Forum - View topicThe Best and Worst Anime of Fall 2022
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v1cious
 Posts: 6229 Location: Houston, TX |
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So much love for Akiba Maid War. It's truly the dark horse of 2022.
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TheSleepyMonkey
Posts: 955 |
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Seriously? Out of all the dumpster fires this season had, you want to with HeroAca as the worst one? I call complete bullshit on that one.
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Glordit
 Posts: 655 |
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Imagine having an opinion. --- Housing Complex C getting lambasted, as it should be. I do also agree with Uzaki-chan 2 being "bad". I miss the whimsical Senpai and Kouhai dynamic of them pulling and pushing each other around having fun and doing silly things. Season 2 was them trying to play a game of wits but only constantly failing and having other characters take over. I am aware that this is a close adaptation of the manga, I just wonder why it switched gears and slowed down to a crawl. Last edited by Glordit on Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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q_3
Posts: 167 |
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Akiba Maid War is the anime of all time. I'm also glad to see some recognition for Raven of the Inner Palace, DIY, and even The Little Lies We All Tell, hidden gems in a season overflowing with treasure.
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1319 |
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Chainsaw Man, Bocchi the Rock, Mob S3, Akiba Maid War(even though I fell off in the middle) are all my best of the season, for reasons myself and many others have all given all over the place. If you've watched these, we probably agree on why they're good.
I watched MHA this season after a couple seasons of not watching mainly because I knew from the manga that this was a season where shit happens. It was fine; the good episodes were good, but overall you could easily tell where they allotted their animation budget week to week. I picked up Bleach both out of a curiosity of how they would animate this final, oft-ridiculed arc of the manga, and out of nostalgia for the parts of said arc that, to me, are some of Bleach's best. I will say that if there was any series that could use the "Different ED and visuals each episode" ala CSM, it would be Bleach. But not doing so is also very much Bleach's wheelhouse. DIY and Gundam: The Witch From Mercury are both series that I believe are good, but that I just couldn't make time for this season and have to go watch later. I don't have a worst, because I usually don't watch the bad stuff, but this over-packed season of gems really made it easier to strain out the rubbish. It's actually been pretty overstimulating, so I hope seasons like this don't become a regular thing. 
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18456 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Out of 10 entries, that's four votes for Chainsaw Man (all 1sts) and six for Akiba Maid War (1 1st). The only other title that got multiple mentions on the positive side was Bocchi the Rock! with two (1 1st), while Housing Complex C got the most negative mentions (3 of 9).
Given how deep the season is, that the distribution of best titles wasn't more spread out is a little surprising. I'm also, surprised that Spy x Family didn't come up at all; while I felt the first half was stronger, there wasn't that much of a drop-off this half. Guess that's a testament to how deep this season was. Chainsaw Man is certainly the technical darling of the year, and I did find the cinematic-style visual approach to be quite interesting. However, I have struggled to get that deeply invested in it or excited by it, even though I can completely understand why other adore it. I can much more empathize on Akiba Maid War; it's easily the most intriguing gimmick since 2020's Deca-Dence (i.e., making a classic yakuza series in terms of maid cafes) and deserves kudos for how thoroughly it carries out its absurd premise. It might be my runner-up pick for the season, though Spy x Family and The Eminence in Shadow (as with AMW, mostly for execution of concept) are also up there. But for my #1 pick I'm going to side with Rebecca and cast a vote for Raven of the Inner Palace. I can understand why this one may not have been a popular pick, as its full merits only gradually show, but in the long run it does a wonderful job of piecing together all its little tidbits into a rich, complex story about how both recent history and centuries of tradition and narrative manipulation have crafted the circumstances of Shouxue, the current Raven Consort, and how things gradually start to change as a result of her interacting with a new Emperor. As Rebecca points out, its opener is part of the overall picture as well:
While I agree with this statement in principle, you don't have to wait until episode 12 to fully get that impact. I watched the OP every episode (it's one of the year's best), and I think the deeper meaning of the OP's lyrics started resonating with me around episode 9. I do agree that it fits most perfectly after episode 12, however. Last edited by Key on Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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killjoy_the
 Posts: 2480 |
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I've yet to finish Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer as I'm away from home since Friday, and that could very well end up being my anime of the year on top of the best of the season, but my musings on that are very "I like the manga and my standards for anime with storytelling content I actually like are very low". Outside of that, Mob Psycho and Pop Team Epic were both great this season, but I have to note how this ended up being my lowest rated MB100 season while PTE I rated higher than the first season
As for worst, I didn't drop anything this season but To Your Eternity straddled the line for a bit. It has since gotten better but it's still very inconsistent just like the first season, and honestly I have no idea where it can go to make me like it's overall narrative rather than just some of the moment to moment character writing |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4803 |
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Ouch...now I feel like the only person on the planet who unironically enjoyed Housing Complex C's weird little 4-episode run.
Apparently the mood that clicked for me didn't do so for any of the reviewers, and while it was awkwardly-constructed, the finale was good schlocky fun. I honestly wouldn't mind giving it a rewatch.
