First up, apologies for the delay on this post. Junko has not been having a great time this year, so unfortunately we ended up having to post this without their contributions to it. Which isn’t how I wanted the last major post on Moeronpan to go, because Junko has been a major part of this blog for quite a while now so it definitely feels wrong to not have them for the finale. I’m thankful for everything that they’ve done for the blog over the years and hope they get well soon.
What a year 2022 was. Just in case you’ve missed my announcement a few posts down, this will be the final Anime Awards post as the blog will be retiring. These awards have always been my favourite part of running Moeronpan, and on one hand I’m sad that this will be the last. On the other, I’m glad it’s been such a strong year to end on.
Perhaps at some point we can do one last post – a retrospective on the blog itself – but for now let’s just look back on 2022.
Before we start, here’s the usual set of disclaimers:
Disclaimer 1: Not one of us watched everything that aired this year, so bear in mind that our individual picks are more drawing from the pool of ‘what 2022 anime I watched this year’ rather than ‘what 2022 anime aired last year’. It’s entirely possible that there are a number of fantastic (and terrible) shows we never got the chance to see that deserved awards in one or more category.
Disclaimer 2: These are the opinions of the reviewers and some of these opinions may only be based on the first episode of each show.
Disclaimer 3: This feature is purely for fun and if you disagree with any of the views of any of the reviewers that’s perfectly fine, and you’re even welcome to voice your disagreement for the sake of discussion in the comments…just don’t be a moron about it.
Disclaimer 4: There’s spoilers, it’s kind of hard to avoid it – particularly for ‘best scene/episode’. This is why thes egment for Best Scene/Episode comes at the end instead of with the other Best stuff, so anyone wanting to remain unspoiled can stop reading before the end of the article. We do try to be vague, but the images may count as spoilers for some.
So without further ado, let us begin the Moeronpan Anime Awards, 2022 edition!
Best Anime Overall
Starting with our top picks for the very best of 2022 – these are the shows that reminded us how great anime can be.
Moeronpan
Mob Psycho 100 III
Mob Psycho 100 is an incredible series that doesn’t just win for me for 2022, but got itself a place in my Top 10 of All Time. This final season in particular really makes you feel every emotion under the sun, and it does it in a way so naturally that it avoids the whiplash you’d expect. Its simplistic art style is the perfect vessel for how surprisingly grounded it all feels – despite being about psychic powers and the most powerful boy in the world. There’s also just the catharsis of finishing this journey started back in 2016. I’m going to miss Mob and friends a lot – but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to send them off. I have my minor nitpicks all the same – such as some characters being introduced too late to really contribute all that much to the plot – but everything else overshadows that. Thank you for all the laughter and tears, Mob!
Runner-up:
Bocchi the Rock!
There’s not a lot more to say about Bocchi that I didn’t already say in my round-up post before. The show is not only hilarious and the current source of some of the funniest reaction images/gifs/videos around, but it scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had – answering the question of what you would get if you combined K-On! with Nichijou. It also manages to have some great animation and music, particularly during the performances. I was originally going to give this the award for Most Fun, but I think it was solid enough to exceed that. Season two when?!
Ariana
Mob Psycho 100 III
This probably wasn’t a surprise given how phenomenal this season (and the series as a whole) was. What a perfect ending to a great series. Anime like this make me remember why I’m still an anime fan. I’ve already talked about why I like this show so much in previous round-up review posts (here and here), so I don’t have much more to add other than: “wow, what a final episode huh.”
Runner-up:
Spy x Family
The year 2022 had so many great anime that it was hard to just narrow it down to two picks. But Spy x Family was one of the most memorable ones (to me) so I’m nominating it as well. I think one of the reasons this series has gotten so immensely popular is because it is—at its core—a heartwarming found-family story. Three very different, very lonely individuals somehow find each other through circumstance, and they’re much happier together. It’s just a very sweet story, with the added bonus of having spy, assassin, and telepathy plotlines thrown on top to keep things interesting. The show also has some very clever comedy (mostly courtesy of Anya’s antics and expressions). This is yet another anime (like Mob Psycho mentioned above) that blends the action, comedy, and heartwarming aspects very well.
Best Character (Female)
Every year we’re given more new anime girls than we know what to do with, but it takes a special one to take the spot of Best Girl.
