Has there ever been an anime season where the metaphor of spring rising from winter been so fitting? After a winter season that was almost frustratingly dull, the spring 2022 anime season is blowing in (and hopefully blowing away the ugly taste of winter 2022). About 35 new series will start premiering in less than a week and our team is here to help you choose which to try out as we post our first impressions on as many new series as we can!
We’ll be posting frequently as anime come out, and using this page as a master post to keep track of all our first impression posts, as well as an opportunity for our staff to add additional thoughts to those articles. Keep checking back as we make updates, click on the links below as we develop out this post, and let us know what you’re thinking in the comments! Until then, check out our spring preview post to ready yourself for the barrage of new and returning series!
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai • AOASHI • Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story • Dance Dance Danseur • The Dawn of the Witch • Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness • Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer! • The Executioner and Her Way of Life • ESTAB Life: Great Escape • Fanfare of Adolescence • The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody • Healer Girl • Heroines Run the Show • I’m Quitting Heroing • In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki • Love After World Domination • Love All Play • Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost • Onipan! • RPG Real Estate • Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie • Skeleton Knight in Another World • SPY x FAMILY • Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs • Tomodachi Game • Ya Boy Kongming
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai
First Impression: stardf29
Beyond the charming visuals, the appeal of the series lies in watching these two as they try to become closer emotionally, in keeping with their physical closeness. While there’s no explicit romantic feelings involved yet, it definitely seems like their relationship will go that way.
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Josh
I really needed something to help me get through the hole in my anime loving heart after My Dress-Up Darling ended (Don’t judge me…), and I think Aharen-san wa Hakarenai will fill that spot nicely. I’m a sucker for goofy slice of life romcoms and this show does not look like it will disappoint. I’m getting strong vibes of Komi Can’t Communicate mixed liberally with Tanaka-Kun is Listless and a dash of My Love Story for flavoring. I can’t wait to see where this one goes!
Claire
Well, it lives up to the trailer. As in, I’m not sure I got anything new from this first episode than what I’d already seen in the trailer, which means there were about 20 minutes of…longer pauses? I’m not sure. I still have hopes for this, but so far, my fears about the jokes taking a little too long to land and being a little too samey, have not subsided. Perhaps the introduction of the Jealous Girl A in the post-credits will liven things up a bit more.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
AOASHI
First Impression: claire
…the boy himself proves to be more of a team player than at first it seemed. This was enough to inspire me to give this otherwise frustrating character a second chance, particularly as the themes of classism and value for others introduced at this point are developed throughout the rest of the episode, making it more than just your typical shonen tale of an arrogant brat who eventually learns to temper his attitude enough to prove that he was right to be so arrogant in the first place.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story
First Impression: claire
Birdie Wing sets out to make golf exciting and boy does it ever deliver! Gangsters and gambling, (metaphorical) guns and swords, and insanely impossible (golf) moves all with evocative English names, set to a pulsating soundtrack with solid animation and very pretty backgrounds, starring an overconfident wild card outsider orphan hero who is secretly moody and reflective at the sunset hour, and is confronted by her exact opposite, an unruffable, inscrutable, deadly smiling Buddha of a girl? This is going to be fun. Like, really fun.
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stardf29
As a golf fan, I was looking forward to this a lot, and it did not disappoint. Seeing a main character that is basically Bryson DeChambeau, a highly-ranked PGA Tour golfer who’s well known for pursuing power and length, as a girl stuck on the wrong side of the tracks and playing money matches to keep her “family” safe was great. We haven’t quite seen as much out of Aoi, other than how she uses a 48-inch driver (which the PGA Tour and LPGA have recently banned, so RIP relevance) to assist with her driving distance, but she should provide for an interesting co-protagonist going forward. Realism seems to have taken a weekend trip to Pebble Beach since actual golf involves far fewer shots through trains or breaking tree branches, but I think that’s just fine for a series that seems more interested in being a fun story, and this is definitely shaping up to be a fun story.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Dance Dance Danseur
First Impression: claire
In short, this is a solid teen drama that will appeal to viewers interested in coming of age tales, masculinity, and dramatic character arcs. And sparkles when dancing. Let’s not forget those.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Dawn of the Witch
First Impression: twwk
Loux is a major part of the charm of the story, which otherwise might fall into typical fantasy anime / isekai terrority, though the same could be said for the entire main cast (Loux’s staff—as in, “You would not part an old man from his walking stick?” staff—included). I can’t wait for them to come all together and start advancing this tale, revealing the humor, charm, darkness, and creativity that is yet to come, but which is already at hand in small doses here in episode one, and in the OP.
