34 Anime Series And Films To Keep On Your Radar This Year
Whether you're an anime newbie or a seasoned viewer looking for something to watch, 2022 has you covered. This year will be amazing for a lot of popular ongoing series, but there are a ton of new adaptations you should also keep on your radar.
1.Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (March 18)
JJK 0 already hit theaters in Japan, but the official American release date is slated for March 18. Given the insane popularity of Jujutsu Kaisen's first season, the film will definitely be pulling big numbers at the box office.
2.Ao Ashi (April 9)
Soccer fans (or fans of sports series in general) should keep an eye out for Ao Ashi. Ashito Aoi is a young aspiring soccer player who causes an incident during a major match. His team loses and is eliminated from the tournament, but he manages to catch the eye of someone important who happened to be watching.
3.Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (April 22)
Dragon Ball Super can be a polarizing topic for some fans of the enormous Dragon Ball franchise. Either way, people are likely to pour into theaters for this one when it hits theaters in April.
4.Kingdom Season 4 (April 10)
Set in China’s Warring States period, the historical fiction manga Kingdom is widely considered a masterpiece. The anime adaptation's newest season is expected to begin airing on April 10.
5.Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! (April)
Yu-Gi-Oh! fans have had plenty to keep them busy since the launch of the Master Duel video game. But for those wanting to see the popular card game in TV show format, the eighth series in the franchise, Go Rush!!, will begin airing in April.
6.Spy x Family (April)
The beloved action-comedy manga about a spy (Loid) who forms a fake family with his assassin "wife" (Yor) and telepathic "daughter" (Anya) is getting the anime treatment. Anyone who's read the manga knows it's bound to be a fun watch.
7.Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3 (April)
Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya return to Shuchiin Academy for a third season of this popular romantic comedy series. The second season ended in 2020, so fans are more than ready for a set of new episodes.
8.Komi Can't Communicate Season 2 (April)
The wholesome series about a high-schooler who suffers from a severe communication disorder is back for a second season. You can watch Komi continue her quest to make more friends when the show returns sometime in April.
9.The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 (April)
Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a parallel universe where he discovers he's one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons — his being the titular Shield — to save the world from destruction. However, the Shield Hero is the weakest of the bunch. His adventure continues in season two of the series, arriving this spring.
10.The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Season 2 (July)
The title wears its premise on its sleeve, with the Devil himself winding up in modern-day Tokyo and working as a part-time fast food employee. Satan Jacob (or Sadao Maou) will return to our TV screens for the show's second season in July.
11.Tokyo Mew Mew New (July)
Tokyo Mew Mew is (surprisingly) getting the reboot treatment 20 years after the first adaptation of its manga aired. It's a quirky series about girls infused with the DNA of endangered animals, giving them special powers and allowing them to transform into the titular "Mew Mews."
12.One Piece Film: Red (August)
Film Red will be the 15th One Piece movie, this time placing Shanks at the forefront of the narrative. Of course, everyone's favorite Straw Hat pirates will be involved in some form, but the fans' dedication to the series alone will drag them out to theaters.
13.Dr. Stone: Ryusui (Summer)
While Season 3 of the pseudo-educational survival-based series will air in 2023, this summer's Dr. Stone: Ryusui takes place right after the events of Season 2. It's a one-episode special, but it should tide fans over until the anime returns for its next full season.
14.Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (Summer)
While it's not a manga people discuss very often these days, Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer got a lot of attention in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Amamiya Yuuhi, an average college student, meets a talking lizard and learns that the world is in danger. The series involves bizarre supernatural elements and promises to be an exciting adventure everyone should keep on their radar.
While there's no official trailer yet, a key visual was revealed in January alongside an estimated summer release.
15.Laid-Back Camp: Movie (Summer)
Super adorable, super wholesome Laid-Back Camp (also known as Yuru Camp) will be receiving a full-blown movie sometime this summer.
16.Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (October)
Witch from Mercury will be the first new TV series for the iconic Gundam brand since 2015's Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. The plot specifics and visuals are being kept under wraps for now, but this is something that fans of the franchise should keep an eye on.
17.Uzumaki (October)
A four-episode anime adaptation of the iconic Junji Ito manga Uzumaki will arrive just in time for Halloween. The title refers to a spiral pattern that haunts a small town on the coast of Japan.
18.Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (October)
The Bleach manga ended in 2016, but the series' final arc is just now being animated. An October 2022 release was confirmed forThousand-Year Blood War alongside a short promotional video highlighting some of the arc's most prominent characters.