Moeronpan
Suletta Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury)
Like I mentioned in my First Impression review, Suletta is a polarising character but I personally loved her from the beginning. So far, it’s been a lot of fun seeing her growth over the course of the series, but she’s also just so humble and down-to-earth that it’s very easy to root for her. She’s a very genuine character, and yet the most interesting things about her are that she definitely isn’t as straight-forward as she seems. I really like earnest and friendly characters like her, but it’s the added complexity already hinted at that really has my interest – the full scope of which I’m sure we’ll see in season 2. She’s also just extremely cute. Even in the final scene of season one!
Runner-up:
Hitori Gotoh/’Bocchi’ (Bocchi the Rock!)
Hitori AKA Bocchi is definitely an anime character for the hall of fame – her design is cute, she’s got an amazing vocal performance, and there’s probably gifs of her all over your social media. She isn’t the first ‘weird girl with mental problems’ anime character that’s gotten popular, but she might just be my favourite approach to that particular niche. After all, while it’s true that we spend a lot of time inside her head (which is a very bizarre place), it’s also rewarding to see those moments where she is able to break out of her comfort zone and create a memory.
Ariana
Ran Hanamichi (Delicious Party Pretty Cure)
Ran is a great character. She’s the daughter of restaurant owners and is very passionate about food as a result. She’s also very energetic and cheerful, and scenes with her are always entertaining to watch. While it’s never outright stated (with this being a Precure series), Ran could very easily be interpreted as being neurodivergent due to her behavior and intense interests. What I love is that she’s rarely ever treated badly for being “weird,” and that’s very refreshing to see. I also like her civilian and Precure design a lot.
Runner-up:
Liu Shouxue (Raven of the Inner Palace)
Shouxue initially seems like an aloof, blunt, and somewhat cold character—a character who you’d be interested in learning more about but not necessarily someone likeable. As you watch more episodes of the series, though; you begin to understand just WHY she’s the way she is. Fortunately, Shouxue herself gets a hefty dose of character development as well; as she learns to become more friendly to the people she’s close to. It was really nice to see her grow as a character, and to see how much she cares about giving lost souls a peaceful passing to the other side.
Best Character (Male)
Of course, that’s true for boys as well, so our Best Boys for 2022 are…
Moeronpan
Shigeo Kageyama/Mob (Mob Psycho 100 III)
To be honest, I had a hard time deciding if I should give this award to Mob or Reigen, because I think they both had some amazing growth in this series. But I’m giving it to Mob – partly because Reigen already got an award from me back in 2019 and partly because Mob’s growth is the focal point of season III. For a lot of fans Mob feels like the little buddy we’ve been cheering on since 2016, and the final payoff is heart-warming. Most of the reasons I love Mob are the same as the ones I’ve already stated for Suletta – just an incredibly grounded and relatable character despite extraordinary and unrelatable circumstances. And while it doesn’t happen often, it’s impossible for me to not smile when he does. Congratulations to the everyone’s number one son in 2022!
Runner-up:
Kongming (Ya Boy Kongming!)
Kongming on the other hand gets runner up for how much he made me laugh. That’s not to say there’s not any depth in his character – and in fact most of the humour he causes is due to his incredible intelligence and skills in adapting. A lesser show would have very easily let the comedy of Ya Boy Kongming come from the whole fish out of water setup of an ancient Chinese strategist in modern Japan alone, but this isn’t a lesser show. It was always fun seeing how he would adapt his famous stratagems to modern means and specialised for the music industry.
Ariana
Ravendia/Old Me (A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized)
Yes, I’m picking a dragon from a Chinese/Japanese joint anime for this year’s best male character. I don’t know if Ravendia is actually his name, as it’s only what other characters call him. He usually calls himself “Old Me” when talking—i.e. “Old Me thinks that…” and so on. There’s something really fascinating about this type of character. He’s lived for 5000 years so he is pretty wise and knowledgeable about the world (for the most part); and he’s fairly durable because he’s a dragon. But he’s a strict herbivore and a coward with low pain tolerance, who constantly needs to be saved. He’s also surprisingly kind, and is willing to put himself into danger (despite his cowardice) if his “apprentice” (the young girl, Lingzi/Reiko) is in trouble. “Old man” characters like these can be rare to find in anime; and it’s even more rare that they’re the main character.
Runner-up:
Rosemary/Mari-chan (Delicious Party Pretty Cure)
I like Rosemary because he’s a somewhat unusual take on the “older male mentor character” that the Precure series sometimes employs. He’s a more feminine man who cares about beauty and wears makeup. When Rosemary was first introduced in the first episode of Delicious Party Precure, I was so afraid that they’d just make him a painful “gay” or “effeminate man” stereotype. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen, and it’s really refreshing that absolutely NO ONE ever finds him weird for his appearance or his mannerisms. Beyond that, he’s also just a really pleasant character, and can even hold his own in a physical fight if needed.
