13 Of The Best Anime Series And Movies From 2022 You Need To Put On Your To-Watch List

The Blue Lock and FIFA World Cup parallels were one of the highlights of the year.

Hiya! My name is Isha and — as you probably can guess from clicking on this article — I love writing about and watching anime.

Instagram: @isha_bassi

It's a long-term goal of mine to slowly get all my friends to watch anime. I'm convinced that they just need to watch the right one and THEN it'll click with them.

In 2022, there were a bunch of new anime releases which caught everyone's attention (and rightfully so!). But this year, I also took the time to watch some of the most talked about anime which I had been missing out on.

Crunchyroll

Live footage of me watching an entire season of anime in one day.

From binge-worthy shoujo anime that made me yearn for my own main character romance arc to jaw-dropping shonen scenes featuring incredible animation (and let's not forget about slice of life, sports anime and everything in-between), here are some of the best anime that I watched in 2022.

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Reminder: Not all of these anime were released in 2022! Rather, this is a list combining new releases from 2022, as well as anime I finally got around to watching this year too. 

1. SpyxFamily

Crunchyroll

What it's about: On the surface, the Forgers seem like a picture-perfect family. There's Loid, the loving husband, father and esteemed psychiatrist; Yor, the clumsy but loveable wife and mother; and Anya, who is enrolled in the illustrious Eden Academy. But these are all aliases to conceal their true identities as an undercover spy, a deadly assassin and a telepath. No one knows each other's secrets, but they all must work together to keep the peace between the neighbouring countries of Ostania and Westalis.

Why I liked it: I never expected an anime about spies and assassins to be so sweet, but SpyxFamily is exactly that. From Anya's comedic misunderstandings to Yor's dual personality and Loid's attempts at being a loving father, this anime does such a beautiful job at unpacking what family really means. The storylines are a perfect combination of nail-biting plot twists, wholesome slice of life antics and hilarious rom-com moments. In fact, I saw someone describe it as the Mr And Mrs Smith of anime — which is a pretty accurate take. Season 2 — which is currently airing — goes deeper into the backstories of the characters, delivering some heartwarming and emotional scenes that elevate SpyxFamily to another level (beyond being my weekly dose of joy and comfort, of course). 

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

2. SK8 The Infinity

Crunchyroll

What it's about: High school student Reki Kyan is passionate about one thing and one thing only: skateboarding. He frequently attends "S", a dangerous, top secret and no-holds-barred race where skaters compete to see who comes out on top. While working, Reki runs into his new classmate, Langa Hasegawa — who is half-Canadian and half-Japanese. While Langa has no skateboarding knowledge, his snowboarding experience gives him an edge over other skaters, resulting in him and Reki teaming up to conquer the world of "S". 

Why I liked it: Beware the uncontrollable urge to learn skateboarding that this anime is going to give you (and if anyone wants to teach me, hit a girl up). For real though, I got drawn into SK8 for the exciting skateboarding battles — and alongside that, I got a heartwarming and entertaining story about friendship, unconditional love and pursuing your passion. Besides Reki and Langa, the whole cast of characters, like Miya, Shadow, Cherry and Joe, add so much depth and fun to the anime. Each have their own struggles (the antagonist, Adam, is kinda weird though, not gonna lie), but I have to give major props to the SK8 writers for touching on depression through Reki's character development. For such a light-hearted anime, the series does a great job at exploring self-esteem issues and imposter syndrome. In summary, this anime is beautifully done, it has a banging theme song and I cannot wait for Season 2 to premiere.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

3. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Netflix

What it's about: The year is 2077 and corruption, cybernetic addition and gang violence is rife in Night City. As a teenager living in the city's slums, David Martinez attempts to fulfil his mother's lifelong wish for him to reach the top of Arasaka, the world's leading security corporation. A drive-by shooting turns David's life upside down, until he stumbles upon Sandevistan cyberware — a prosthetic that grants its wearer superhuman speed. Soon after witnessing his abilities, Lucy Kushinada introduces David to the world of Edgerunners, who are black-market mercenaries stacked with cyberware. Now, David has a choice — remain in debt and lose himself to a corrupt system or team up with the Edgerunners and put his body, mind and life on the line.

Why I liked it: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is yet another example of video game-to-anime adaptations done right. From the very first episode, this series demands every second of your attention and fills it with striking visuals, memorable characters and emotional highs and lows (no spoilers, but there are multiple brutal character deaths — including one at the very end — that will devastate you). It's a wild and chaotic ride from start to finish, but stick with it because this is the sort of anime that will stay with you long after you've finished the last episode (catch me playing "I Really Want To Stay At Your House" over and over again). 

