The Summer 2022 anime season is done. Be it returning favorites like The Devil is a Part-Timer! and Overlord or newcomers like Call of the Night or My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex, the season had a few shows for almost every type of anime fan. A couple of Spring 2022 anime like Summer Time Rendering and Ao Ashi also aired their second cours.

With so much content to consume, it can be difficult to know where to start. To make that process as simple as possible, here is a rundown of the top Summer 2022 anime, along with information on where they can be streamed.

The focus is on new shows or sequels that started in Summer 2022; therefore, no Spring 2022 continuations or long-running series such as One Piece​​​​​​.

Updated October 4, 2022: Although some shows have an episode or two left to air, Summer 2022 is essentially over since its successor has already commenced. In the grand scheme of things, this season is unlikely to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time, but it still produced a number of fantastic shows. As always, sequels dominated the discourse, but they were forced to share the spotlight with a couple of popular newcomers. For the last time, this article has been updated to detail the best Summer 2022 anime​​​​​​.

Special Case: Uncle From Another World

While Uncle from Another World is another isekai show, the anime is far from conventional. It was also one of the best comedy anime of Summer 2022. After spending 17 years in a fantasy world, Ojisan returns to Earth and moves in with his nephew, Takafumi.

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Using his cultivated magical powers to craft reasonably successful YouTube videos and to provide snapshot looks into his days as an isekai hero, Ojisan tries to adjust to modern days while reminiscing on an adventure that produced more bad times than good. Uncle from Another World knocks both its fantasy and reality scenes out of the park, combining the sides in a way that enhances each of them.

Uncle From Another World episode 8 has been postponed to November 24, 2022. The available episodes are very good and deserve to be mentioned among Summer 2022's best anime, but this delay means the show cannot be ranked with the weekly releases.

18 My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex (+/- 0)

My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex has a title that might discourage people from giving it a try, sort of like Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. While the former does not come close to reaching the same heights as the latter, Project No.9's anime is nevertheless a fun twist on the romance and slice of life genres. With their parents marrying, Yume and Mizuto suddenly find that they have gone from ex-lovers to step-siblings, and the transition comes with plenty of hurdles.

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My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex deals primarily with festering feelings, as both mains are not truly over their past relationship. Initially, their new situation makes things harder since they have to be around each other; however, as the story progresses, Yume and Mizuto steadily build a healthy connection. The anime ends on a strong note with its final two episodes.

17 Vermeil In Gold (+/- 0)

Helping to fill the quota for playful ecchi for the Summer 2022 season, Vermeil in Gold wastes little time in confirming that it will get reasonably risky with its content, even if it is unlikely to show anything too graphic. In order to pass his summoning magic class, Alto uses a mysterious grimoire to conjure a powerful demon named Vermeil, and she is more than happy to act as his familiar. To boost Alto's power, Vermeil needs to get physical with the mage. Yes, that type of "physical".

Vermeil in Gold is a strange beast. In many ways, this is a relatively straightforward fantasy shonen anime. The magical school setting has been done to death, but the introduction of familiars throws a unique twist into proceedings. That said, Vermeil is the only familiar who has shown any personality. The secondary characters are also quite entertaining, particularly Lilia and the members of the Student Council. While the action scenes suffer from lackluster animation, the anime knows how to produce an exhilarating or shocking moment. The show's villains are decent as well.

That is all well and good, however, Vermeil in Gold's value to a viewer will almost certainly depend on their reaction to Alto and Vermeil's relationship. Individually, the characters are fine, but their ecchi scenes together can get uncomfortable. The season's final few episodes divulge Vermeil's backstory, and it is quite an effective reveal.

16 Utawarerumono: Mask Of Truth (+/- 0)

White Fox's anime adaptation of Aquaplus's Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth cannot be watched in isolation since it is the final entry in a trilogy. Like the source games, this anime franchise is absolutely packed with characters, so much so that even people who watched the 2006 and 2015 seasons might struggle to keep track of everyone in the airing sequel.

While it might require some studying to fully appreciate, Mask of Truth is worth the effort. White Fox's animation is great, and it is backed by one of the best soundtracks of the Summer 2022 season. The dense narrative can be overwhelming at times, especially since the anime has a lot of content to cover in just 24 episodes, but the story is generally good.

