Upcoming anime: The most anticipated releases in Fall 2022 and beyond
The upcoming anime season has something for everyone. From the most anticipated debuts to long-awaited sequels, the next few months contain some of the most jam-packed with high-quality goodness we’ve had in a while.
For those new to the anime world, there’s never been a better time to dive in. Whether you’re a lover of all things action and adventure, a diehard sports fanatic, or in need of a mellow way to unwind after a long day’s work, these Japanimations have you covered. Expect to laugh, cry, and teeter on the edge of your seat – all within the same show. Before long, you’ll find yourself exclaiming “OSU!” and “NANI?!” with the rest of us. Here we break down the titles we’re most looking forward to this Fall, with trailers, scheduled release dates, and an overview of what you can expect to see from each storyline. It’s shaping up to be one hell of a season. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. These are the upcoming anime series to be on the lookout for.
My Hero Academia: Season 6
My Hero Academia: Season 6 release date: October 1, 2022
Arguably one of the most successful shonen of the past decade, My Hero Academia is a fantastic gateway anime for action fans. For the uninitiated, the world of My Hero Academia is one of literal heroes and villains. While quirks abound, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya is yet to realize his own. He’s given the chance of a lifetime, however, when All Might – the world’s most formidable hero – offers him a path to the prestigious hero academy, UA High. What follows is some superb character development and masterful fight sequences.
As teased in the last moments of season 5’s finale, My Hero Academia season 6 will adapt the Paranormal Liberation War arc – a much-hyped arc from the manga. If director Kenji Nagasaki can do the story justice, buckle up for a ride. You may also wish to pack some tissues.
Spy x Family: Cour 2
Spy x Family: Cour 2 release date: October 1, 2022
Spy x Family almost instantly became one of the biggest hits of Spring 2022. In fact, at this year’s Anime Expo, the characters Loid, Yor, and Anya were among the most popular cosplays of choice. A delightful combination of laugh-out-loud comedy, heartfelt drama, and thrilling action, the series follows "Twilight", an undercover spy on a mission to prevent war from breaking out between the nations of Westalis and Ostania. The twist? He needs to “adopt” a family to maintain his cover. Enter Yor (his assassin wife) and Anya (his psychic daughter). It may sound a little far-fetched, but just give this one a go and you won't be able to stop watching.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury release date: October 2, 2022
Given the expansive scope of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, it’s wild to think we’re only now seeing our first female lead. Nonetheless, it’s cause for celebration, and the protagonist in question (Suletta Mercury) looks poised to deliver on the pure mecha action we’ve come to know and love.
This latest addition – the first since 2015’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans – is directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi (Spriggan) and will take place in a universe separate from previous installments. While we can expect more of Gundam’s unique blend of sci-fi and political drama, we’re likely to see some new elements thrown into the mix here too.
Golden Kamuy: Season 4
Golden Kamuy: Season 4 release date: October 3, 2022
Thanks to its nuanced depiction of early 20th century Japan, Golden Kamuy has found itself a loyal fanbase. The story follows an unlikely pair – Russo-Japanese war vet Saichi Sugimoto and Ainu girl Asirpa – as they set out to uncover a fortune of hidden gold. While their intentions clearly differ, their shared goal finds them working together, pitted against hordes of merciless rival treasure-seekers. A live-action adaptation of the series was greenlit back in April 2022, so we shouldn’t have to wait too long to get another hit of this historically-inspired adventure.
Mob Psycho 100: Season 3
Mob Psycho 100: Season 3 release date: October 5, 2022
Though often described as "niche", Mob Psycho 100 is an immensely accessible anime with broad appeal. It shares its studio (Bones) with My Hero Academia, yet the two shows diverge in both narrative and aesthetic. Where My Hero Academia is unapologetically action-heavy, Mob Psycho 100 dances with a slice-of-life flavor. Where the former fulfills (and often surpasses) shonen standard animation, the latter delivers wacky visual spectacles.