Where to watch it: Netflix.

4. Fruits Basket

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What it's about: After a family tragedy, Tohru Honda finds herself living in a tent. She is later invited to stay with the Soma clan — Yuki, Kyo and Shigure — where she quickly discovers that members of their family are possessed by the animals of the Zodiac. When feeling weak, stressed or embraced by members of the opposite sex, they are cursed to turn into their animal forms. As Tohru meets more members of the zodiac family, she learns about the dark history of the curse and attempts to break it — once and for all.

Why I liked it: It's very hard to sum up how marvellous Fruits Basket is — to say I will never emotionally recover is an understatement. While the story starts off light-hearted, it gets progressively darker as the series goes on. But you're rewarded with incredible character development (hands down, some of the best I've ever watched), a beautiful soundtrack that will leave you weeping at times and laughing with joy at others and a romance story that will stay with you forever. Why? Without spoiling anything, it's because you grow so attached to these characters. As they're healing and learning, so do you. Tohru's kindness, generosity and selfness shown to others in Fruits Basket has me genuinely wanting to become a better person — and how many anime have that sort of an impact on a viewer?

A companion film, titled Fruits Basket: Prelude, which focuses on Tohru's parents and upbringing, as well as giving a peek into what happens after the anime finishes, was released earlier this year — so it's the perfect time to start binge-watching Fruits Basket.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

5. Chainsaw Man

Crunchyroll

What it's about: 16-year-old Denji lives in a world overrun by devils manifested from the collective fears of humans. He's dirt poor, lives alone and has had to sell his kidney, right eye and one of his testicles in order to get by. But even that's not enough to pay off his father's debts and put food on the table. So, Denji hunts devils for the yakuza, alongside his devil-turned-pet, Pochita, and dreams of the day when he is finally able to escape his grim reality.

Things do change for Denji, but it's not all good. He is betrayed by the yakuza and left for dead, until an old contract with Pochita — the Chainsaw Devil — transforms Denji into a hybrid being capable of generating chainsaws from his body parts.

Why I liked it: Chainsaw Man was easily one of the most hyped anime adaptations of 2022 — and personally, it's lived up to each and every single one of my expectations. Helmed by the legendary MAPPA studios, it's no surprise that fans like myself have been captivated by the anime's high-energy action scenes, unique characters (Aki supremacy!), compelling story, pop culture references and genre bending (we're talking horror, comedy and lots of thrills). Plus, Denji is a fascinating character because he subverts so many of the classic tropes associated with shonen protagonists. He doesn't fight devils to make the world a better place or even become the best devil hunter. He doesn't care to make friends and is blunt and rude when communicating with others. No, what Denji wants is food on the table (preferably jam on toast), a roof over his head and to get a girlfriend at some point — and he doesn't care what he has to do to obtain those things. It's early days within the Chainsaw Man anime (I've heard the best is yet to come from the manga), but I cannot wait to see where it goes.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

6. Romantic Killer

Netflix

What it's about: High schooler Anzu Hoshino only cares about three things in her life: video games, chocolate and her beloved cat, Momohiki. She has no interest in or time for romance, but that quickly changes when a wizard named Riri confiscates Anzu's favourite things and transports her into an altered reality to experience a dating game IRL. Despite Anzu's reluctance, Riri orchestrates a series of unlucky incidents, romantic cliches and ridiculous fabricated scenarios that lead to her meeting — and perhaps warming up to — several different guys.

Why I liked it: Romantic Killer is easily one of the most enjoyable anime I've watched all year (shoutout to my friend Gilcy for the recommendation!). Like the title suggests, this anime is all about subverting your typical rom-com. Anzu is dubbed an "anti-heroine" multiple times throughout the series because she's logical, blunt, takes zero crap from anyone and would prefer to stay at home in her comfy cat-themed clothes rather than go out on a date (very relatable). All in all, Romantic Killer doesn't take itself too seriously and provides a bundle of relatable laughs that had me eagerly wanting to watch the next episode. Fair warning that the anime does go down a dark route towards the end, but this works as an important catalyst in showing the complexity of Anzu and Tsukasa, one of her love interests, and perhaps sparking something between them in Season 2 (at least I'm hoping there'll be one! Netflix make it happen). 

Where to watch it: Netflix.