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JeskaiAngel
This show seems promising. Apparently this is kind of a sequel to another series I’m not familiar with, and you get the sense that the world has a lot of backstory, but this episode does a good job of introducing us to key information without being overwhelming or getting bogged down in exposition. Loux is the best part of the story (pretty much everything she says or does is hilarious), but there are also hints that there’s more to the rest of the cast than meets the eye. This episode definitely entertained and intrigued me enough that I’ll be back next week to see where it goes.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness
First Impression: claire
What a beautiful anime! The artwork is a delight of soft watercolor washes, rich backgrounds, and subtle expressions. I didn’t spot even a single janky inbetween. Definitely a nice bit of promotion here for the old part of Kyoto, with its charming wooden buildings and luscious plant life peeking up between the cobbles…I was a little worried, during previews a few weeks ago, that the story and characters themselves may be a little too sweet, but that is not the case. The writer responsible for series composition, Reiko Yoshida, has pitched things perfectly so far, providing just the right amount of suspense, with a dash of peril, alongside the humor, and transforming this from what could have been merely a pleasant but forgettable confection into a drama that has serious potential.
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stardf29
This is definitely a really nice opener, which features a girl who was rather cruelly abandoned by her parents, and how she finds a new family within a confectionary shop, with the help of the son who is trying to figure out his own place in life. I’m a sucker for these kinds of “family” shows (see: Alice and Zoroku, Hinamatsuri) and this one hits all the right beats to get me invested in how their bonds grow through the rest of the show.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer!
First Impression: twwk
This is a series you should absolutely skip, unless you’re dying for something in the realm of silly, inoffensive mediocrity. Gomenasorry!
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Executioner and Her Way of Life
First Impression: twwk
The episode ends with an ED that features an image of Menou (see our banner above) that matches the cover of the light novel series’ initial volume. It also captures some of the essence of the light novels—beauty, mystery, sadness, fear. The episode itself does little of this, and is instead more concerned with, I suppose, bringing Menou to Akari together for the climax of the episode and creating a smooth first arc at the expense of all that makes the series stand out.
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Josh
I have to admit, this show really had me going for a minute. At first I thought when we saw Mitsuki arrive in this world, I was like “Oh, so this story is going to follow these two characters around and there are going to be a lot of isekai shenanigans abounding.” Heck, it almost reminded me of Monster Rancher in a way with the male lead being swept away from home without his shoes (Seriously, where did Mitsuki buy those socks? They are so durable!). But that shifted halfway into the episode. Like “BOOM”. It looks interesting, and strong female leads in anime is almost always a positive, but I think I’ll let this one alone. Just doesn’t quite sit well with me.
Streaming on HiDIVE.
ESTAB Life: Great Escape
First Impression: Gaheret
I feel… conflicted. Will I continue watching this, in the hope that the good elements will outweigh the bad? Who knows. As ESTAB Life shows, life is full of twists.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Fanfare of Adolescence
First Impression: Gaheret
The animation is beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing, the pacing is great, and I can actually tell the characters apart (except for the two long-haired guys). The mystical element of the phantom horses, which seems to connect with a legend the instructors know about, is intriguing as well.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
First Impression: Gaheret
The visuals are good, and the music conveys a feeling of emotion and adventure. But I’m afraid that very little of that will carry on to the next episodes…Harem? I hope I’m wrong, but this doesn’t fare well for Demon Lord.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Healer Girl
First Impression: Jeskai Angel
Overall, the episode came across as a slice-of-life cute-girls-doing-musical-things show. But since magical girl stories have a notorious history of starting out upbeat and then abandoning all hope and plunging into the ninth circle of hell, I’m not really confident what kind of show this will turn out to be.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Heroines Run the Show
First Impression: Laura A. Grace
I can’t say I’ve watched much idol anime, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Suzumi is a fun character to root for and her getting lost easily makes her all the more endearing. Throw in her “ignorance” about the idol boys and her dream of becoming a professional runner, and I found her to be a compelling heroine. Plus, I loved seeing Tokyo through her eyes as a newcomer to the city, and appreciated how excited she is to be there!