Best Duo/Team
Sometimes there are characters who are better appreciated as a pair or group. Good teams are a joy to watch, and in 2022 some stood out more than others.
Moeronpan
Kotetsu and Barnaby (Tiger & Bunny)
Honestly…these two are the OGs, my archetypal ‘best duo’, and I already knew that they were going to win this spot before I’d watched a single episode of Tiger & Bunny 2. Sure I have mixed feelings about the sequel, but these two are still great to watch and their teamwork is incredibly satisfying. I just wish they’d gotten more time to demonstrate it (I have already griped about 2’s allocation of screen time enough though). But 11 years later and I’m still getting emotional about these two. They’re soulmates!
Runner-up:
Denji and Power (Chainsaw Man)
Power and Denji are definitely two characters that play off each other extremely well, with the kind of dynamic I don’t tend to see with boy/girl pairs in Jump stuff. Truly one brain cell shared between them. They may fight and bicker, but the times they’ve worked together have been great. I was on the fence about who to give my runner up to for a while cos there was a lot of other great duos this year, like Kongming/Eiko and Marin/Gojou, but the scene where Denji and Power both decide to wear glasses in order to make themselves smarter and better at coming up with a plan tipped these two over the line.
Ariana
The SpyFam a.k.a. Loid, Anya, and Yor (Spy x Family)
Although I like Loid, Anya, and Yor a lot as individual characters, they really are at their best when they’re together. These characters have amazing chemistry together, and it’s both parts funny and sweet when they’re interacting with one another.
Runner-up:
Serufu and her mom (Do It Yourself!!)
Serufu would have been an easy nomination for the best female character category up above, but I really wanted to highlight her relationship with her mom. I feel that it’s rare in anime to see parents and their teen-aged children having such a good relationship with each other. It’s even more rare that a parent is so supportive towards a kid that is “odd” or “weird.” I love that Serufu’s mom always gently entertains Serufu’s weird musings at the dinner table, and never discourages her or chides her for it. If more people had mothers like Serufu’s mom, I think the world would be a kinder place.
Most Fun/Feel-good
Moeronpan
This is a separate category to ‘best’, because sometimes shows are just plain fun to watch despite whatever shortcomings may stop them from being an objectively flawless show. Here are the shows that we loved unwinding with or getting cheered up by.
My Dress-up Darling
It was a close one, but My Dress Up Darling has this infectious love of creation to it that strikes a chord with me particularly. I’m not a cosplayer, nor can I sew, but I do like making things and I do like obsessing over characters to the extent that I want to honour them in some way – in my case fanart and custom dolls, in Marin’s case cosplay. Marin and Gojou are really fun characters, and their blossoming romance -as well as how encouraging they are of each-others hobbies that they knew nothing about previously – is sweet. It’s refreshing to see a lead character in this kind of show actually have positive qualities beyond ‘idk he’s nice’, which helps it escape the wish fulfillment flavour of ‘popular cute girl notices me, some loser’ that I was worried about. Also, everything just looks so crisp and pretty.
Runner-up:
Spy x Family
Unfortunately I didn’t get around to watching season 2 of SpyxFamily, so this award is for its first season earlier in the year. Who knows though, season 2 might have gotten it the top spot from me. Season 1 is definitely one of the most feel-good anime I’ve seen, although it definitely depends on your tolerance for Anya’s in-your-face cuteness. I personally enjoy that a lot, but I also like how she affects and plays off the characters around her. I’m weak to Found Family/ Accidental Family type stuff, and I think it’s one of the better examples of the trend in recent years.
Special Mention:
Reiwa no Di Gi Charat
Di Gi Charat will always have a place in my heart, and I’m really glad that this 24th anniversary reboot was as fun as it was. It’s not something I can easily recommend to others, because by nature Di Gi Charat is extremely stupid and that’s the entire appeal to me, but I can not tell you how much I enjoyed seeing Dejiko and the gang being idiots again. After all this time, Dejiko remains one of my favourite characters ever. She walked so that chaotic gremlins like Popuko and Pipimi could run.
Ariana
Healer Girl
This was a bit of a weird anime, but it was incredibly entertaining to tune in to each week, just because you never knew what you’d see next. Sometimes you’d get some drama, or a surprise musical episode, or more slice-of-life stuff. Sure, Healer Girl could get a bit cheesy at times, but it was just fun to see the main trio of girls doing whatever it is that they do.
