Spring anime seasons are always packed with tons of impressive titles as one of the two busiest seasons each year. 2022 was no exception to this rule as several impressive shows made their premieres or continued their existence.
With 49 shows coming out during this season, it can be hard to choose which ones are worth watching, let alone know where to watch them with so many streaming services out there. Fans need to plan well to ensure they have enough time to watch the bestSpring 2022 anime!
Updated June 27, 2022 by Mark Sammut: The Spring 2022 anime season was fantastic, producing great series across a wide range of genres. Slice of life anime hogged most of the limelight, but the last few months also had stellar action, thriller, and romance shows. With dozens upon dozens of shows airing per season, following every worthwhile anime is nearly impossible, especially since some series take a while to reveal their brilliance. Therefore, here are some of the greatest anime of the Spring 2022 season​​​​​​.
12 Aharen Is Indecipherable
Japanese Title | Aharen-san wa Hakarenai |
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Studio | Felix Film |
Genre | Comedy, Slice of Life |
Where to Stream |
What happens when two extremely strange people suddenly become best friends? The cute and quiet Reina Aharen — with her complete lack of abilities to understand personal space — and Raidou Matsuboshi — with his menacing face and immense imagination — make quite the unusual pair together.
The series follows the two as they slowly become friends despite the differences between them. The show is mainly comedic in nature, opting for a predominantly slice of life tone.
11 Ascendance Of A Bookworm Season 3
Japanese Title | Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen 3rd Season |
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Studio | Ajia-Do |
Genre | Isekai |
Where to Stream |
At only 10 episodes, Ascendance of a Bookworm's third season passed by too quickly, but the isekai anime still succeeded in putting together a worthwhile and satisfying cour. Myne finds herself focusing on two things: her work with the church and her endeavor to create books. Both plot threads present their fair share of intrigue as the protagonist finds herself targeted by rivals and bigots.
Ascendance of a Bookworm concluded on one of the stronger final episodes of Spring 2022, and it sets up an exciting prospect for future seasons.
10 The Executioner And Her Way Of Life
Japanese Title | Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road |
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Studio | J.C.Staff |
Genre | Action, Isekai |
Where to Stream |
Usually, when someone from Japan is transported to another world, they gain unusual powers, get to explore a brand-new environment, and go on wild adventures. However, in the world of The Executioner and Her Way of Life, these people have caused horrific calamities to occur.
Menou is an executioner who is responsible for killing these people before their isekai stories can even begin. When she meets Akari, a girl that she cannot kill due to her unique powers, she takes her on a journey (without her knowledge) to end her life once and for all. This unique take on the isekai genre was a breath of fresh air for the genre.
9 Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie
Japanese Title | Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san |
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Studio | Doga Kobo |
Genre | Romance, Slice of Life |
Where to Stream |
Some girls are incredibly cute and sweet, just like Shikimori! At least, that's how she looks like on the surface. This slice of life romantic comedy shows what happens when her dark side comes out and just how much her boyfriend Izumi loves it. Studio Kobo has made other fantastic shows in the past like Gabriel DropOut, The Helpful Fox Senko-san, and Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, so anime fans expected good things.
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie was over-hyped prior to the launch of the Spring 2022 anime season as it attracted comparisons to My Dress-up Darling; while both shows mix romance and slice of life elements, they have very different tones and pacing. Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is a relaxing watch that mostly just wants to highlight its main couple's adorableness, and the anime does eventually show why Shikimori is interested in Izumi.
8 Komi Can't Communicate Season 2
Japanese Title | Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu. 2nd Season |
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Studio | OLM |
Genre | Comedy |
Where to Stream | N/A |
Following up a successful first cour is always difficult, and Komi Can't Communicate arguably faced a tougher challenge than most of its peers. The comedy anime chronicles its eponymous character's growth as she strives to deal with her social anxiety, a journey that could adversely impact the show's humor since a lot of the jokes rely on Komi's reactions.
Somehow, season 2 managed to balance its lighthearted and serious side almost perfectly. These new episodes proved to be more consistently funny than season 1's batch, and they contained even more heartfelt moments. Except for two episodes that suffered from underwhelming animation, Komi Can't Communicate season 2 was great.
