Anime Influence: Rankings - Favorite Anime In 2022

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Anime Influence, similar to Gaming Influence, but mainly giving my thoughts on certain anime and anime series with some fun mix of anime-related content on here as well.

For this edition of Anime Influence, I'll be ranking my favorite anime in 2022.

Before I start, I will only be ranking anime that was released in 2022 which includes the beginning of the year to the end of the year as well as anime that have episodes in 2022. That means if the anime started before 2022, but has episodes in 2022 that is still ongoing, that will qualify. In addition, if the anime started in 2022, but it's still ongoing, that will also qualify. Also, these rankings will not include movies, OVAs, or specials as I considered them separate. Finally, if your favorite anime in 2022 didn't make it on my rankings, that doesn't mean that I hate that anime, it just means that I haven't watched it or have no interest in it so keep that in mind.

Anyway, let's get started!

Before I start the actual rankings, here are some honorable mentions that I enjoyed, but didn't make it on the list:

Honorable Mentions: Dance Dance Danseur, The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, The Orbital Children, Tokyo 24th Ward, Tokyo Mew Mew, Romantic Killer, The Prince of Tennis: U-17 World Cup, Shenmue The Animation, Salaryman's Club, Shaman King, Love of Kill, Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story, Mobile Suit Gundam: Suisei no Majo, Rust Eater Bisco, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Overlord IV, Tiger & Bunny 2

Starting off my favorite anime in 2022 with #20:

Lycoris Recoil is a Japanese original anime television series created by Spider Lily and Asaura as it aired from July 2, 2022, to September 24, 2022.

This was a good anime that has some pretty good action as it has some nice animation with some very good well-liked characters. Despite that, the only flaw that I have with the anime is the story where it feels almost non-existant. Regardless, if you like action anime, then this anime for you and I would recommend checking it out.

Next, here's my favorite anime in 2022 at #19:

Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi or Kotaro Lives Alone in the West is an anime based off of the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mami Tsumura as it was created by LIDENFILMS and aired on Netflix on March 10, 2022.

I have read the manga of this anime and it was alright for what it is, but watching the actual anime itself, it brought more life to the series than the manga did in my opinion. Sure, it's not perfect, but I feel like the anime brought more life to the manga in terms of the voice acting of the characters and showing the actual themes of what it's about through animation which is nice to see. I don't know if this is for everyone's tastes, but you're into comedy and slice of life, then this anime may be for you.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #18:

Paripi Koumei or Ya Boy Kongming! in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written by Yuto Yotsuba and illustrated by Ryō Ogawa as it was created by P.A. Works and it aired from April 5, 2022, to June 16, 2022.

Even though the manga itself isn’t really great I feel like, the anime adaptation is a lot better. The animation that put on this anime is quite good which caught me by surprise. The only thing that isn’t great in my opinion is the music as it’s very forgettable. Other than that, a better anime adaptation of the manga than expected. Granted, not the best, but pretty enjoyable regardless.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #17:

Sasaki to Miyano or Sasaki and Miyano in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series by Shō Harusono as it was created by Studio Deen and aired from January 10, 2022, to March 28, 2022.

The manga for this series is pretty good and the anime adaption of the manga has been done well. Granted, I do feel like the pacing of the anime is a bit slow, but the evolution of the characters throughout the story has been good. This type of series is not for everyone for sure, but for those who want to watch an enjoyable slice-of-life anime, check this anime out, especially for women, they might enjoy this.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #16:

Bocchi the Rock! is an anime based on the Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Aki Hamaji as it was created by CloverWorks and aired from October 9, 2022, to December 25, 2022.

The manga series has been good, but the anime adaption of the manga caught me by surprise. The way they made the characters feel real as you can see these characters in real life, the music and voice acting are really superb, and the art style really shines here which makes this anime a lot more enjoyable to watch than expected. If you want to watch an anime about a girl trying to achieve her dream, then watch this anime as it's really inspiring.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #15:

Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a Polish Japanese cyberpunk web anime series based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red as it was created by Studio Trigger and premiered on Netflix in September 2022.

Despite the game having a rough launch, the anime based on the game is actually pretty good. Sure, there are some issues I do have with this anime including the story and characters where it feels like it should be more fleshed out. However, compared to when Cyberpunk 2077 first released, this anime is much better and if you do have an interest in Cyberpunk in any way, would recommend checking this anime out.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #14:

Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season or My Hero Academia 6th Season in the West is an anime based on the Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi as it was created by Bones as the sixth season of the anime aired on October 1, 2022, and it is still ongoing.

After the fifth season of My Hero Academia basically being filler, the sixth season of the anime needs to bring back the fans in a good way and I feel like they did just that with this season. The sixth season of My Hero Academia covers the continuation of the Paranormal Liberation Arc which it is one of the better arcs in the manga and the anime adaptation of it was well done. Nice to see My Hero Academia being turned around in the anime side and we’ll see if it continues from here.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #13:

One Piece is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda as it was created by Toei Animation, it aired on October 20, 1999, and it is still ongoing.

Oh yes, just like the manga, this anime is still ongoing as expected. In 2022, the One Piece anime covered the continuation of the Wano Country arc where it has been animated greatly. However, as usual with One Piece, there’s filler, but luckily, One Piece is still enjoyable and we’ll see how the anime will do heading into 2023.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #12:

Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen or Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo as it was created by Pierrot and aired on October 11, 2022, to December 27, 2022.

Personally to me, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in the Bleach manga is probably one of the weakest arcs in the series due to its very slow pacing. However, the anime adaptation for this arc has been very well paced compared to the manga which I appreciate a lot. I don’t know if this will continue, but as of now, a great start to the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in the Bleach anime.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #11:

Blue Lock is an anime based on Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura as it was created by 8bit and aired on October 9, 2022, and it is still ongoing.