Runner-up:
Slow Loop
This show is a runner-up because it’s not so much “fun” as it is a “feel good” story. It’s a relaxing show about fishing and (sometimes) cooking, that manages to handle sensitive issues (such as death) in a very gentle way. This show is just very cozy, and watching it feels like sipping hot cocoa on a cold day… if that makes sense.
Pleasant Surprise Award
These are the shows that surprised us in a good way. It’s easy to build up expectations and make assumptions, but every now and then there’s a show that turned out way better than we could have predicted.
Moeronpan
BIRDIE WING
Birdie Wing definitely takes this award, because I certainly never expected an anime about golf to be good at all let alone one of my favourite things to come out in 2022. I don’t think anybody really predicted what a delightfully unhinged show it would be, but I’m really glad I gave it a chance. I can’t wait for the second half this year (now delayed until April) I wrote about it in my round-up review here.
Runner-up:
Akiba Maid War
Akiba Maid War comes in second, purely for being far, far better than the sum of its parts would ever have me expect. When I did my roundup I said that I wasn’t even sure how much I truly liked it, but now that the dust has settled I keep finding myself thinking about certain scenes and how well-done they were. The climax is also amazing. It still has its shortcomings (it’s pacing being the major one) but it was certainly one of the most unique anime to come out in 2022.
Ariana
Beast Tamer
I’m more surprised that I actually went back to this show after giving it a somewhat critical First Impression review. But somehow the first episode made me want to check out a few more episodes—which ended with me watching the whole thing. This show isn’t an amazing anime by any means, but it was good enough for what it was. The main characters weren’t annoying, there was little fanservice, and it was supremely satisfying to see asshole characters get punished for being assholes. This is probably more of a guilty pleasure series, but it sure was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed it more than I initially thought I would.
Best Adaptation
Moeronpan
Adapting manga/games/novels/etc into animation can be a tricky business with wildly varying results – but some studios and directors have this down to an art. Here are the anime we thought did best by their source material in 2022.
Chainsaw Man
I don’t really have anything else to give this award to, seeing its the only one I was up to date enough in the manga to directly compare. But MAPPA did a super slick, super stylish job of adapting this manga, and I’m not sure how many other studios could have done it so well. I think the panelling and visuals of the chainsaw man manga are amazing, and MAPPA put their own spin on that with some incredible visuals and art direction of their own. One thing I really like is that often the episodes often end in cliffhangers, and the beginning of the next one will reanimate that cliffhanger in a slightly different way – such as from the point of view of a different character.
It…also has a different ED animation and song in every single episode, which is almost going overboard in how much effort they put into this.
Ariana
Spy x Family
The only reason that Mob Psycho isn’t my top pick for this category is because I’ve not yet read a single chapter of the Mob Psycho manga… but I have read a whole lot of Spy x Family. Wit Studio and Cloverworks really went all out with this anime adaptation, by having high production values and a lot of neat anime extra scenes. I feel like this is the type of high quality adaptation that all manga/anime fans would want for their beloved series’. Here’s hoping season 2 is just as good as season 1 was.
Runner-up:
Shadows House (Season 2)
I’m so, so glad that season 2 of Shadows House decided to be more faithful to the manga. Especially since they had to account for the slightly changed storyline due to season 1’s anime only “ending.” Somehow, it all worked out well, and season 2 was just a really darn good adaptation of the “mysterious robed figure” arc. As always, the animation is as beautiful as ever, and the voice actors do a top-notch job as their respective characters.
Best Opening
2022 also saw a whole load of new super catchy anime theme songs. We judged them on both the song and the accompanying visuals…good openings, after all, are the type you don’t mind sitting through over and over.
Moeronpan
Mob Psycho 100 III – 1 by Mob Choir
Mob Psycho 100 always has incredible OPs – in fact the other two also won Moeronpan Awards. All the Mob Choir songs are amazing, but something about ‘1’ really hits hardest of all. Maybe it was the slight wait between season 2 and 3, maybe it was the anticipation of the climax after how far we’d come as viewers watching these characters, but it’s extremely fitting for a long-anticipated final season. I did not skip it once.
Runner-up:
Ya Boy Kongming! – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by QUEENDOM
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of 2022’s biggest earworms, and it probably deserves the runner-up award just because I can’t get it out of my head. The song is catchy, the visuals are addictive, the whole thing looks like a weird music video, what’s not to like? I found out recently it’s actually a cover of a Hungarian song called ‘Jolly’ by Bulikirály, and if you’re curious how that looks on the anime, the internet delivers as always.