7. Blue Lock

Crunchyroll

What it's about:  Frustrated by Japan's continual losses at the FIFA World Cup, the Japanese Football Union hires coach Jinpachi Ego to revolutionise the national team. This leads to the creation of a controversial new training regimen which involves isolating 300 aspiring young football players in a prison-like building called Blue Lock in order to find "the world's great egotist striker". One of these player is Yoichi Isagi, who must compete against others through a series of solo and team competitions to rise to the top — even if it means crushing the dreams of others.

Why I liked it: The producers of Blue Lock couldn't have timed its release better, with many of the episodes coinciding with the events of the 2022 FIFA World Cup — which included Japan defeating big-shot football teams like Germany and Spain, before being knocked out by Croatia in the round of 16. Prior to Japan's defeat, fans were jokingly pointing out that their victory run was evidence that the Blue Lock program was working in real life (especially given that the anime is set following Japan's 16th place finish in the 2018 World Cup). 

Anime and real life parallels aside, Blue Lock is a refreshing take on the sports anime genre featuring high stakes, a ruthless Hunger Games-esque setting (if you lose, your football career is done and dusted) and jaw-dropping animation sequences of plays that will have you rewinding the episode you're watching again and again. It's early days, but so far I'm a big fan of the storyline and the unique characters whose facial expressions often look like they've been taken straight out of a horror film.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

tel ♡ @bbachiraa

"blue lock is so unrealistic" "blue lock is mid" WHAT NOW HUH JAPAN JUST WON, BLUE LOCK PROJECT IS REAL ALRIGHT YOU UNPOLISHED GEMS

03:42 PM - 23 Nov 2022

Twitter: @bbachiraa

8. Jujutsu Kaisen

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What it's about: Yuji Itadori leads a completely ordinary high school life, until he unknowingly makes contact with a cursed charm talisman. The talisman, which is a finger of a demon named Ryomen Sukuna, attracts curses (creatures formed by human negativity and malice) to the school. To protect his friends, Yuji swallows Sukuna's finger, resulting in him not only inheriting the demon's powers, but sharing a body with him. The only way for Yuji to rid himself of Sukuna is to consume all of his fingers, which he can only do by becoming a jujutsu sorcerer under the guidance of Satoru Gojo, the most powerful of sorcerers. 

Why I liked it: I'm glad I waited until now to watch Jujutsu Kaisen because I would have not been able to emotionally handle weekly episodes. Everything — from the top-tier animation to the brilliantly choreography fight scenes and entire ensemble of characters had me entertained to my core. Although Jujutsu Kaisen sticks to its shonen roots, one thing it does brilliantly is blend other genres (comedy, supernatural, horror and fantasy) seamlessly, resulting in this hybrid take on anime that feels refreshing, yet familiar. It takes a second to get used to, but the comedic breathers — often involving Yuji, Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki — are the perfect cleansers to level out all the darkness in the series. It's also worth noting that the female characters in Jujutsu Kaisen are an essential part of what makes it so special. Sexist tropes and fan service have been pushed aside in favour of well-written female characters like Nobara and Maki Zen'in. Both are skilled fighters with intimidating personalities, but the anime also gives us an endearing insight into their softer sides through the respect and admiration they have for one another.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

9. Jujutsu Kaisen 0

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What it's about: Ever since his childhood friend Rika died in a traffic accident, Yuta Okkotsu has been burdened with her ghost. But instead of appearing as the sweet girl Yuta once knew, Rika manifests as a monstrous curse who dishes out brutal revenge against anyone who dares wrong him. Unable to control Rika's bloodshed, Satoru Gojo takes Yuta in and trains him to become a jujutsu sorcerer capable of channeling his power into a force for good.

Why I liked it: For those who haven't jumped on the Jujutsu Kaisen bandwagon yet, this film serves as a prequel (it's set a year before Yuji enters the picture) to the anime — which is why it gets its own review. In it, we not only get an adrenaline-pumping showdown between good and evil (the animation quality and fight scenes are off the charts), but are given some much-needed development into characters that took a backseat in the anime. While it connects to the main series and offers fans an insight into what's next, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is also an enjoyable standalone story that, personally, I believe could be enjoyed by anyone whether or not they're an anime fan.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

10. Attack On Titan: The Final Season Part Two

Crunchyroll

What it's about: After almost a decade, the conclusion to Attack On Titan draws nearer. Part 2 of the final season largely focused on the events that led to Eren Jaeger's decision to activate the Rumbling, whereby thousands of colossal titans that were concealed in the walls of Paradis were unleashed to destroy all life beyond Paradis island. 