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Claire
Yes. We have another gem here, people! The animation is beautiful, the cast of characters, distinctive and fully-fleshed, and the pacing, sprightly, as it should be for a series with running hurdles as its overarching metaphor. Also, Hiyori’s eyebrows win the award for best hair and makeup in an anime series. I’m on board for this one. (Theory time: bespectacled new friend, Chizuru, secretly wants to debut as an idol. My reasoning on this: her seiyuu, Saori Hayami, is in full-on diva mode in the ED. Let her sing, producers! Let her sing.)
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
I’m Quitting Heroing
First Impression: Jeskai Angel
Ooh, I’m getting Maoyu vibes, and I loved that show! The characters and relationship dynamics are different, but the odd-relationship-between-hero-and-not-so-evil-demon-queen premise still has lots of potential. The episode also reminds me a bit of Miss Kuroitsu, with its skewering of corporate life (specifically, job searches and hiring practices) juxtaposed with a fantastical background.
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Streaming on HIDIVE.
In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki
First Impression: stardf29
…the whole thing just comes off as stupid and unfunny to me. Add in supporting characters that are more annoying than amusing, and this is one series that fails to work for me as either a comedy or a relaxing cute-girls-doing-cute-things show.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Love After World Domination
First Impression: Jeskai Angel
This episode was mostly quite entertaining. I say “mostly” because I thought the visuals were a little wonky, though I can’t quite put my finger on why. Well, that and one other issue: does Desumi really need to wear such a skimpy outfit, and does the camera really need to linger on her attire (or lack thereof) so much?
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Love All Play
First Impression: Laura A. Grace
…I would highly recommend this anime to other sports lovers! The animation is top quality, in my opinion, with a wonderful seamless flow to the movements of the badminton gameplay.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost
First Impression: Gaheret
I’m not really interested in “cute” stories, and the kid is firmly in the wish-fufillment character camp, nowhere near as alive (heh!) as Momo of March Comes in Like a Lion or Rin from Usagi Drop. That said, what is being fulfilled here is a very human and earnest wish, and I wonder where this show will take its overworked protagonist.
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Claire
I’ll be honest, I have some concerns, the main one being that Fushihara is just a little too melty and drooly over the baby ghost for my comfort. Let’s just call it what it is: lolicon. I did appreciate the non-linear way in which the story unfolds (pay attention to the digital clock!), and the impact of retelling the same sequence from the ghost’s perspective was really powerful: what had seemed liked a humorous moment of exasperation the first time around (see image above), as Fushihara laments her life and calls herself a dead woman, is revealed to be a genuinely tragic moment as she questions why she is even alive. If the series continues more in the vein of this latter theme, uncovering the brokenness of corporate culture and finding Fushihara a family, rather than sticking with the theme of an adult swooning over a child, then I’m in. But I fear the subtext is strong with this one, and if that proves to be the case next episode, I’m out.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Onipan!
First Impression: claire
…what’s probably the most engaging about this series is the foundation of folk lore and the elements of traditional Japanese life that it is built on, with references to classic tales of the blue and red oni, Momotaro, and Hachiko the faithful dog. In other words, it’s pulling on quite a rich pool of storytelling that viewers with an interest in Japanese history and Edo era culture will enjoy, despite it being set in the present day.
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Streaming on HiDIVE.
RPG Real Estate
First Impression: Samuru
For me, RPG equals Final Fantasy or other video game franchises, so I was hoping it was something about gaming but alas, I was bamboozled. Overall, I can’t blame the show for it not being something I would watch, and it wasn’t that bad.
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Claire
I enjoy the “cute girls” genre, have a mild interest in real estate (and many a horrific tale of rental properties!), and was intrigued by the premise of an isekai (literally, “another world” in Japanese) that centers on the folks who live there and not an MC who reincarnates/wakes up there, so I thought this might be a winner. Not so, I’m afraid. It doesn’t know if it wants to be an isekai, exploring a now peaceful world with all its exotic species, or a send-up of a real estate agency, to the point where the rhythm just didn’t get going in this episode. It also leans ever so slightly toward a preponderance of visible cleavage which kinda ruins the “cute girl” vibe a bit.