Special Mention:
Chainsaw Man – KICK BACK by Kenshi Yonezu
The sheer number of odd movie references in the chainsaw man OP (some of which are very obscure) deserves some kind of recognition I feel. It’s certainly a unique opening, and since I’m an old-school vocaloid fan I always get happy when I see my man HachiP (Kenshi Yonezu) in the big leagues now.
Special Mention2:
BOCCHI THE ROCK! – Seishun Complex by Kessoku Band
I’m having two special mentions, because its the final awards post and I do what I want but also just because if I don’t, it means I don’t get to talk about how good the BOCCHI OP is and that would be sad.
Ariana
Ranking of Kings – Naked Hero by Vaundy
I could probably write an entire essay on why I love Ranking of Kings‘ second OP so much. The music just sounds so powerful, and that animation quality is movie-like. And each shot is packed with tons of meaning. This song just makes me feel a lot of emotions, okay? The montage of all the different scenery towards the end also makes so much more sense after having finished the series. My favorite shots are definitely the one with Bojji and the shattered mirror shards, as well as Bojji being hugged by Queen Hiling.
Runner-up:
Do It Yourself!! – Dokidoki Idea wo Yoroshiku! by Katajou DIY-bu!!
I’m always a sucker for OPs or EDs sung by the characters, and this one is no exception. I really like the visuals of this opening. Just a bunch of girls doing DIY stuff and having lots of fun while doing it! While I admittedly tended to skip this OP when watching the series, going back to it now makes me realize that this is one of the more catchy and uniquely animated OPs that I’ve seen this year.
Best Ending
Ending themes are regularly just as good as openings – in some cases even better! The end of the episode didn’t have to be such a bad thing with these top endings of 2022.
Moeronpan
My Dress-up Darling – Koi no Yukue by Akase Akari
The first time I saw the ED for My Dress Up Darling way back over a year ago now I knew it was probably going to win, because I loved it that much. It’s cute, it’s addictive, it’s charming and it’s very stylish. I can only hope the season 2 ED will be this catchy and cute.
Runner-up:
Ranking of Kings – Flare by par milet
I have…not very positive thoughts on a lot of what went down in the latter half of Ranking of Kings, unfortunately (more on that later!) but that doesn’t change how much I adore this song and the cute picture book-esque visuals. It’s gentle, but also has a sweeping epicness about it in the chorus. Bojji and Kage were always the best part of Ranking of Kings, so any time I get to see them being cute together is fine by me.
Special Mention:
As I mentioned earlier, Chainsaw Man has a different ED for every single episode – all with different art styles and song genres – and they’re all absolute bangers. It felt like cheating to give any of them a winner or runner-up because of how good they are, but I mainly disqualified them because each one only appears once, so they’re not technically EDs in the same way these others are. However, I still wanted to give them some recognition so I thought I’d pick the best ones – which was insanely difficult, because they’re all amazing! But I narrowed it down to the 2nd one (Zanki by ZUTTOMAYO/ACAne) for its visuals and the 12th one (Violence by Queen Bee) for its song. But they’re all worth seeing.
Ariana
Spy x Family – Comedy by Gen Hoshino
Like with my top pick for best OP, I could also write an essay on why I like this ED so much. While Spy x Family‘s second ED appears to have more production values and is more technically impressive, “Comedy” will always be the ED I think of when I think of Spy x Family. It’s both parts stylish and adorable, featuring Anya ambling through her daily life and trying her best to navigate the complex world she’s been thrust into–thanks to her spy “father” and assassin “mother”. I also love the lyrics to this song a lot, and it fits the theme of Spy x Family amazingly.
Runner-up:
Delicious Party Pretty Cure – Delicious Heart by Rico Sasaki
This is the third Precure ED I’ve nominated for best ED in a Moeronpan Awards post… It’s not my fault these ending themes are so dang catchy! I really wanted to highlight this one as it’s much more subdued than other Precure EDs I’ve seen. It’s hard for me to put into words, but the melody (for most of the song) just feels very… gentle? Many singers for previous seasons often use a very childlike or “cutesy” voice, so it’s nice to have an ED song featuring a more mature-sounding voice. The dance steps are a little… awkward (what’s with all the finger waving…), but the 3D models for the Precure girls are as good as ever.
Special mention:
A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized – Tǎng zài qíngkōng xià by Xiǎo yuán
So. You guys probably noticed that I actually posted two videos here. That’s because I could not find an official video that had the Chinese version of the ED theme (I instead found an official source for the full song); and what official video I could find just had the Japanese dub version of the ED theme… And, not to crap on Amber’s or anything; they’re a perfectly fine singer. But what made me love this ED so much was the combination of such a cute, upbeat song paired with extremely cute visuals. And the Japanese dub song is just… it’s just not the same vibes, man. I’m actually pretty bummed about such a drastic change, because the cutesy singing voice was The Point–the ED feels like it’s from Lingzi’s/Reiko’s perspective, the song is SUPPOSED to be upbeat and cute! Anyway, I’m just ranting at this point, so enjoy these two videos.