15 The Devil Is A Part-Timer! Season 2 (+/- 0)

The most highly anticipated anime of Summer 2022, The Devil is a Part-Timer!, proved to be also the most disappointing. Season 2 revolves around the arrival of Alas Ramus, a young girl who identifies Maou and Emilia as her parents. This revelation sends the mortal enemies into a panic, although the pair eventually settle down and begin to regard and treat the unexpected minor as their child. Naturally, Alas Ramus' existence attracts the attention of some powerful people.

The Devil is a Part-Timer! Season 2 has flashes of brilliance, but the sequel never manages to capture the magic of its predecessor. Outside of a small arc that takes place on a beach, season 2 almost entirely ignores Maou's work life, which used to be the anime's selling point. More notably, the animation is considerably worse than in the 2013 series. The uneven animation might be more forgivable if the storytelling and humor were strong, but both aspects are inconsistent.

Despite these criticisms, season 2 is not devoid of charm. Shirou Ashiya and Hanzou Urushihara can be relied upon to deliver a funny moment or two in most episodes, and Chiho Sasaki is still likable even if her character stagnates until the season's last two episodes. Maou and Emi's relationship spins its wheel for most of the season, although their dynamic shows signs of growth.

14 When Will Ayumu Make His Move? (+/- 0)

Anime rom-coms tend to tip-toe around the characters' feelings for each other, so it is kind of refreshing when a series comes along that puts a few things on the table. Ayumu has a crush on Urushi and joins her one-member shogi club, with the goal of confessing after beating her in a game. In the meantime, Ayumu makes it very clear that he is interested in his senpai.

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Ayumu and Urushi have a cute and fluffy rapport built on mutual interest, even if the anime has not fully invested in making them a couple yet. Although the story does have a few fun side characters, they only show up in short bursts and primarily to support the protagonists. When Will Ayumu Make His Move? is not laugh-out-loud funny, but the anime can put a smile on a viewer's face.

The anime's humor is endearing but also repetitive. Nearly every gag follows the formula of Ayumu unabashedly stating his interest in Urushi, prompting the latter to blush and try to change the conversation. These interactions are lovable in isolation but can grow stale if multiple episodes are watched in a row. That said, Rin's introduction helped shake things up, while secondary characters like Takeru, Sakurako, and Maki are delights whenever they appear.

13 Dropkick On My Devil!! X (+/- 0)

Dropkick On My Devil!! X was not the most popular sequel airing during Summer 2022, but it is one of the better comedic anime of the season. A Goth girl (Yurine) summons an obnoxious demon (Jashin-chan), tying the latter to a contract that can only be broken through the former's death. Consequently, Jashin-chan tries to kill Yurine, an endeavor that always ends in the demon's suffering.

Following a decent opening season, Dropkick On My Devil!!'s sequels expanded the show's roster of characters, introducing all sorts of angels and demons. While the core duo's rapport has not evolved all that much over the years, their interactions with the other personalities in the anime have allowed them, especially Yurine, to develop new dimensions.

Dropkick On My Devil!! X contains the series' most enjoyable batch of episodes, and the cour is consistently funny. This anime is not a masterpiece, but it is entertaining. Summer 2022 lacked much in the way of cozy slice of life anime, and while Dropkick On My Devil!! X is too violent to fully fill that niche, the anime is at least a relaxing sit.

12 Parallel World Pharmacy (+/- 0)

Summer 2022 was jam-packed with isekai anime, and that went beyond simply returning favorites. Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, My Isekai Life, and Black Summoner are all stories about people being sent to alternate worlds, and each of those shows has something to offer. In terms of traditional new isekai entries, Parallel World Pharmacy was arguably the best of Summer's bunch.

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Instead of an adventurer, this anime focuses on a pharmacist, Kanji, who reincarnates as a child in a family known for medicine. As Falma, Kanji sets out to leave a positive impact on this world through healing rather than brute force. While certainly overpowered, Falma must rely on his medical background to help people, and Parallel World Pharmacy's scientific component seems to be well researched.

