We're about a month into the Winter 2022 season of anime, and there are too many shows for any one person to keep up with. So many that it's completely understandable if your eyes just glazed over after seeing all the premieres pile in. If you're trying to figure out what ended up worth sticking with, or are just looking for a new show to check out on a snow day, here are the best new anime airing right now.
Attack on Titan
If you haven’t caught up on this sensation since its original 2013 debut, now is your chance to catch up and follow along as the action anime franchise of the decade sprints towards its much-anticipated finale. Attack on Titan, a series that started as the simple story of humanity locked behind walls keeping them safe from roaming, mindless giants, has reached its last stretch of episodes and has never been more exciting. The plot of Hajime Isayama’s masterpiece is a mystery that has unfolded reveal after reveal over its long run, often leaving viewers with more questions than answers, always revealing itself to be more thoughtful and complex than it previously seemed with each turn.
Its final season sees Attack on Titan at its most grand and exciting while delivering on every last plot thread left hanging without ever compromising on its commitment to a full, fleshed-out cast that makes its world feel real. The anime has also simply never looked this good before. The action is top-notch, with tons of characters zipping across the screen at once through detailed 3D environments that take full advantage of the series’ trademark “maneuvering gear”. Similarly, the 3D models of the titular Titans have been polished to the point that they blend in perfectly with the world around them. You won’t want to miss out on experiencing the end of this amazing story.
My Dress-Up Darling
If you're into romcoms, there hasn't been one as good as My Dress-Up Darling in a while. It stars two characters, equally passionate about niche things but on different ends of the high school social hierarchy, who find common ground in their excitement. One is Wakana, an orphaned boy raised by his grandfather who wants to become a doll maker, and the other is Marin, an outgoing girl who loves dating sims. When they run into each other, Wakana and Marin realize they can help each other's dreams come true, as Marin has always wanted to cosplay as her favorite character without success at making her own costume and Wakana finds a good use for his talents in helping Marin create the outfit of her dreams.
Importantly, it is also extremely positive in its portrayal of its leads; Marin is never dismissive of Wakana's unique hobby and Wakana admires Marin's extroverted nature and popularity where he could easily have been spiteful. My Dress-Up Darling doesn’t rest on its laurels, either, fleshing Wakana and Marin out with grounded drama that pulls at the heartstrings without losing the soft charm at the core of its appeal. It's a charming romance featuring characters that have an abundance of chemistry despite their very different personalities.
Ranking of Kings
One of the best anime of last year continues into this one. If you missed the train on its first half, Ranking of Kings has proven itself to be one of the most enjoyable adventures to grace streaming in a long time. In this show, we follow Bojji, a young deaf prince whose disability and small stature prove to be hurdles on Bojji's way to achieving his dream of becoming a king. That is, hurdles that Bojji is too resilient and optimistic to keep from stopping him - we quickly learn that, once he sets his mind on something, Bojji can’t be stopped. The story kicks off with Bojji's father, King Bosse, passing away, and his younger brother Daida ascending to the throne thanks to a concentrated effort by much of the kingdom to keep Bojji from ruling.
Undeterred, Bojji sets out to prove himself capable by going on an adventure across the kingdom, making allies along the way, and surmounting challenges with his unique skills and rock-solid persistence. Ranking of Kings also looks beautiful; aesthetically, it's a throwback to Tezuka-era anime, with soft, round character designs and appealing fantasy environments, and its action is clean, with dynamic cuts that make amazing use of the loose designs. Betrayals, friendships, victories, and exciting battles fill each and every episode of Ranking of Kings, and when you catch up you’ll find yourself fiending for your next hit of its unique blend of retro aesthetic and modern storytelling sensibilities.
Sasaki and Miyano
For those of us looking for something saccharine to add to our media diets, Sasaki and Miyano has us covered this season. In classic Boys Love fashion, this heartfelt romance sees the shy and insecure Miyano tangled up with his friendly and outgoing classmate Sasaki after Sasaki helps Miyano out of a bind with some bullies at school. From there they become friends – much to poor Miyano's confusion – and along the way, Miyano accidentally reveals his secret hobby to Sasaki: he adores Boys Love manga, comics about romances between guys.
Miyano is afraid of letting people know about this because of how it might reflect on him considering he is already concerned about seeming too 'feminine', but he starts to open up to both the world and himself when Sasaki insists on borrowing some of his books and ends up loving them, too. Everything isn’t as it seems for Sasaki, either, and he ends up discovering his own hidden desires and dissatisfactions with how the world sees him as well. The relationship that grows between the two is built on tearing down conceptions of what it means to be 'masculine', and as they slowly expose their insecurities to each other, their feelings grow, as well. It's a small, lovely show that builds a believable relationship out of the title characters that you can't help but root for.