The series charts the life of powerful esper Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama. Despite his formidable psychic abilities, Mob — like any teenager — struggles to navigate high school, first crushes, and uncertainty surrounding his place and future. Admittedly made all the more complicated by his aforementioned superpowers.
Blue Lock
Blue Lock release date: October 8, 2022
Set in the wake of their disappointing 2018 FIFA World Cup finish, Blue Lock centers on the Japanese Football Union as it hires hardcore coach Ego Jinpachi to find the nation’s best striker. His solution? The Blue Lock project: a training program that will hold 300 of the country’s most promising players captive as they battle it out for the coveted position. If The Hunger Games had an animated, soccer-centric spin-off, Blue Lock would be it. Director Tetsuaki Watanabe has previously helmed episodes of Haikyuu!!, so anyone who knows anything about sports anime knows just how promising this could be.
Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break (season 5)
Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break release date: October 9, 2022
Also flying the sports anime flag this Fall – albeit with somewhat less intensity – is the fifth season of Yowamushi Pedal. Much like its unassuming protagonist Sakamichi Onoda, this endearing series has quietly pedaled along, pulling a loyal following into its slipstream. Onoda is your textbook high school otaku. However, after discovering his school’s anime club has disbanded, he finds himself pushed to the center of the competitive road racing world.
Limit Break will neatly continue where season 4 left off. As always, we can expect more top-tier character development for Onoda and those he has a knack for stumbling into and, consequently, inspiring.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War release date: October 11, 2022
There’s no other way to put it – Bleach’s return is a big deal. A full decade after the series’ last release, fans are finally getting an adaptation of the manga's last arc.
Considered one of the greatest shonen anime of all time, Bleach is a supernatural drama packed with plot twists that will throw you at every turn. For those of us who stuck through all 366 episodes from 2004 to 2012, Thousand Year Blood War will provide a much-appreciated resolution to a story that otherwise left us hanging (unless we jumped to the manga in a desperate need for closure). The trailer alone suggests it will be worth setting aside our hard feelings and tuning back in. After all, for Ichigo Kurosaki and co, the fate of all existence hangs in the balance.
Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man release date: October 11, 2022
Chainsaw Man is one of this year’s most anticipated debuts. Readers of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga have long hyped the action/horror saga, which won Best Shonen at the Shogakukan Manga Awards and Best Manga at the Harvey Awards last year.
The story centers on Denji, an impoverished teen working as a Devil Hunter to repay his father’s debt to the yakuza. After a betrayal by his employers and on the verge of death, Denji makes a pact with Chainsaw Devil Pochita, fusing together to become Chainsaw Man. With a team that includes director Ryu Nakayama (The Rising of the Shield Hero), action director Tatsuya Yoshihara (Black Clover), and composer Kensuke Ushio (Devilman Crybaby), there’s no doubt we're in for a real treat.
Urusei Yatsura
Urusei Yatsura release date: October 14, 2022
This is the second anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi’s sci-fi/rom-com manga Urusei Yatsura. The first – which ran from 1981 to 1986 – is still considered an '80s icon, so suffice to say, expectations are high.
Urusei Yatsura follows Japanese teenager, Ataru Moroboshi, who finds himself accidentally betrothed to an alien wife, Princess Lum. The problem? He already has a human girlfriend. Ataru is a fallible character prone to misfortune, which gives rise to much of the story’s action and fun. It will be interesting to see whether this reimagining will experience success similar to its predecessor. The production is helmed by David Production, who previously gifted us the vivid worlds of Fire Force, Cells at Work, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
To Your Eternity season 2
To Your Eternity season 2 release date: October 23, 2022
A surprise hit in Spring 2021, To Your Eternity snagged the gong for Best Drama at Crunchyroll’s 2022 Anime Awards. Haunting and thought-provoking, To Your Eternity may offer some a welcome respite from the otherwise relentless upcoming shonen onslaught. Praised for its compelling vocal performances and philosophical narrative, season 1 introduced Fushi, an immortal being sent to Earth, who possesses the ability to take on the forms of others. As he settles into life on this planet, Fushi forges deep bonds with those he encounters, slowly understanding what it means to be human.
