Spiralling horrors, a gender-bent riff on Shakespeare… and a whole series about
camping? Here's a few upcoming titles that anime fans are looking forward to in 2022.
Anime and horror fans got some very welcome news in October 2019, when Adult Swim announced it was
turning Junji Ito's terrifying masterpiece "Uzumaki" into a four-part miniseries. The
beloved late-90s manga received a live-action adaptation in 2000 that got mixed reviews,
but if anyone can pull off an animated take on Ito's supernatural tale, it's Hiroshi Nagahama.
Nagahama, best known for turning the trippy horror manga "Mushishi" into a highly-rated hit,
has big plans for "Uzumaki." In the first teaser for the show, Nagahama stated his artistic vision:
"[I wanted to make] something that scares people and makes them laugh and that
they'll watch over and over. That's the kind of work I want this to be."
Nagahama's promises got fans of Ito's manga excited, but the original 2020 release date
came and went without a premiere. In 2021, Adult Swim confirmed that "Uzumaki"
was still in progress and would drop the following year. Nagahama told fans,
"I feel truly apologetic for the delay and ask for your patience just a little more."
"Uzumaki" — which translates to "spiral" — takes place in a
small Japanese town where a supernatural curse is wreaking havoc. Production I.G,
the studio responsible for "Ghost in the Shell," has been making strong
efforts to adapt Ito's art style to the screen as faithfully as possible.
Funimation teamed up with Fox to release 2018's "Dragon Ball Super:
Broly" in theaters across 18 different countries, and it proved to be a wise move. The film raked in
over $115 million at the worldwide box office and earned rave reviews from critics,
becoming a hit even with viewers unfamiliar with the franchise.
There's been a renewed interest in all things "Dragon Ball" since the sequel series "Dragon
Ball Super" began airing in 2015, and the fanbase is now bigger than ever. Fans who
grew up watching the original '80s anime are now sharing it with their children, creating
what Funimation's Mitchel Berger calls, quote, "multi-generational appeal." This was reflected
in the rapturous response to "Dragon Ball Super: Broly," which gave the titular Saiyan a new and
improved origin story. It was so well-received, in fact, that series creator Akira Toriyama
confirmed that a new film, "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero," was in the pipeline for 2022.
"It's about time!"
Toriyama hyped up the film on the official "Dragon Ball" website, writing,
"Just like the previous movie, I'm heavily leading the story and dialogue production.
I really shouldn't talk too much about the plot yet, but be prepared for some extreme
and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character."
The film's title and updated character designs were revealed at Comic-Con at Home 2021.
What's cooler than a guy with a chainsaw? A guy who is a chainsaw. Tatsuki Fujimoto's
action fantasy "Chainsaw Man" made waves when it hit shelves in December 2018.
MAPPA — the studio behind behind "Dorohedoro" and
"Jujutsu Kaisen" — was quick to take on the challenge of adapting the high-octane manga.
Denji is a devil hunter buried in debt, barely scraping by with his devil-dog Pochita.
When a job gone wrong ends with the yakuza literally backstabbing him,
Denji makes a deal with Pochita that allows him to be reborn as a human-devil
hybrid. By pulling the cord on his chest, Denji can become the Chainsaw Devil:
a monster with multiple chainsaws emerging from his head and arms.
Known for its brutal fights and dark humor, the "Chainsaw Man" manga won the 2020 Shogakukan
award for Best Shonen. While an exact release date has yet to be determined,
a recent trailer confirms that fans can expect to see the bloody affair on the small screen in 2022.
The hit 2020 anime "Moriarty the Patriot" offered a new take on a classic literary character,
and another radically different version of a famous villain is slated to hit
the small screen in 2022 — only this time, it's one that actually existed.
Aya Kanno's manga series "Requiem of the Rose King" follows a gender-fluid
version of Richard the Third, one of the most hated monarchs in history.
The show takes place in the period known as the War of the Roses, a 30-year conflict between the
noble houses of York and Lancaster. When the story begins, Richard's father is closing in on the
throne, but it's not to be: The Duke of York has the crown — and his life — snatched away before he
can claim it. The loss of his father hits Richard hard. The bloody conflict rages on, however, and
with his beloved dad now gone, Richard's thoughts turn to revenge and, ultimately, the throne.