As the season progressed, Falma became less interesting since he fully morphed into the standard isekai protagonist who can accomplish nearly anything without breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, Parallel World Pharmacy is an enjoyable sit due to its topic specialization and generally positive tone. The anime ended with the Black Death arc, a saga that hit a few high points but also seemed rushed. The final episode introduced a villain with barely any build-up, only to quickly eliminate them without much of a hassle.

11 Fuuto PI (+/- 0)

A sequel to a 2009 live-action Kamen Rider W series, Fuuto PI is a tough sell, something that was not aided by the series' late debut in the Summer 2022 season. While familiarity with the original show helps, the anime does a decent job of re-introducing its main players so that newcomers will be able to follow along.

Shotaro Hidari and Philip run a detective agency that generally takes on strange cases, like one involving a supposed witch who bathes in public and kills made men. With Shotaro handling the leg work and Philip serving as support, the PIs share an amusing rapport that emphasizes their complementary personalities. Also, they combine to create Kamen Rider W, a literal superhero.

Fuuto Pi tries to be a lot of things. The anime tests its hand at mystery, action, neo-noir, and comedy, and while not every genre is knocked out of the park, most are handled with care and expertise. Shotaro and Philip complete each other well, and they are backed by a strong roster of supporting figures and an enigmatic antagonist who has been pulling the strings from the shadows.

10 Engage Kiss (+/- 0)

With so many anime airing per season, a slow or weak start can doom a show, particularly a new property. Engage Kiss serves as the perfect example of a series that should not be judged on the quality or content of its pilot since the characters' depth does not become apparent until a few episodes in. With the help of a demon girl named Kisara, Shuu Ogata operates as a demon hunter in Bayron City. Initially, Shuu seems to not have much motivation, but the protagonist has a lot more going on than meets the eye.

Engage Kiss has great action sequences, flawed characters who are interesting but not necessarily likable, and a decent plot that suffers from some pacing issues. At times, this story moves at too quick of a pace; in fact, the anime would have benefited greatly from a two cour run that would have granted some relationships, such as Shuu and Ayano, to be established better. Still, despite a rough start, Engage Kiss grew into one of the best Summer 2022 anime, delivering a great final act that packed in some of the season's most memorable fights.

9 Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? 4 (+/- 0)

Building upon season 3's action-packed finale, Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? 4 starts things off by instantly setting up an enticing premise for its next arc: Bell needs to reach the lower levels of the Dungeon. As the last few arcs were largely set within Orario rather than the unexplored layers hidden beneath the city, season 4's return to exploration is more than welcome.

Hestia and Bell put together a team of fan favorites who are hopefully capable of surviving the Dungeon's known and unknown challenges. Along with giving more screen time to minor players, this journey has also forced characters like Lili to take on new roles as they seek to complement Bell's strengths and weaknesses.

This cour's first arc is refreshingly straightforward. Essentially, the heroes have to survive the threat of an evolving monster, a situation that produces plenty of nail-biting sequences and great action. After that, DanMachi season 4 commenced a new storyline involving a string of murders credited to one of Bell's allies, leading to a manhunt for the assumed culprit. This arc has been predictable so far, but it has ramped up the intensity quite nicely with the introduction of a horrifying enemy.

8 The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting (+/- 0)

What if a high-ranking Yakuza official had to babysit a kid? The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting asks this question, and while this concept sounds a bit gimmicky on the surface, the anime is precious. The vicious Tooru Kirishima is assigned the task of babysitting his boss' reserved daughter, Yaeka Sakuragi. Even though he seems like a poor fit for the job at first glance, Tooru's confidence and relaxed nature blend well with Yaeka's personality.

The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting skips past the "they don't get along" part to get straight into this premise's wholesome core. While rarely downright hilarious, Tooru and Yaeka's rapport is unfailingly sweet. Despite the Yakuza's members looking like they could be in a male idol group, the anime does not shy completely away from the darker side of this life. Occasionally, the show drops its "cute" facade and becomes unexpectedly vicious. These scenes are intense and great, even if they cause some tonal whiplash.

7 Love Live! Superstar!! 2nd Season (+/- 0)

Love Live! Superstar!! returned in Summer 2022 for another delightful season of motivational goodness. As rife with success stories as the genre might be, idol anime are still niche, and these shows can be a hard sell for the uninitiated. However, Superstar is one of the better entry points into this world since it plays out more like a slice of life comedy than a conventional idol series.