I'm only as far into MHA season 6 as Toonami has made it, but so far it's been a blast. I'm happy we're foregoing the school antics entirely in favor of Shit Going Down. (Also, Mirko. <3) On the flipside, as much as Caitlin raved about it in her reviews, a few episodes into the final episode drop and Stone Ocean probably gets my "most disappointing" award. I think at this point it's decidedly my least favorite of the six parts. After the incredibly-strong Jobros of part 5, most of Joylne's crew here are nothingburgers, and Jolyne herself doesn't get much in the way of agency until more than halfway through the series. Worst of all, I think, is that Araki has made most of the Stand fights so absurdly convoluted and random that they've become more self-parody than something I genuinely enjoy watching. (I just finished the Bohemian Rhapsody fight, and hoo boy, what the hell was that even.) I hate not being head-over-heels for a Jojo run, but I waited a long time for Stone Ocean to grab me, and I don't know that it ever really did. Other than that, I've seen nothing else from what was apparently a great season. Maybe in a few (read: several) years I'll get around to checking out a few of the highlights. |
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Villain-chan
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I know everyone's tastes are different and its perfectly ok to like whatever ya like but, and I mean no offense to anyone when i say this but, I feel like this list is fake. Below is my take on the anime mentioned in this list and are ofc, my opinions on them, but I feel some likely would feel the same as me which is why am surprised not a one did on the list...
1. MHA worst in the season? Ok, that's concerning already (I'm a Dub watcher but enjoying the season so far fyi) but am not reading the why cus spoilers am sure 2. The Best and runner ups on the list are the following: Akiba Maid War, Chainsaw Man and The Eminence in Shadow... look I GET they're popular but come on, they're BAD and its surprising that everyone on here listed them as best yet not a one listed them as worst or runner up for worst. The one thing they ALL have in common thats good is they're unique but being unique doesn't mean good. Are fans so starved they cannot see how bad these are? Maid is random non sense and imo does Maids dirty while also having lots of questionable content and comedy (Hence the dark comedy tag) but not everyone is going to like that further why its surprising no one mentioned it as worst. Chainsaw Man is.. ok, but its wasted potential and boring and that imo, means why bother watching? The 1st ep was solid, if they focused mroe on the action and less on exposition and selling of desires and female body parts/language being used in very obvs ways that its just their to entice fan service but offer next to NO comedy for it (The bit that is there is dry and bland) then that doesn't make it a GOOD story. I've seen PLENTY of anime with action, ecchi, hell even fan service that does it better than CSM does here while having an actual story... The Eminence in Shadow... oh boy where to start? No, u know what, lets just say this, ep 1 was a great ep, it had potential, like REALLY GREAT potential to become one of the best anime out there and... they royally botched it... what started out in ep 1 as great potential and could become one of the best anime out there, turned into a pile of exposition where the anime tries to sell u on flair and look cool and other stuff when its not and where the MC contradicts what he wants to be (A hero doesn't kill, much less without a care in the world), the lore and story had promise but the way the show handles it squanders its potential and only makes the MC come off as a total idiot and unbelievable. Yes the premise mentioned this to an extent but think Okabe from Steins;Gate here, THAT'S what i envisioned with this anime's premise for how he'd act and ofc, i didn't expect him to not catch on much less be uncaring, at least Okabe has a damn heart. If that wasn't enough, what the MC says just MAGICALLY COMES TRUE every time with his acting? Ok, fine, again, we knew this from the premise to an extent, we knew there's be an organization he'd make up with the same name and goal of what he said, fair enough, but a FAKE Shadow garden now too that he ALSO later makes up on the spot for some stupid crap reason of just to play actor? Thats where I dropped the show becus nothing the anime tried to say or sell me on was done right, I've seen it handled better, hell, its not about becus I've seen it better am losing interest becus I see a lot of the same stuff done in anime and STILL enjoy it and its believable and its just done better, thats why it amazes me not a one called this what it is, worst anime of the season and a wasted potential beyond belief. Oh yeah, almost forgot, BONUS POINTS for the reason why MC died in the first palce and was reincarnated into this magic world, he killed himself becus he believed he'd be reborn (No guarantee of that fyi and nothing mentioned of that being the case as for sure in ep 1) and just as stupid was his line of "What if a nuclear bomb dropped on me? I want to be a hero but I can't beat that, then I just realized I just have to go nuclear myself. *somehow controls a certain radisas around him and emits nuclear energy without blowing himself up or the girl right next to him, somehow didn't kill her with radiation from the nuclear blast and lastly, left a giant HOLE in the giant city thus likely killing countless innocent people in the process* Hero my foot, what a JOKE of a char and a shoddy story at best that I describe as garbage. THIS was THE WORST one this season hands down. At least Maid had some lv of enjoyment and at elast CSM had interesting simple dreams which u can't help but want to see Dengi have a better life, but Shadow here? After that 1st ep it just went downhill and got worse as it went. It goes without saying but i dropped all 3 of these anime around their 8 ep mark. 3. I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss listed as worst? Ok THIS ONE I get why becus those who listed it as such here saw the manga/LN based on what it sounded like but for me, as someone who only saw the