7 Tomodachi Game
Japanese Title | Tomodachi Game |
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Studio | Okuruto Noboru |
Genre | High Stakes Game |
Where to Stream |
Tomodachi Game has often been compared to Squid Game and it's easy to see why. Both are psychological thrillers with characters playing complex games to get out of massive amounts of debt.
While initial hype for the show was strong, it died off a short while before coming back with a fierce vengeance. The stakes just kept getting higher and more exciting, producing twists that are sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
6 Kingdom Season 4
Japanese Title | Kingdom 4th Season |
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Studios | Pierrot, Studio Signpost |
Genre | Historical, Action |
Where to Stream |
Kingdom continues to be one of the most under-watched anime of the last few years, potentially a side effect of its first season's lackluster CG animation. Set during China's Warring States period, the story follows two orphans who seek to become generals, a path defined by compromise, sacrifice, and intensity.
Kingdom season 4 is probably the strongest entry in the anime so far, one that features great writing, good animation (the season 1 woes are long gone), and an impressive sense of scale.
5 Summer Time Rendering
Japanese Title | Summertime Render |
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Studio | OLM |
Genre | Mystery |
Where to Stream |
Summer Time Rendering has become incredibly popular among anime fans for its powerful supernatural mystery. The only problem is that it's particularly hard to watch for fans in the United States.
As it is only streaming on Disney+ in Japan, fans will need a VPN to be able to watch the show legally. Still, so many people are finding it worth the added trouble, and the show is set to have 25 episodes so it is still ongoing.
4 Love After World Domination
Japanese Title | Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de |
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Studio | Project No.9 |
Genre | Romance |
Where to Stream |
What says rivals to lovers quite like a villain and a superhero dating? In Love After World Domination, Fudou is Red Gelato, the leader of a group similar to the Power Rangers. Desumi is the minion of an evil group only known as Gecko. The two end up falling madly in love, and they attempt to date each other without anyone else knowing as it would cause a severe controversy.
This romantic comedy is an absolute treat and won the hearts of viewers immediately after it premiered.
3 Ya Boy Kongming!
Japanese Title | Paripi Koumei |
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Studio | P.A. Works |
Genre | Music, Reverse Isekai |
Where to Stream |
Ya Boy Kongming! managed to fly under the radar when fans were deciding what to watch during the Spring 2022 season, which may have been due to its extremely unique isekai pretense. Kongming was one of the greatest strategic minds of his time, often compared to The Art of War author Sun Tzu. When he dies, his wish to be reborn in a peaceful world is granted.
Finding himself in modern-day Tokyo, he has to try his best to adapt to the wild parties and intense life that he finds in the future. Will his brilliant strategies be enough to get him through? The only way to find out is to watch!
2 Spy x Family
Japanese Title | Spy x Family |
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Studio | Okuruto Noboru |
Genre | High Stakes Game |
Where to Stream |
What happens when a secret spy adopts a mind-reading child and marries a lethal assassin? One of the best anime of Spring 2022 happens. Spy x Family is an action-comedy that leans more into the latter than the former, something that winds up paying dividends.
This hilarious show follows two adults trying to pretend to be family without letting each other know their true identities, something their adorable adopted child already knows. This forces the two of them to try and hide who they really are resulting in hilarious shenanigans.
1 Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic
Japanese Title | Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic |
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Studio | A-1 Pictures |
Genre | Comedy, Romance |
Where to Stream |
In an epic battle to see who will confess their love first, who will be victorious — Kaguya or Miyuki? This is the premise for the romantic comedy that took over the world of anime so much that it got its own Weiß Schwarz cards!
Ultra Romantic amplifies everything that makes Kaguya-sama: Love is War so great. Season 3 features a wider and more prominent supporting cast, with characters such as Ai Hayasaka and Maki Shijou serving to boost and diversify the comedic elements. On the romantic side of the equation, Kaguya-sama pushed forward nearly every main relationship, concluding on a final episode that pays off years of build-up.