WTF Award
Just for fun, what was the most absurdly ridiculous thing we saw in 2022?
Moeronpan
Aru Asa Dummy Head Mic Ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei (‘My Life After I Turned Into A Dummy Head Mic One Morning’)
So, a bit of backstory first. There was an ASMR-based anime short back in 2021- 180byou de Kimi no Mimi wo Shiawase ni Dekiru ka? (or ‘Can we make your ears happy in 180 seconds?‘). I watched this more out of ‘???ok’ than anything else, but while it was definitely weird, there’s been plenty of other weird POV anime before that managed to be weirder and/or creepier (the god-awful but hilarious Makura Danshi comes to mind) so I forgot it existed. There is no real plot in 180byou, the girls just conduct various ASMR activities onto a dummy head mic, and thus the audience. Anyway! DummyHead is by the same group, and at first it seems like more of the same, but now there is a plot- a random salaryman is killed and gets reincarnated as the dummy head mic used by the ASMR club, so while there is still a POV element, we also get to hear his thoughts. That alone would be enough to give it the WTF award, but it doesn’t end there. He actually ‘reincarnates’ into a different thing in every episode, always ending up being used by one of (or all of) the girls, including but not limited to: a bicycle seat, a pillow, a measuring tape, and an actual dog. If you’re wondering what that screencap is, it’s in the episode where he is reincarnated as a chicken who is then killed and turned into fried chicken which is then purchased by the girls and crunchily eaten. I absolutely could not take my eyes away from this show for a second because I could not believe it was real.
There are ASMR sounds, and you’re meant to use your headphones when you watch it, but the most bizarre thing about the whole show is that at some point it actually stops including that entirely and begins to focus on the lesbian crush one of the club members has on another, and it all culminates in a final episode where Mr Bodyless Salaryman (spoilers) manages to manifest as the dummy head again but now with a macho body, to offer the crushing girl words of encouragement and support.
It’s probably worth noting that throughout the entire show there’s also this weird creepiness of the joy this grown adult man is feeling at being used and touched by highschool girls, but the rest of the show is so unbelievably weird that it actually manages to overshadow that. This might actually be the most bizarre anime I’ve ever given a WTF award to, so congratulations, DummyHead! That chicken episode is going to haunt me forever.
Ariana
Orient
Maybe the series gets better later on (or at least, I hope it does get better); but Orient’s first episode just presented us with a flimsy story with extremely wtf-worthy logic. There are so many story elements that don’t make sense, either because it was poorly explained, or seemed haphazardly tacked on (because the author thought it was cool or something?). Oh, and also, there are monsters that look like cats with buttholes for faces. What the eff indeed.
Biggest Disappointment
And here we move into the negative awards, starting with the biggest letdowns of 2022.
Moeronpan
Ranking of Kings (second half) (Warning for some spoilers)
I feel like I must have jinxed this whole show when last year I said that I didn’t put Ranking of Kings season 1 under ‘best show’ because I felt like ‘its best material was yet to come’. Oof. I wanted, so badly, to enjoy season 2 as well – and while it certainly did have a handful of memorable scenes and moments, it bogged itself down with its repetitive writing and overuse of fake-outs. I actually lost count of how many times it did the whole ‘Oh no, Character is dying! They’re really going to die this time! Oh never mind, Queen Hilling has healed them.’ It happened so frequently I thought that, for sure, it was building up to a dramatic moment where Hilling couldn’t heal someone because she used all her energy healing others a bunch of times, but…no. She just kept doing it, and so any suspense there might have been from literally any character being in danger just went out the window.
There’s also the fact that literally everything about Miranjo is terrible. I don’t think she was a well-written character at all, I don’t like how easily everyone just forgave her, and I especially don’t like the (spoilers!) wtf marriage proposal from Daida that came the hell out of nowhere. But worst of all is her backstory and the ‘evil’ Gyakuza kingdom. It’s already caused a well-deserved amount of discourse online for the extremely uncomfortable similarities between Gyakuza and Korea during Japan’s occupation (the kind of similarities that feel a little too on-the-nose to be a coincidence), but even without the uncomfiness of that its responsible for some of the worst writing in the show. Until that point, I’d praised its depiction of the shades of grey present in all people, only for it shrug and go ‘well and then there’s these guys who are just comically evil and shitty for no reason at all!’ It was like the show momentarily forgot its own message just to give an unlikeable character an over the top sad backstory to make us feel bad for her.
