The Top 10 Best New Anime Series of 2022

2022 has been an amazing year for anime, with a lot of highly acclaimed returning anime like Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, Mob Psycho III, Attack on Titan Final Season: Part 2, Etc, and plenty of highly anticipated and promising new anime like Chainsaw Man & Spy Family.

As the title says, in this post, we’ll be listing the Top 10 Best New Anime Series of 2022. We’ll also list some honorable mentions at the end of the post, so be sure to read until the end. Let’s Go!

Best New Anime of 2022

10. Tomodachi Game

Yuuichi Katagiri, a high school student, values his close circle of friends, which includes four classmates: Yutori Kokorogi, Shiho Sawaragi, Makoto Shibe, and Tenji Mikasa. When the funds for the upcoming school trip are stolen, Shiho and Makoto, who were tasked with collecting the funds, become estranged from the rest of their class.

Soon after, Yuuichi and his friends are tricked into meeting up and then knocked out by unknown assailants. After waking up, the group is confined in a white room with the controversial figure Manabu-kun, who reveals that one of the five has gathered them together to clear their personal debt of 20,000 yen. To pay off the debt, they must engage in a series of psychological games that will put their friendship and humanity to the test.

Yuuichi and his friends, who are distressed and isolated from the outside world, must work together to complete the games. Their seemingly unbreakable bond may soon shatter into irreparable pieces as their hidden feelings and problematic pasts begin to surface.

It’s basically squid games without the killing. I don’t wanna spoil anything but Yuuichi is an absolute madman and man do I love it. After finishing the anime if you can’t wait for the next season, you can read the manga. Highly recommend watching it.

9. Uncle from Another World

Takafumi Takaoka’s uncle, Yousuke “Ojisan” Shibazaki, has been comatose for 17 years after being hit by a truck. When Ojisan regains consciousness, he begins babbling in a foreign language and reveals that he had been transported to the magical world of Gran Bahamal. His nephew Takafumi dismisses his claims as ridiculous until an incantation causes a cup of water to float in midair. In a stroke of genius, they create a YouTube channel to showcase Ojisan’s magical abilities.

Takafumi now has the responsibility of informing Ojisan about everything that has happened during his absence, including the internet, new technology, and, surprisingly, the outcome of the ’90s console war—the outcome of which was especially distressing for a hardcore SEGA fan. They grow their YouTube channel and deal with online comments and trolls with the help of Ojisan’s wisdom from his other world experiences. This uncle-nephew duo’s journey promises to be anything but ordinary.

Uncle from Another World is essentially about an uncle who got isekai’d to another world and came back to earth and retained his powers. It’s one of the funniest anime this year (the facial expressions are gold). It went on hiatus after 7 episodes because of the pandemic but it’s back now. Definitely recommend watching it.

8. Call of the Night

Tomoyuki Itamura, the director of the highly acclaimed Monogatari Series, and the Case Study of Vanitas is back again for yet another vampire-themed anime, and man did he do an amazing job!

Call of the Night follows Kou Yamori, yet another average high schooler, who has trouble understanding the concept of love. He stops going to school and starts suffering from insomnia and starts roaming the city at night.

One day he encounters a strange girl, Nazuna Nanakusa who believes that people stay awake during the night because they are dissatisfied with how they spent their day and cannot rest until they release their inhibitions. She offers to help him sleep but turns out, she’s actually a vampire!

Kou now wants to become a vampire in hopes of getting out of his boring life, but it’s not as simple as getting bit by a vampire. According to Nazuna, he needs to fall in love with the vampire, and only then getting bit by them will turn him into one.

The background composition looked absolutely immaculate, to the point where I have those purple skies as my phone wallpaper. The art direction really evokes a sense of imagination, as it allows us to imagine how alluring the night can look, and combined with great chill music from Creepy Nuts, the atmosphere is quite perfect for this anime.