Josh
Samuru and Claire are being polite, bless their hearts. I prefer the direct approach. This show is just a mess to me. I’m not one to hate on the “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” genre. It’s been around since anime has been around, and a lot of times, it’s been done prodigiously well (See Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Aria, Interviews with Monster Girls, and Nichijou for examples). RPG Real Estate is NOT one of these shows. I just couldn’t find myself enjoying the exploits of these air-headed dopes in an RPG world selling real estate, and to me, it just felt like they were trying to cram too many gimmicks into one. If you’re going to be a “Cute Girls Doing Cute RPG Things”, okay. If you want to be a “Cute Girls Doing Cute Real Estate Things”, okay, that’s weird, but we’ve seen weirder. Go do that. But combining the two with these characters who are just standard tropes of the genre? Nah, bro.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
First Impression: Jeskai Angel
It’s a laid-back high school romantic comedy that doesn’t look like it’ll be especially unique (not a criticism; it is a pretty crowded genre), but should be plenty funny and cute. Another plus is that some rather pretty backgrounds show up throughout the episode.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Skeleton Knight in Another World
First Impression: twwk
Skeleton Knight in Another World is a mix of the horrific and humorous, combining two ends of the fantasy / medieval anime spectrum, though judging from the first episode, it won’t be nearly so punishing as Goblin Slayer or quite as cushy as Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, which ultimately sets up nicely—you can have your feel good cake and eat the grimdark cake, too.
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Streaming on Crunchyroll.
SPY x FAMILY
First Impression: BtT Staff
Several members of our staff worked collaboratively on this exciting new series. Here are a smattering of their thoughts and those of others from Beneath the Tangles!
Laura A. Grace
It well exceeded my expectations (which were extremely high since the manga is in my top 5 favorites) and I had just as much fun watching it as I did when reading it!
thathilomgirl
Maybe it’s from the exhaustion of waiting for Crunchyroll to release it in my timezone [ED: midnight! Props for the dedication!], but it did feel like the episode was moving a bit fast at times. Otherwise, everything has been adapted completely from the first chapter.
Jeskai Angel
This adaptation flawlessly hit all the beats that make the Spy x Family manga great, then topped it with strong music, voice acting, and animation (while faithfully adhering to the manga’s visual style). The humor, the Cold War spy thriller vibes, Anya being best girl of the season…it’s all here.
Claire
I was impressed with how rich this episode was, as it managed to capture the dynamic interplay of genres that makes the series as a whole so compelling: action, comedy, melodrama, political intrigue, superpowers (of both kinds)—it’s all there. The pacing of this adaptation is on point, with not a single frame wasted. In addition to the strength of the animation, sound/music, and voice acting already noted by my esteemed colleagues, I would add that the backgrounds are stunning, and bring a fresh layer of depth and appeal to what was already spectacular in the manga.
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NegativePrimes
I had to work and missed the collab entry on this one, and what can I add that hasn’t already been said? I’ve been a fan of the manga since chapter 1, and have really been looking forward to this anime. And somehow, the anime helped me notice things that I had skimmed over or not fully appreciated in the manga. Like Anya’s ID number being “007”—one of many nods to Bond in the series. And Anya is perfect in all her pink-haired cuteness. I guess the only element I missed this time was Yor, and I mean, we’ll see her in a week. Till then, Anya supremacy!!!
Samuru
This was one of the main shows I have been waiting for this season, and it didn’t disappoint! I avoided the manga as I wanted to watch blindly and be surprised along the way. The balance of action, comedy and intrigue blended very well. The animation is very well done, as is Anya and Loid’s relationship. She breaks him out of his shell, as most children will, and I am looking forward to seeing more of the Forger family and their spy shenanigans!
Josh
Darn my contractual obligations for employment! I would’ve LOVED to have chimed in on the big master post for this one right when it came out, but such is life. Yeah, this one is going to be front and center on my radar and one of the few times that I’m gonna let myself fall into the hype! This first episode was PRODIGIOUS, establishing “Twilight” and Anya’s relationship from the jump. I’m a big fan of watching established professional characters work outside their comfort zone, and this one, from what I read in the manga and what I’ve seen thus far, will more than satisfy!
