. It focuses on the invasion of the Soul Society, Ichigo’s battles with other characters,and the rise of Yhwach.
2Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Manreleased its much-awaited first season in October 2022. The first season has 12 episodes, and each one is a masterpiece. In addition to the quality of the episodes, the OPs and EDs were exquisite. The overall cinematography was jaw-dropping.
Chainsaw Manfollowsan orphan named Denji, who survives by killing demons. Denji is helped by his pet demon, Pochita, who looks like an adorable puppy, although it has a small chainsaw blade coming out of its head. The two take down many demons, but they soon get caught up in a terrible situation.
1My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darlingis based on the popular manga written by Shinichi Fukuda. The anime was released in January 2022, and it continued to air until March 2022. The anime not only managed to successfully adapt the manga, but it also improved on it. The combination of beautiful animation, immense voice acting, and music made it a huge hit.
My Dress-Up Darlingis a rom-com that follows Wakana Gojou, an expert doll maker, and Marin Kitagawa, a cosplayer. The two are polar opposites, but somehow they manage to form a bond. As the two try to work together, it provides plenty of laughter and drama for the viewers.