7. Lycoris Recoil

The number of terrorist acts in Japan has never been lower, thanks to the efforts of the Direct Attack syndicate (DA). Under their “Lycoris” program, the organization raises orphaned girls as killers to carry out assassinations. Takina Inoue is a remarkable Lycoris with a strong sense of purpose and a desire for perfection. Unfortunately, a hostage situation tests her patience and the resulting act of disobedience results in her transfer from DA. She arrives at her new base of operations, LycoReco, a cafe disguised as a cafe, grudgingly, having lost her only home.

Takina’s new partner, on the other hand, turns out to be nothing like she expected. Despite her fame as a Lycoris prodigy, Chisato Nishikigi appears unconcerned with her responsibilities. She drags Takina along on various odd jobs under the guise of assisting those in need. Takina is perplexed even more when Chisato defeats a group of armed assailants without killing any of them. Takina, who feels like a fish out of water, longs to be reinstated in DA, but Chisato is determined to show her that there is more to life than just taking them.

I’m gonna be honest with you, when Lycoris Recoil first came out I thought it was gonna be one of the subpar anime we get every season but boy was I wrong.

Most episodes were very enjoyable, even the slice-of-life moments. Everything added to the story and I loved the chemistry between the characters. It is definitely one of my favorite anime from 2022 so far, with one of the best casts I’ve seen this year.

6. Bocchi the Rock

Hitori “Bocchi” Gotou, who is lonely and socially anxious, devotes her time to playing the guitar in order to make friends and perform live with a band. On a fateful day, Bocchi meets the departing drummer Nijika Ijichi, who invites her to join Kessoku Band after their guitarist, Ikuyo Kita, flees before their first performance. Bocchi soon meets her final bandmate, the cool bassist Ryou Yamada.

Despite their first performance as a group, the girls are empowered by their shared love of music, and they are soon joined by Kita. Bocchi and her bandmates found happiness in performing and put their hearts into improving as musicians while making the most of their fleeting high school days.

Bocchi the Rock follows Bocchi, an introverted teenage girl with a serious case of social anxiety, as she attempts to make friends. Throughout the series, Bocchi struggles to fit in and make friends and learns how to navigate social situations. The series emphasizes the importance of friendship, showing how even a person with a seemingly difficult exterior can create meaningful relationships and find acceptance.

5. Spy x Family

Spy x Family follows the story of the spy Twilight, a master of disguise, who is tasked with infiltrating a foreign nation by impersonating a married couple and raising a child. Along with his mission, Twilight must protect his family from enemies while juggling his role as a father and husband. Little does he know, Yor, who’s acting as his wife is a professional assassin known as the “Thorn Princess” and his adoptive daughter Anya is an esper who can read people’s minds and they have no plans to disclose their own secrets either.

With a unique combination of action, comedy, and drama, Spy x Family is a thrilling story that follows the adventures of a family as they overcome obstacles and strive to stay together.

Spy x Family is one of the most popular anime of 2022 and if you’re into wholesome anime with plenty of action and a ton of funny and adorable moments then you’ll love Spy x Family.

4. The Eminence in Shadow

Minoru Kagenou has been obsessed with becoming as strong as possible for as long as he can remember, which has led him to engage in all manner of rigorous training. This wish, however, is not motivated by a desire to be noticed by others; rather, Minoru does everything in his power to blend in with the crowd. So, during the day, he pretends to be a completely normal student, but at night, he arms himself with a crowbar and ruthlessly thrashes local biker gangs. Minoru’s ambitions appear to be dashed when he is involved in a truck accident. In his final moments, he bemoans his powerlessness—no matter how hard he trained, he couldn’t overcome his human limitations.

Instead of dying, Minoru reawakens in another world as Cid, the second child of the noble Kagenou family, in a world where magic is commonplace. With the power he craved finally at his disposal, he adopts the moniker “Shadow” and establishes Shadow Garden: a group whose sole purpose is to combat the enigmatic Cult of Diablos, an organization created entirely in Cid’s imagination. However, as Shadow Garden grows in size and influence, it becomes clear that the Cult of Diablos is not as fictitious as Cid had thought.

Now, this might be a little biased on my end because The Eminence in Shadow is one of my favorite mangas and I was really excited about this anime. But don’t misunderstand, The Eminence in Shadow is still of the best anime this year and I definitely recommend checking it out.