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Tomodachi Game
First Impression: Twwk
But other than the tropey nature of the first episode, I’m also worried about the animation, which has glimpses of creativity and loveliness, but is mostly substandard. The writing is not much different, with games rules that are overly complicated, making it difficult to “play along” with the characters.
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Josh
You know, typically I get stuck doing write-ups on the REALLY bad shows of the season. This time around, I’m glad to see that our dear boss got the honors. This Danganronpa/Kings Game The Animation knockoff is awful. The animation is all over the place, the characters are cookie cutter tropes (heck, the show doesn’t even bother to let us learn about them, they just splash their info on the screen), the antagonist is about as intimidating as an Alf doll, and the story itself requires MATH which is an automatic fail in my book. Watch if you’re curious, but do yourself a favor and skip it.
Claire
I actually enjoyed this one, purely for the psychological puzzle aspect. Sure, the animation isn’t great, but I’ve seen worse. Yup, the characterization is weak (why both girls have to be in love with Yuichi, I don’t know…oh yeah, he’s the MC), but what makes me want to watch the next couple episodes is the very thing I’d hoped for from this series: the intriguing psycho-social experiments it showcases. (Also, for those who watch it, I’m pretty sure what Yuichi is doing with his final, admittedly off-color question, is forcing a minority ‘Yes’ vote. If so, pretty clever! Though still uber creepy…can’t say I’m a fan of his or his psychotic smile.)
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
First Impression: Jeskai Angel
As I have often found with more comedy-heavy stories, the episode benefits a lot from being able to visually and aurally depict the characters in all their exaggerated, overwrought silliness, thereby undercutting the risk of taking things too seriously. The story will eventually delve into adventure, romance, drama, political intrigue, war, social engineering, etc., but I think whether or not you like this series all depends on your ability to tolerate the dark aspects and appreciate the humor.
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Twwk
What an excellent opening episode! I’m excited to continue with the series, because there are signs here that it can achieve this middle ground that I enjoy: adventurous but not too self-serious; dramatic but humorous; featuring an anti-hero but one who isn’t kind of awful. It’s just a further boost that the setting, featuring all sorts of genres packed into an otome “game,” is completely hilarious. Oh, and the OP and ED are very good, as well!
Claire
Jeskai Angel and Twwk, my dudes! Y’all forgot to mention one tiny detail that makes this all the more interesting and has me expecting some rich social commentary from this series: the otome game is a reverse harem, and the world where our protag reincarnates is a genderswap world, or a matriarchy, or basically a reality where it’s women who hold the power and men who are treated like, well, women. It’s actually pretty eye-opening, as I found myself more disgusted by the image of the old woman our young prince of an MC is meant to marry (arranged, of course) than by equivalent images in a hundred other anime and manga of the old geezers that young innocent female MCs are threatened with in isekai. Anyhow, I like it, and will be tuning in to be (humorously) confronted by my biases in the weeks to come.
Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Ya Boy Kongming
First Impression: claire
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this unusual mish-mash of a series, and I will give the revered tactician at least three episodes to win me over completely. And if he succeeds, well, watch out world! Prepare to be united under the banner of J-pop!
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Jeskai
Wow that was funny! The music was solid and there were some lovely background visuals, but the star here is the humor, as an ancient Chinese warlord navigates Shibuya and J-pop in hilarious fashion. There’s a lot of potential for fun in the “person from history tries to make sense of our era” concept. After how much I enjoyed this episode, I definitely plan to keep viewing, unless the show just really tanks from here.
Samuru
What an odd name for an anime, starting with Ya Boy? Like, are we getting gangster up in here? Well, so far no! This anime took me by surprise, as I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. The intro starts off with a history lesson on Chinese heroes and empires, which I hoped would not be what the anime was about. Thankfully, it is and it isn’t! It’s a real-world isekai and it sure knows how to bring the rhythm. I love music, including J-Pop and EDM, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. The club scene, music, and the emotional dialogue at the end was encouraging and I like Kongming’s willingness to learn and help. Already added it to my queue, and can’t wait for more!
Streaming on HiDIVE.
Nostradamus 2012 is 2021 ? Is history a hoax?