Even so, Bojji and Kage are still great characters – the scenes that I managed to still really like despite what a let down the rest was, were, of after all, scenes of those two. But man. What could have been…
Ariana
Ranking of Kings (second half)
Like Moeronpan mentioned in last year’s anime awards post, for a series to be truly disappointing, it has to have been good before the fall. Ranking of Kings’ drop in (story) quality is probably nowhere near as bad as Wonder Egg Priority’s; but man did it leave me with a bad taste after the final episode of the season. I loved the first half of Ranking of Kings. It had an amazing underdog plotline mixed with fairy tale elements, had great characters, and often surprised me for defying typical anime tropes. I was even planning to nominate it for best anime of 2022 once the first season officially ended. …But then the second half of the anime aired. And something just felt extremely “off” about the show. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say that I wasn’t really pleased with some story elements that Ranking of Kings introduced in its second half. (I go more into detail about this in my round-up review post.) It probably seems weird to see me nominate Ranking of Kings for the Biggest Disappointment award when I’ve praised the OP so much (in the category up above), but having such a great OP associated with such lacklustser episodes just makes it all the more disappointing, TBH.
Runner-up:
Yurei Deco
This anime didn’t let me down as much as Ranking of Kings did, as Yurei Deco’s major flaws where pretty noticeable from the first handful of episodes. Unfortunately, these flaws got worse as the series went on, which resulted in a very unsatisfying ending that didn’t even feel true to Yurei’s Deco initial spirit. How disappointing.
Worst Adaptation
We already celebrated the best adaptations, but what about the ones that failed? Every year we see a bunch of anime that end up being terrible regardless of the quality of their source material, so here’s the worst of 2022.
Ariana
Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation
I very nearly nominated this for worst anime overall, but then realized it fit better in this category. Now, it’s probably a little unfair for me to judge this anime so harshly just from a first episode, AND not having experienced the game this series was based on. HOWEVER, I think I’m justified because 1) that first episode was the most boring anime episode I have ever had to sit through in my life, and 2) this anime does not do a good job of making anyone want to play the game it was based on. Since anime adaptations of games are usually meant to just be glorified advertisements of the game itself; if it fails to motivate me to check out the source media, then I consider that a failed adaptation.
Worst Anime Overall
Finally, our personal absolute stinker awards. Because we know as much as anyone else that anime can be complete garbage when it wants to be, so which shows win the Crown o’ Turds for 2022?
Moeronpan
Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World
Congratulations to Harem in Another World for not only being one of the most stomach churningly feral shows I’ve ever watched, but still managing to be unfathomably boring on top of it. Double congratulations for even managing to fail its target audience by airing in a hilariously censored state of not only the visuals but even words. Anyway, in case you missed it when I subjected myself to its first episode, the main waifu in ‘Sexual Slavery Is Good Actually’ is 16 years old. I’m just going to keep repeating that.
Ariana
Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!
Have you ever wondered if a character could be so awful and unlikeable that they taint an entire series with just their presence? The answer to that question is “yes,” and that character’s name is Carla. Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer is already a pretty lackluster anime to begin with; but Carla’s existence just drops the series into “worst anime” territory. At least other “smug anime girls” have some redeeming qualities. Carla has none.
Runner-up:
The Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest
This series didn’t annoy me as much as Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer did, but it was still pretty bottom of the barrel fare. Let’s see, we have: 1) an overpowered main character who always acts annoyingly smug; 2) boring random RPG-like elements in a generic fantasy world; 3) an unnecessary reincarnation plot to I guess make this an isekai series or something; and 4) not so great animation. But I think the thing that made me hate the series is that it’s such a blatant yet badly written power fantasy. There are ways of writing an overpowered main character well, and this is definitely not one of those ways.
Best Scene/Episode (Spoiler Warning)
While it’s a positive category, this one is at the end so that anyone who wants to avoid spoilers can stop reading here and not miss anything else. Good anime is characterised by its moments that stay with you. Be it one scene or an entire episode, here’s those moments we’ll still be thinking of well after they ended.
