Six of the best Fall 2022 anime shows to watch
It is no secret that the fall 2022 anime season is going to be a hefty one. Fan favourites are returning for another season, we’re getting the second half of one of spring’s best shows, and one of the most hotly anticipated debuts I can remember. Frankly, it’s all a bit much, but we’re here to help anyway.
As the anime community braces itself for the Fall 2022 anime season and the chaos it is about to unleash upon us, here are my picks for what to keep an eye on.
My Hero Academia
I don’t make any secret of the fact that I loved the early seasons of My Hero Academia. Even the weird pacing and inconsistent animation in season four didn’t stop it from having one of my all-time favourite anime fights in it. However, season five was, to be brutally honest, not a good one. A tournament arc with no stakes followed by a rushed exploration of the main villain’s motivation left me with no real desire to keep going with the show. It makes this list for me simply because I want it to be better.
If the sixth season lives up to the early ones, My Hero Academia will safely remain on my simulcast watch list going forward. If it falls short during the Fall 2022 anime season, then it will probably be relegated to a binge-watch after I’m caught up with everything else. There is a lot at stake here for MHA.
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
You could be forgiven for forgetting the ending to the Bleach anime because it didn’t really have one. The manga, which concluded more than six years ago, ended with little fanfare or excitement from fans. Tite Kubo was, unfortunately, rushed toward the conclusion by publishers following dwindling readership, so the final arc never got the anime treatment like the rest of the manga’s run.
It will be interesting to see how the anime handles this arc, which was big on ideas and light on execution. With such a big gap between the manga’s conclusion and the fact that it is airing during a stacked anime season, it is likely that this show will unfortunately slip through the cracks of viewership. That would be a shame for fans who consider the property a formative property for them, but that feels likely.
Spy x Family
It is no surprise that one of the breakout hits of the spring 2022 season was Spy x Family. Based on one of the best ongoing manga out there, this show hit all the right notes for several of us here at Rice Digital. With a great mix of comedy, action, and moments that make you say “Aww,” it has been one of the most exciting anime to be released this year.
The second half of the first season airs during the Fall 2022 anime season and has already set up some of the most important moments from the manga. Expect dog-related shenanigans to take centre stage, but the key visual released for the season hints that we might even reach the most dramatic tennis match of all time as well. And, of course, Anya being a delight.
Chainsaw Man
It is hard to overstate just how hyped the anime community is for this show. I honestly haven’t seen a show with this much anticipation around it in all my years covering anime, especially for a new property. Chainsaw Man was one of the biggest manga releases in recent years, with its tight action and often surreal visuals.
I’m not sure how well some of the visuals will translate onto the screen, but I do not doubt that studio MAPPA will deliver their trademark action and fluid movement for the show. This is going to be one of the biggest shows of the Fall 2022 anime season, which is saying something. Expect to see a lot of Makima cosplays at conventions for the next year or two.
Mob Psycho 100 III
After a couple of years away, our boys are finally back. Mob and Reigen return after three years of us pining for more of their adventures. Though the third season was always inevitable, it will be tough for the show to top the ending to season two, which was both beautiful and heartbreaking in the best possible way. KLAW is defeated and life in Seasoning City looks ready to return to normal. It felt like a good place to end the show so I’m curious where it goes from here.
Studio Bones have always done a great job balancing the more grounded moments of Mob Psycho 100 with the over-the-top explosions of psychic power that have become the show’s trademark. However, with them also producing the sixth season of My Hero Academia at the same time, the teams may be stretched a little thin. I hope this doesn’t become a victim of how busy the Fall 2022 anime season is.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
There are few shows more important to the history of anime than Gundam. From the dawn of the New Anime Century through to today, the series offers a unique and stark take on war and the politics that drive it. Interestingly, The Witch from Mercury is only the second series in the franchise to feature a female lead and the first since War in the Pocket in 1989.
This feels like another show that could get overlooked in the Fall 2022 anime season, but if Gundam’s history is anything to go by fans will get some epic space fights and biting takes on political corruption. Considering how turbulent the years this show has been in production have been, I’m excited to see where this show takes us.
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