Why I liked it: There is simply not enough room to convey the brilliance of Attack On Titan in a single paragraph. Hell, not even an entire article could do it justice because of the complex themes and threads this anime weaves (which is great, but sometimes I need to watch an episode a couple of times to truly get what's happening). As always, MAPPA brings their full strength to the table in showing off top-notch fight scenes, which, of course, cumulates in Eren’s haunting founding titan form in "The Dawn Of Humanity". There were also several mic-drop moments this season (Zeke finding out that Eren was the true puppet master behind the scenes who had been manipulating Grisha, their father; when Zeke turned the Eldians and Falco into titans; Gabi sniping off Eren's head) — and when combined with the devastating emotional realisations from the core group of characters (I will never be over those flashback scenes to when the Survey Corps arrived in Marley and got drunk together), this is shaping up to be yet another unforgettable season of Attack On Titan. I don't think I will be emotionally prepared for when it finally ends though.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

11. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

Netflix

What it's about: Yui "Cherry" Sakura is a shy boy who expresses himself best through his writing of haikus. Yuki, otherwise known as "Smile", is an online influencer who uses a mask to hid her braces and buckteeth. A chance meeting in a shopping mall leads these two individuals — who have trouble communicating with others — to start a summertime romance and learn more about themselves.

Why I liked it: If you're in need of feel-good vibes, then you need to watch Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop. You've got the classic boy meets girl during summer story, alongside visually stunning animation and the use of haikus to develop the characters. While the plot is predictable at times, it's heartwarmingly beautiful to watch the two main characters grow and face their insecurities through poetry and music. It may not be groundbreaking, but Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop will sure make you smile when you need it most.

Where to watch it: Netflix. 

12. Free!

Crunchyroll

What it's about:  After claiming victory in an elementary school swimming relay race, four friends — Haruka Nanase, Rin Matsuoka, Nagisa Hazuki and Makoto Tachibana — go their separate ways. Years later, they reunite as high school students — however, things have changed. Rin doesn't care about the past and is only focused on proving that he is a better swimmer than Haruka.

With Rin attending a different school, Haruka, Nagisa, Makoto and a new fourth member, Rei Ryuugazaki, decide to form the Iwatobi High School Swim Club in order to come out on top and settle things between Haruka and Rin.

Why I liked it: As someone whose favourite anime is Haikyuu, I decided it was high time I ventured into other sports anime. One of the classics I had heard about was Free! — and look, I'll be completely honest in saying it wasn't love at first sight. The pacing was slow and there was A LOT of fan service (abs shots and shirt removals galore) — to the point where I was slightly put off by it. But once the storyline picked up, I fell in love with the characters. The series does a great job at exploring themes of friendship, personal growth, the highs and lows of being an athlete and what happens when that dream is snatched away from you. Plus, it's fun, wholesome and just really nice to watch when you need an escape. Also, Free! got bonus points with me because I was able to see parts of Sydney (I'm Australian, hello!) animated.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll.

13. And lastly, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Crunchyroll

What it's about: A family is attacked by demons and only two members survive — Tanjiro Kamado and his sister, Nezuko, who has turned into a bloodthirsty demon. Swearing revenge on the ones who cursed his family, Tanjiro sets out to become a demon slayer and to cure his sister.

Why I liked it: Since its release, Demon Slayer has taken the world by storm and racked up multiple accolades. As a result, it's considered by some to be one of the best anime of the 2010s. With that in mind, I thought it was time to give it a go — and boy, oh boy, it did not disappoint me. I know I've talked about animation multiple times in this article, but Demon Slayer has to have some of the most breathtaking visuals in the business. From dynamic action sequences to poetic illustrations used to show the different styles, every scene in this anime has been crafted with care and precision. I have to be completely honest and say I'm not quite up to date with Demon Slayer yet (I've just finished Season 1), but from what I've seen Tanjiro is everything you could want in a shonen protagonist. His kindness, strong sense of justice and compassion has an immense impact on both the demons he slays and the audience, reminding us that these cursed souls were once human. 

Although I'm not quite sold on Zenitsu Agatsuma's addition (he's whiny and annoying), he does provide more opportunities for comic relief between the characters, which I'm always a fan of. Plus, if none of this has sold you on Demon Slayer, I implore you to listen to "Gurenge" by LiSA, the opening theme song to the anime. It is life-changing.

Where to watch it: Crunchyroll and Netflix.

What anime did you watch in 2022? Share your top five recommendations in the comments!

And if you ever want to talk anime, let's scream about our favourites together on Twitter and Instagram.

Need more TV show, movie and anime recommendations? Check out Press Play, a new column dedicated to reviewing the latest releases, uncovering hidden gems and solving the age-old question of "What do I watch?" (before your food gets cold).