Moeronpan
Mob Psycho 100 III – Episode 12
Everyone knows that the most hype thing that can happen in a final episode is the moment when the opening theme starts playing as background music, because you know you’re in for the climactic scene, and if its done well it’s going to be amazing. But how about the climax of the final episode of season III playing the opening for season I? Because that’s what happened during Reigen’s frantic, extremely well-animated and dynamic race to reach Mob (both physically and mentally). You know that classic meme image of the ‘reaction guys’? That was basically me during this whole scene. Using that theme not only gave the hype moment and the nostalgia kick, but it reminded us as viewers how far we’ve come watching these two to get to this moment.
That moment aside, we also get Reigen’s confession to being a fake and Mob finally looking genuinely happy with his life. It was an absolutely stellar final episode for an extremely memorable series.
Runner-up:
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Episode 12 – Post Credits Scene
Seeing people’s reactions to this scene out of context a little before I got to watch the episode myself is the closest I have ever felt to relieving the feeling of experiencing Madoka episode 3 for the first time. I knew dark stuff was coming, but this was definitely not how I expected it to come. Seeing the cheerful Suletta splatter a bunch of guys so cheerfully and out of nowhere completely took me by surprise. Miorine’s absolutely horrified reaction, the final still mirroring the one at the end of episode 1, the immediate cut to a 3 month break before season 2…talk about going out with a bang.
Runner up 2:
Tiger & Bunny 2 – Episode 25
This episode deserves a mention if not only for reigniting my love of Tiger & Bunny, which had been waning in the lacklustre second half – and there’s two memorable scenes in particular for me. Firstly there is the climactic culmination of Kotetsu and Barnaby’s bond where, after Kotetsu loses his powers and Barnaby’s suit is destroyed, Barnaby dons Kotetsu’s suit himself, which glows pink instead of green. It’s symbolic and means a lot – so it’s a shame that the visuals weren’t as impactful as they could have been. That’s why I instead chose a screenshot of the other memorable scene in the episode – Lunatic’s demise. It’s a really visually striking scene that stands out like an oasis amongst the rest of the season’s visual quality (which is, sadly, a much more mixed bag than season 1, and considering that aired 11 years before, it’s a little sad.
Special Mention:
ONE PIECE FILM RED – Tot Musica
The only reason this is a special mention is because I can’t find any screencaps of this, since FILM RED was a theatrical release and has yet to be released on DVD. But what it does have is the official music video that was made along with ones for the other Uta (Ado) songs ahead of the film’s release. It’s not the footage from the movie, but you still get to hear the incredible song, and the video does a good job with the mood of it and Uta’s declining mental state throughout the film. I hadn’t watched any of these promotional Uta music videos before seeing the movie, so they were all a surprise for me, and I can tell you that seeing the Tot Musica scene on a big screen and hearing this absolute incredible banger for the first time literally made my jaw drop.
In the context of the story, Tot Musica is the name of both a destructive demon king of music and the song that is used to summon him, which Uta does as she succumbs to insanity. Uta’s songs get more aggressive as the movie progresses, but this climactic one is not only amazing – Ado’s vocals and the emotion she puts into them are nothing short of incredible, and it truly wouldn’t have the same impact if it were anyone else – but it truly does sound like a song that would summon a demon. It’s even got runes! It’s also just incredible to compare the sheer difference of Tot Musica to New Genesis, the first song in the movie.
Ariana
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episode 12
I hate that this anime has such a constant veneer of sleaziness, because underneath the creep factor, this is a pretty decent coming-of-age series. If you can ignore the creepy things, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform has some genuinely charming moments. I’ve already gone into detail about one of my favorite scenes where Komichi Akebi goes home after her first day of school; so I’ll instead nominate episode 12 for this category. There’s some clever use of montages here, with the events of a sports festival interspersed throughout Akebi’s dance routine at the closure of the sports festival. The fluid animation paired with a wonderful soundtrack made this a really memorable final episode.
Runner-up:
Spy x Family – Episode 5 (a.k.a. whatever the hell Wit Studio and Cloverworks were on when they expanded on that entire castle sequence)
Okay, listen. I know I’ve nominated Spy x Family for a lot of things in this awards post, but I can’t not mention episode 5. The original manga version of these events were pretty brief–Loid/Twilight gets forced into playing as “Loidman” and ends up having to fight a drunk Yor. This whole thing lasts only a couple of panels, and is a pretty mundane affair as Anya’s just hiding behind a table. But the anime version of this scene, my god… EVERYTHING got upgraded. Loid now has to fight all his spy agency members whilst traversing through a decked out castle/obstacle course. And the fight between Loid and Yor was just amazing. And it’s all set to SONG! This episode was so extremely extra but it was also a really fun watch that made me smile during the whole thing.
And there you have it! How was your 2022 in anime? What would you have given for each category?
Thank you for 15 years of Moeronpan!