Season 2 marks a shift in studio (Brain’s Base to Studio Drive), but with many of the show’s principal staff returning, we should be in good hands. In any case, come armed with a box of tissues. We’ll likely need just as many (if not more) as we did for the first 20 episodes.
Suzume no Tojimari (movie)
Suzume no Tojimari release date: November 11, 2022
We're cheating a bit here as Suzume no Tojimari is a moive, not a series, but it deserves an honorable mention nonetheless. Unless you’ve been living an anime-free life under a rock for the past six years, you’ll be familiar with writer Makoto Shinkai’s previous smash hits, 2016’s Your Name and 2019’s Weathering with You.
Suzume no Tojimari tells the story of Suzume, a seventeen-year-old girl unexpectedly thrust into adventure with a mysterious young man closing doors around Japan. These aren’t any old doors, however, they’re otherworldly portals of untold destruction and devastation. Given Shinkai’s track record of poignant, emotional narratives, we can assume his 2022 release will follow suit.
Vinland Saga season 2
Vinland Saga season 2 release date: January 2023
In just 24 episodes, Vinland Saga's first season served up some of the most compelling character and story development ever seen in anime. Four years and a shift in studio (from Wit to MAPPA) later, we’re finally getting our second taste of the action/adventure narrative.
Like Golden Kamuy, Vinland Saga is another fantastic recommendation for history buffs – it’s the age of the Vikings blended with fictionalized drama. The first season followed Thorfinn, a young boy hell-bent on avenging his father’s murder. His plan? To become a trusted subordinate of the very man who took his father’s life.
Dr. Stone season 3
Dr. Stone season 3 release date: April 2023
It's a good time to be a Dr. Stone fan. After the TV special Dr. Stone: Ryusui aired in July 2022, we're getting season 3 in Spring 2023. The popular sci-fi adventure takes place in a world where humans have turned to stone. Our teenage protagonist, Senku Ishigami, is one of the first revived, and after discovering how to reanimate others, sets about rebuilding science-centric civilization. Season 3 will pick up where the Stone Wars arc left off, but you will need to have watched the TV special to understand the character Ryusui's significance in the series.
Attack on Titan season 4, Part 3
Attack on Titan: Season 4, Part 3 release date: TBA 2023
The final installment of this epic series is going to be huge. Guinness World Record huge, literally – it currently holds the title of "Most in-demand anime TV show".
For those who’ve yet to set foot in this dark, post-apocalyptic world, Attack on Titan portrays a reality in which humans live behind fortified walls protecting them from Titans – giant humanoid beings. After a devastating breach of their city, Eren Jaeger joins the Survey Corps, vowing to help bring about the Titans’ downfall. Though the show has been criticized for its abundant gore and violence, its poignant social commentary is the reward for those who can stomach it. And inevitably, season 4’s ending will serve up plentiful servings of both.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 2
Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 release date: TBA 2023
Awarded "Anime of the Year" at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2021, Jujutsu Kaisen was also the second most discussed TV show that year on Twitter (the Brazilian version of Big Brother took first place, for those wondering). The overwhelming reception, paired with the success of the subsequent film (Jujutsu Kaisen 0) means season 2 is one of the most anticipated upcoming anime series going.
In the first 24 episodes, we met Yuji Itadori, a high school student who decided to join his school’s Occult Club for fun. However, Yuji’s life takes an unexpected turn when he swallows a cursed talisman and becomes cursed himself. The manga’s author, Gege Akutami, has stated he has a loose plan for the story’s ending, but that much still remains unknown. Whatever the cast, there will be twists and turns aplenty from this trend-setting animation for some time.
Are you new to the medium? Then check out our beginner's guide to anime so you know where to begin.
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