Loosely based on the classic Shakespeare play "Richard III,"
the manga debuted in Monthly Princess magazine in 2013 and is still going strong today. Known
for being full of unexpected twists and turns, "Requiem of the Rose King" will
no doubt make for a fascinating anime series when it drops in January 2022.
"The Rising of the Shield Hero" was one of the most popular anime of 2019,
but it was also one of the most controversial. On paper, it's just a standard isekai — a
fantasy subgenre in which the protagonist is suddenly transported to a strange new world.
It's difficult for new isekai shows to stand out from the incredibly large crowd,
but "The Rising of the Shield Hero" managed to do so in an incredibly bold and risky way:
after arriving in his fantasy world, the protagonist is falsely accused of sexual assault.
Socially inept otaku Naofumi Iwatani is one of four regular people summoned to the kingdom
of Melromarc to save it from impending doom. Dubbed the Four Cardinal Heroes,
each receives a legendary weapon to help them in their quest — Naofumi's
weapon being a shield. When his training partner betrays him with a treacherous lie,
Naofumi becomes an outcast, setting out to combat the Waves of Calamity on his own.
Some people took issue with the show's use of a sexual assault accusation as a plot device,
but fans have been clamoring for a second season ever since the first one wrapped.
The fact that "A Couple of Cuckoos" has become one of the most anticipated anime of 2022
is quite remarkable, considering how new the manga that it's based on is.
Written and illustrated by Miki Yoshikawa, "A Couple of Cuckoos" is massive in Japan.
Two volumes of the cutesy rom-com were sold every second during the height of its popularity,
and fans can't wait to see how director Yoshiyuki Shirahata handles the story.
As the teaser trailer for the show reveals, "A Couple of Cuckoos" is a love story about a shy
boy and an internet-famous girl. Introverted high school student Nagi Umino is on the
way to meet his biological parents for the first time when he encounters Erika Amano,
a social media star trying to escape an arranged marriage. She proposes that Nagi become her fake
boyfriend so she doesn't have to go through with it, and he reluctantly agrees. They soon discover
that Nagi is actually her intended husband after all — they were accidentally switched as babies,
and the parents believe a wedding is the best way they can be a proper family.
Unfortunately for them, Nagi has his eye on someone else, and chaos ensues.
Another show that was pushed back to 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic,
"Spriggan" is a collaboration between Netflix and David Production.
For those unfamiliar with the title, "Spriggan" is a shonen sci-fi manga that ran from 1989 to 1996
and got a movie adaptation in 1998. “Spriggan” takes place in an alternate reality version of
the Cold War, in which mankind has discovered the existence of advanced tech hidden by an
ancient civilization. Making sure these gadgets don't fall into the wrong hands is Yu Ominae,
a member of an elite unit that takes on militias and assorted bad guys with ulterior motives.
Netflix has already dropped a couple of teaser trailers for "Spriggan,"
and they look great. David Production knows all about flamboyance — this is
the studio behind "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," after all — but they're
wisely keeping things sleek and simple with this particular project. Hiroshi Kobayashi,
who has directed episodes of "Kiznaiver" and "Tiger & Bunny," is overseeing the action.
"Well, you can color me impressed."
At a glance, "Made in Abyss" looks like the kind of show you could comfortably watch with children,
but the 2017 adventure series is far from a family-friendly affair.
Based on Akihito Tsukushi's manga series of the same name,
"Made in Abyss" follows an orphan girl named Riko who lives in a town built around a giant,
gaping hole referred to as — you guessed it — the Abyss. All manner of strange artifacts and
creatures are said to be found inside, though few are brave enough to explore its depths.
Those who enter the hole are known as Cave Raiders, one of whom was Riko's mother. Although
she seemingly vanished during an expedition, it turns out she may not be gone after all:
when Riko finds a message from her mother urging her to meet her in the Abyss,
she decides that it's time to explore it for herself with the help of a new robot friend.
Season 2 of "Made in Abyss'' was announced in 2019, and a film entitled "Dawn of the
Deep Soul" dropped the following year. The story is set to continue in 2022,
when the second season — officially titled "Made in Abyss: The Sun Blazes Upon the
Golden City" — will come to air. Plot details are being kept mostly under wraps for now,
but at least one previously unseen character will appear:
Manga readers will no doubt recognize the fluffy white arms of Faputa, Princess of the Narehate.