19.My Hero Academia Season 6 (Fall)
The wildly successful My Hero Academia requires no introduction. The superhero series returns for its sixth season this fall to cover the Paranormal Liberation War arc from the manga.
20.Slam Dunk Movie (Fall)
Last year, Takehiko Inoue (creator of Vagabond and REAL) announced that his Slam Dunk series would be coming to the big screen in 2022. While there's no official date for the basketball film, we can expect it to drop sometime during the fall season.
21.To Your Eternity Season 2 (Fall)
Season one of To Your Eternity had us all in our feels throughout 2021. The story of Fushi discovering the true essence of life and humanity returns this fall as the Nokkers continue to threaten his existence. Key visuals were revealed on social media, but there's no official trailer for the season as of yet.
22.Chainsaw Man (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
The hype for Chainsaw Man will be inescapable once an exact release date for the anime is unveiled. The series quickly earned a devoted fandom, and all eyes are now on Studio Mappa for its animation treatment. The bizarre story revolves around Denji, a man who can literally become a chainsaw after merging with his chainsaw dog (...seriously, I can't make this up). While 2022 will be a massive year for anime, CSM could potentially be the biggest hit of them all.
23.Made in Abyss Season 2 (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
The second season of Made in Abyss will occur directly after the events of the film Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul. It will cover the adventure of Reg, Riko and Nanachi in the Sixth Layer, The Capital of the Unreturned. Last year, a trailer confirmed that Season 2 would air in 2022, but we're still waiting for word on an exact date.
24.Pop Team Epic Season 2 (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
The Pop Team Epic series is known for its absurdist humor, frequently mocking pop culture tropes, among other things. Part two was promised a 2022 release, but there's no word on a date yet.
25.Blue Lock (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
Popular soccer manga Blue Lock has an anime adaptation on the way, though an air date hasn't been announced yet. Since the series' Japanese Twitter account has been posting promotional videos and images, it's safe to say the premiere could be just around the corner.
26.Spriggan (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
This story centers on Yuu Ominae, a high school student who is also one of the titular Spriggans. They are agents charged by the ARCAM Corporation to keep ancient relics from an advanced older civilization from falling into the wrong hands.
27.Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
Set in the universe of the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, Edgerunners tells the story of a street kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city. To get by, he chooses to become an edgerunner—a mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk. Maybe this anime will make everyone forget about the video game's disastrous launch...right?
28.Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Season 4 (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
Bell Cranel returns for a fourth season of Dungeon. The young adventurer has been earning the affection of several girls while consistently facing new challenges, and his journey will continue sometime this year with a confirmed 2022 release.
29.Overlord Season 4 (Confirmed for 2022, Date TBA)
Based on the Japanese light novel series of the same name, Overlord is about an online role-playing game that's permanently shut down with one last player still logged in. We'll be seeing its fourth season sometime this year, though the timeframe for its release hasn't been narrowed down yet.
30.Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 (Speculated 2022 Release)
Last year, Studio Bones (finally!) confirmed that Shigeo and Reigen would be returning to our TV screens for a third season of the beloved Mob Psycho 100 series. The announcement was accompanied by a key visual and a trailer, but it didn't include a release date. However, it's not a stretch to expect Season 3 sometime this year.
31.Golden Kamuy Season 4 (Speculated 2022 Release)
Like Mob Psycho, Golden Kamuy's next season received a key visual and a promotional video near the end of 2021. While a release date hasn't been set in stone for Season 4, it's not unreasonable to expect the new episodes sometime during the latter half of 2022.
32.Bungou Stray Dogs Season 4 (Speculated 2022 Release)
Fans have been eagerly anticipating more Bungou Stray Dogs since season three ended in 2019. Naturally, the confirmation of a fourth season made a lot of noise last year. A release date has yet to be announced, but many speculate that the BSD anime will likely make its return this year. As of now, all we've gotten is a key visual.
33.Vinland Saga Season 2 (Speculated 2022 Release)
This one might be wishful thinking since we haven't been given much besides a key visual. At the very least, it's been confirmed that Season 2 of the beloved Viking series Vinland Saga has been in production since last year. Anyone who's read the manga knows we're about to see a drastic change in main character Thorfinn's journey...we're just not 100% sure when the new episodes will air.
34.Fruits Basket: Prelude (2022, Date TBA)
Fruits Basket: Prelude should be coming to streaming services in the near future, but the movie was already released for Japanese audiences. After the high praise that Fruits Basket: The Final received, a lot of people are really looking forward to Prelude.
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