3. Summertime Rendering

Shinpei Ajiro had been living with the Kofune family and their two daughters, Mio and Ushio, since his parents’ deaths. Despite leaving his home island to further his education in Tokyo, Shinpei returns after Ushio tragically drowns while attempting to save a young girl. His best friend informs him about bruises discovered around Ushio’s neck during the funeral, casting doubt on the cause of her death.

Shinpei reevaluates recent events after suspecting a murder, but strange incidents continue to occur. Disappearing people and other unexplainable occurrences prompt Mio to recall an old folktale about entities known as “Shadows,” which may or may not be entirely fictitious. An encounter with one’s Shadow, it is said, foretells one’s demise.

Faced with the dark side of Hitogashima Island, Shinpei defies his fate in order to fulfill Ushio’s final wish—to protect Mio.

The mc’s powers are similar to Subaru’s but he’s not as much a wimp as Subaru was at the start. And if you liked Re:Zero you’ll most likely enjoy Summertime Rendering too.

Summertime Rendering is one of my favorite anime this year and I’ll highly recommend watching it.

2. Cyberpunk Edgerunners

In Night City, a futuristic Californian metropolis, dreams are doomed to die. David Martinez, a teenager living in the city’s slums, is attempting to fulfil his mother’s lifelong ambition of rising to the top of Arasaka, the world’s leading security corporation. In order to accomplish this, he attends the prestigious Arasaka Academy, while his mother works tirelessly to keep their family afloat.

When an altercation with a street gang devastates David’s life, he discovers Sandevistan cyberware—a prosthetic that grants its wearer superhuman speed. Angry, David implants the device in his back and plans to use it to exact revenge on one of his tormentors. This results in his expulsion from the academy, effectively ending his chances of ever making his mother proud.

When Lucyna “Lucy” Kushinada, a beautiful data thief, sees David’s newfound abilities, she offers to team up with him, handing him a ticket to salvation. Associating with Lucy, on the other hand, introduces David to the world of Edgerunners—cyborg criminals who will break any law for money. Edgerunners frequently lose their lives if the cyberware does not first break their minds; however, in his fight for survival within a corrupt system, David is willing to risk everything.

I don’t have much to say about Cyberpunk Edgerunners except that it totally deserves to be on this list and I have no doubt that Cyberpunk Edgerunners will be on the nominations for anime of the year.

1. Chainsaw Man

Denji has been robbed of a normal adolescent life, leaving him with nothing but his deadbeat father’s crippling debt. His only companion is his pet, the chainsaw devil Pochita, with whom he slays devils for money, which inevitably ends up in the pockets of the yakuza. All Denji can think about is a good, simple life with delicious food and a lovely girlfriend by his side. But a yakuza betrayal leads to Denji’s brutal, untimely death, crushing all hope of him ever finding happiness.

Surprisingly, an old contract allows Pochita to merge with the recently deceased Denji and bestow devil powers on him, transforming him into a hybrid capable of transforming his body parts into chainsaws. Because Denji’s new abilities pose a significant risk to society, Makima, the Public Safety Bureau’s elite devil hunter, takes him in and allows him to live as long as he obeys her commands. Denji devotes everything and fights with all his might to make his naive dreams a reality, guided by the promise of a happy life with an attractive woman.

Chainsaw Man is unarguably the most hyped anime of all time. Even leaving the anime, the chainsaw man manga (as of November 2022) has sold over 20 million copies and has won the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category and the Harvey Awards in the Best Manga category in 2021 and 2022

On the surface, chainsaw man might feel simplistic to some people, but that doesn’t mean it lacks depth or substance by any means. The plot is incredibly enthralling and pulls you in, the characters are really interesting and lovable and they push the story forward.

As someone who has read the manga (though I’m not caught up), It felt incredible to see my favorite scenes recreated in the anime. The opening and ending songs are some of the best ones I’ve heard in any anime.

No matter what type of anime you’re into I’d highly recommend giving Chainsaw Man a shot, I assure you it won’t disappoint.