The global phenomenon that was the "Attack on Titan" manga came to an end when the final chapter
shipped in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in summer 2021. For anime viewers, however, the journey
doesn't reach its conclusion until 2022, when the second part of the fourth and final season is set
to air. "Attack on Titan" fans became worried when it was revealed that Wit Studio would no
longer produce the show after Season 3, but MAPPA stepped in and exceeded expectations.
Season 3 of "Attack on Titan" ended on a rare high note for our heroes,
who got to see the ocean for the first time, but things were far from rosy when we caught
up with them in "Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 1." There's a four year time
jump between the seasons, and protagonist Eren Yeager isn't the same man he once was.
Noticeably older, the veteran of the Survey Corps has been worn down by the rigors of war,
as have his comrades. There's trouble with the country across the sea: Marley is at war with
the Eldians, the descendants of the first Titan. Eren also has an old acquaintance to worry about:
the Part 1 finale ended just as he was about to face former friend Reiner Braun in battle.
"Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2" will begin on January 9th, 2022.
A live-action movie adaptation of the original anime series "Tiger & Bunny"
was announced in 2015, with Ron Howard attached as a producer.
Despite the fact that superhero movies have only grown in popularity,
there's been little movement since. However, fans of "Tiger & Bunny" need not despair:
their decade-long wait for a second season of the original show is soon to become a reality.
Sunrise, the studio behind the original "Tiger & Bunny," has confirmed that the highly-anticipated
follow-up season, entitled "Tiger & Bunny 2," will come to air at some point in 2022.
“Tiger & Bunny” takes place in a far-future city called Stern Bild,
which is rife with both crime and superheroes. Wearing costumes plastered in sponsors,
the vigilantes of Stern Bild take part in a show called "Hero TV," competing against
each other by earning points for every crime they stop. Whoever earns the most
points is crowned the "King of Heroes" — but not all of them care about fame and prestige.
We follow veteran superhero Kotetsu "Wild Tiger" Kaburagi and his rookie partner Barnaby "Bunny"
Brooks Jr., two men who have very different opinions about what it means to be a hero.
Influential '80s anime "Captain Tsubasa" got a brand new season in 2018, reigniting interest in
soccer shows. In 2022, another fictional Japanese player will make the leap from the pages of his
manga to the small screen: Aoi Ashito, the protagonist of Yugo Kobayashi's "Ao Ashi".
Aoi has plenty of raw talent, but needs some work if he's going to make it all the way to
the J League, Japan's premier soccer division. Luckily, coach Tatsuya Fukuda is willing to
put the work in: after recognizing his potential, the former pro invites Aoi to a training camp for
Tokyo City Esperion FC's youth team. Like all the other animated soccer stars that came before him,
Aoi revolutionizes the sport in Japan, but what makes "Ao Ashi"
different is that it's relatively new, and therefore much in tune with the modern game.
The action in "Captain Tsubasa" is often so exaggerated that it barely resembles real soccer,
but "Ao Ashi" takes the sport seriously, with characters learning formations and executing
plays that you would see in an actual real-life game. It's the manga that soccer fans had been
waiting for, and the anime adaptation is dropping at the perfect time — it's scheduled for release
during the Spring 2022 season, meaning it will be on air in the run up to the FIFA World Cup.
From calligraphy to mineralogy to fishing and ballroom dancing, there's an anime for just about
every hobby. Based on the slice-of-life manga of the same name, "Laid-Back Camp" caters to
lovers of camping, following a group of friends who travel to different sites across Japan.
It's a delightfully simple story that made for a charming anime when studio C-Station adapted
it for the small screen in 2018. There's also a live action TV remake for fans to check out,
but what they really want is more anime — and that's exactly what they're getting in 2022.
As the promotional poster reveals, the "Laid-Back Camp" girls are returning for an anime movie,
along with the creators that made the anime series such a success. Screenwriters Jin
Tanaka and Mutsumi Ito are back, as is director Yoshiaki Kyogoku , whose work on "Laid-Back Camp"
earned him an award at the Tokyo Anime Film Festival. Kyogoku told Anime News Network,
"I like to think that the award went to the show and not to me.
While the show was good, it's not mine. It was all the staff's hard work that made it possible. I
would like to think that the award came to me as a representative of the show and not me personally."
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