Sports anime are usually pretty entertaining was done right and Blue Lock is no exception. Sure, the way soccer or football is presented in this anime is not really a true interpretation of what actual soccer/football is like, but this is its own twist on it while making a fantasy similar to Kuroko's Basketball. If you like sports anime as well as soccer/football, then check out Blue Lock as you might enjoy it.

Now, we're in the top ten. Starting off with my favorite anime of 2022 at #10:

Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru or My Dress-Up Darling in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda as it was created by CloverWorks and aired on January 9, 2022, to March 27, 2022.

I have to say that the anime adaptation for this manga has been great as they really show the relationship between the protagonists quite well. Yes, it does have a bit of fanservice in here which may throw off people and I don't blame them. However, the characters really do shine here and that's what makes this anime enjoyable to watch in my opinion. Not only that, Marin Kitagawa is the best girl. If you're into romance, would recommend checking this one out.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #9:

Mob Psycho 100 III is an anime based on the Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by One as it was created by Bones and aired from October 6, 2022, to December 22, 2022.

Mob Psycho 100 in anime form has always delivered and with Mob Psycho 100 III, it's no different. This is basically the finale of the Mob Psycho 100 series and the way they ended it to me has been done great. Bones really did this series justice in the anime adaptation and I'm glad that it ended on a high note. If you love Mob Psycho 100, you'll love Mob Psycho 100 III.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #8:

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou or Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihito Tsukushi as it aired from July 6, 2022, to September 28, 2022.

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is basically the second season of the anime which takes place after the first season of the anime and man, it delivered. The story is still intriguing, the characters continue to evolve throughout the show, and the beautiful art style as well as the great music. Love it. If you love Made in Abyss, you'll enjoy Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #7:

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic or Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic in the West is an anime based on the Japanese romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Aka Akasaka as it was created by A1-Pictures and it aired by April 9, 2022, to June 25, 2022.

I generally love the Kaguya-sama: Love is War series in manga and anime form. With Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic, this is probably the best season of this show yet as it covers the biggest part of the manga and A1-Pictures pretty much did this justice. If you're into romance comedy and enjoy the Kaguya-sama: Love is War series, check out Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic, You won't be disappointed.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #6:

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen or Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge as it was created by ufotable and it aired from December 5, 2021, to February 13, 2022.

Despite everyone's complaints about Demon Slayer, I personally think Demon Slayer is pretty good and I applaud ufotable for making the animation of Demon Slayer look so good. With Demon Slayer: Kimetso no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc which is one of the best arcs in the manga, ufotable did this series justice and the fight scenes that were animated are freaking awesome. If you're a fan of Demon Slayer, check out Demon Slayer: Kimetso no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc as you'll be in for a fun time.

Now, we're doing the top five. Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #5:

Chainsaw Man is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto as it was created by MAPPA and aired from October 15, 2022, to December 28, 2022.

The manga for this series has been growing in popularity as of late and with this anime adaptation of it, it's only going to grow from here as the anime delivers. The animation rules with its intense action, the voice actors for the characters really made the characters pop out, and the music is awesome to listen to. Chainsaw Man is going to be big and I hope to see it continue from here as this is the start for it.

Here's my favorite anime of 2022 at #4:

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 6: Stone Ocean or JoJo Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean in the West is an anime based on the sixth story arc of the Japanese manga series, JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken, or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in the West, written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The anime was created by David Production and it aired the second and third parts of the anime on Netflix on September 1, 2022, and December 1, 2022.

JoJo Bizarre Adventure generally always delivers in both manga and anime form whereas JoJo Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean delivered on that front with the second and the third part of anime. Even though there are parts in the anime where they changed things from the manga, I still have an awesome time because JoJo Bizarre Adventure continues to mix funny comedy with awesome intense action making it serious at times as well. If you love JoJo Bizarre Adventure, you'll love JoJo Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean.

Here's my favorite anime in 2022 at #3:

Ousama Ranking or Ranking of Kings in the West is an anime based on the Japanese fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Sōsuke Tōka as it was created by Wit Studio and aired from October 15, 2021, to March 25, 2022.

The manga for this series was solid, but something about the anime adaptation of this manga really hit home for me that the manga didn't. I believe the voice acting of the characters really makes these characters feel more alive as well as the music being great really hits the tone of what this series is about and that makes me really love it more than I expected. This was a huge surprise to me and one of my highlights of anime this year so if you're into fantasy adventure anime, check out Ranking of Kings, you won't be disappointed.

Here's my favorite anime in 2022 at #2:

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 2 or Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 in the West is an anime based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama and it was created by MAPPA as the second part of the final season aired on January 10, 2022, to April 4, 2022.

Oh yes, I love my Attack on Titan to me, it's one of the best manga series ever in my opinion and the same goes for the anime adaptation of the series. The second part of the final season freaking ruled and I'm looking forward to seeing how the final part will turn out and if it will stay true to the manga, or go in a different direction. Only time will tell, but Attack on Titan is awesome and this second part of the final season delivered.

Finally, here's my favorite anime in 2022 at #1:

Spy x Family is an anime based on Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo as it was created by Wit Studios and CloverWorks. The anime aired the first part of the first season on April 9, 2022, to June 25, 2022, and the second part of the first season aired on October 1, 2022, to December 24, 2022.

With the recent popularity of this series with the manga, the anime adaptation for the series finally came out in 2022 and both parts that were aired were excellent. Wit Studios and CloverWorks really delivered the execution of the series with the animation, the voice acting of the characters, and the music. If you're into action comedy, check out Spy x Family, you won't be disappointed.

Those are my favorite anime in 2022.

What is your favorite anime in 2022?

Let me know in the comments below and thank you for reading.