anime, I enjoyed greatly the anime minus the last ep's rushedness which still just barely worked, albeit shoulda had 1 extra ep just to flesh it out some, it still worked and while they may've crammed 3 books worth into 1 season, I still never felt until that last arc that it was rushed, heck, i LIKE the anime and Aileena and Claude and the cast of chars and I understood their emotions and actions just fine. So while I get listing it as worst becus ya'll read the books, a mention from someone who only saw the anime WOULD have been nice just so the anime had better rep becus imo, ya'll did it dirty by saying worst when its not. Thats just how I as an anime only watcher feel though and for me it was one of the best this season, FAR from the worst thank u very much says Aileen. For years I've read these lists and until today, I've never felt they were fake, not saying they are inf act fake, just that it FEELS fake to me. Again, everyone has their opinions and can like whatever they like but past lists always had divergence in the lists and often enough had entries where the same anime would be listed as best for one but worst for another or at the least runner up. On top of that, they'd often have a mix of opinions that both reflected how I felt and also did not reflect how i felt for shows I disliked and loved in the season. here though, that's not the case which is why to me, on top of what i went over, feels fake to me. I look forward to the next list though please, do take what I've said here as feedback as thats my concern, no point in me reading these if its going to be more of this list going forward. Variety is the spice of life they say and the old lists nailed that saying beautifully. |
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dmanatunga
Posts: 71 |
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Glad to see someone else enjoyed The Little Lies We All Tell. It has been my sleeper sleeper hit of the year (Raven actually got some coverage). The Daily Life of the Immortal King was another I dug, though not as good as the earlier seasons. |
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Glordit
Posts: 655 |
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A fellow little lies enjoyer! One of us! One of us! I am probably in the minority but I enjoyed the craziness that was Human Bug University and also believe it to be a hidden gem, albeit a very strange one. |
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residentgrigo
 Posts: 2596 Location: Germany |
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Steve Jones got it right. No time to advertise trash but boy do I hate the Memorial Edition of the Berserk films. Hardly the worst show of the year of course and it is 1% better than the films. Urgh.
Best: Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 A catastrophic dip in writing quality is coming up real soon but none of that will be the fault of MAPPA. We don´t need another Lost (S6 was good) or GoT (S7&8 were trash) meltdown dear internet. Sometimes things just don´t work out but the highs were high and lasted for a long while. I also just saw that the show switched over to NHK starting with S3 under Wit. Who knows that AoT was an educational program? Lol. 9/10 Runner Up: Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 S2. The "fans" were wrong. Again. This is a quality show with (mostly) great animation. Just look at this team´s Blade Runner anime to see how this could have gone wrong. I am even willing to put this above S1 of SAC itself as its story frankly collapses in the last 1/3 and of course over the needlessly convoluted SSS film. My one wish would have been for 2 more eps of standalone stories. There were like 1.5 eps that didn´t push the plot and even the banking crisis comedy caper comedy wasn´t fully disconnected. This is a great ending for this canon so we finally have a version of GitS that reaches a clear ending point. I wouldn´t mind digging up Arise next. It too was good. Or how about an actually good Appleseed anime? Win the victory over yourself and actually the show instead of random YT reviews. A full understanding of what 1984 is about is needed to "get" S2 so queue up an audiobook. It's not about fascism or surveillance. 8.5/10 Runner Up: Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Intrigue The "least good" season so far and in no way comparable to the classic OVAs or even the new manga but still a very solid effort. 8/10 Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2205 Part 2: Stasha was the best anime film of 2022 I saw so far but The First Slam Dunk is likely the best. I´ll find out next year. This is the most Boomer list ever. Even AoT goes back to 2009/13. Being 34 never felt so old... Chainsaw Man is all right. How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? |
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Villain-chan
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NeverConvex
 Subscriber Posts: 2534 |
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I'm only 2/3 of the way into Stone Ocean, and I don't have any particular attachment for/against female protagonists, transgressive or otherwise, but I have to say it is also the first Jojo season in a while that I've thought was actively pretty good. Jolyne's battles feel like they have more meaningful stakes, and the characters generally better written and developed than in prior seasons. The combat has seemed about the same to me; lots of silly leaps of logic framed as in-character brilliance -- a conceit I live with since it'd be unwatchable otherwise, but not something I'm super worried about getting better/worse, so long as the fights mostly remain coherent. Anyway, I think it is at least my favorite season of Jojo since the first two, though there's still time in the last third of episodes for it to go off the rails, since I haven't finished, I suppose. |
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Gem-Bug
Posts: 1319 |
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You could've just stopped here and saved the essay. Everyone's going to have different lists.
You know this is the Best Of Fall 2022 and not Best of the Year, yeah? |
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