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Season 2 starts things off by introducing a host of new girls, each of whom enhances the show's already strong and likable roster of characters. A bigger cast can translate to scattershot storytelling, but Superstar has largely avoided this by dividing the roster into essentially two groups while still bringing everyone together for as many scenes as possible.

Sunrise's animation is great, the writing is frequently hilarious, and the story has some drive pushing it forward. Obviously, an idol anime needs great music, and Love Live! Superstar!! does not fall short in this area at all. The tracks are accompanied by well-choreographed performances as well. Superstar was one of the best anime of Summer 2022.

6 Shadows House 2nd Season (+/- 0)

Summer 2022 had so many highly anticipated sequels that a more niche title such as Shadows House was overlooked. Continuing on from the first season, the shadow Kate and her living doll Emilico are aiming to unlock the dark secrets of the Shadows House, a gothic mansion with a peculiar social rank system.

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Although the first season began as a slice of life, Shadows House eventually revealed itself to be a mystery thriller, specifically with the onset of the debut arc. Season 2 dives deeper into the house's mythos and social system, particularly Star Bearers and the role they play in maintaining order among the children. The anime is also exploring the shadows' powers, while Kate and Emilico attempt to strengthen the bonds they have with the few people they might be able to trust.

Although overshadowed by another Summer 2022 dark fantasy anime about children, Shadows House is nevertheless something special. Like the greatest thrillers, this anime carefully crafts an uncomfortable atmosphere where something bad could feasibly happen at a moment's notice. Even during the season's lighter moments, darkness is always right around the corner. While subdued compared to the episodes preceding it, the season 2 finale altered Kate and Emilico's position in the Shadows House, setting up for a potentially fascinating sequel.

5 Overlord 4 (+/- 0)

Summer 2022 was absolutely stacked with anime sequels, and Madhouse's Overlord ranked as one of the season's most acclaimed returning properties. With the Sorcerer Kingdom established, Ainz is striving to establish a connection built on something resembling trust in a realm filled with humans who are terrified of their new ruler.

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Overlord 4 lived up to its potential, at least in terms of world building. Season 4 showcases Yggdrasil's different societies, kingdoms, and races. Ainz and his Floor Guardians come across dwarves and dragons, both of which have wildly different histories and philosophies. The audience is fully aware of the Sorcerer Kingdom's overwhelming power, but that message is only starting to spread through Yggdrasil.

Overlord 4 concludes with the Sorcerer Kingdom's war against Re-Estize, although describing it as a slaughter would be more accurate. While Ainz and his colorful subordinates are granted plenty of moments to shine, Overlord 4's strongest characters are all humans, some of which are far more complex than, for example, the Floor Guardians. Zanac and Renner Vaiself are particularly well written.

4 Classroom Of The Elite 2nd Season (+/- 0)

Classroom of the Elite's long-awaited return was a (mostly) fun ride, and that primarily came down to the source material. Lerche's season 2 is a roller coaster, and that goes beyond just the narrative. The show's animation is inconsistent, especially during the first six episodes. The season covers quite a few arcs; while the Cruise Ship Special Test and Paper Shuffle sagas are adapted well enough, the anime rushes so much through the Sports Festival arc that most of its beats fall flat. Since this storyline happened right in the middle of season 2, Classroom of the Elite hit a big drop in quality that threatened to derail the show's momentum.

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Thankfully, the anime steadied itself quickly after that point, and season 2 culminated in arguably the strongest run of episodes in the adaptation so far. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's anti-social nature is on full display throughout these arcs, highlighting the protagonist's detached and ruthless personality. Despite not being all that likable or charismatic, Kiyotaka is still a strong main character who is capable of producing a few surprises. Suzune Horikita takes a backseat for most of the sequel, but she gets a few moments to shine as well.

Season 2 brilliantly highlights a few supporting characters, some of which barely had an identity prior to the 2022 sequel. Transforming from a forgettable background character to something of a female lead, Kei Karuizawa carries a lot of season 2's emotional weight. Kikyou Kushida and Kakeru Ryuuen also play their villainous roles well.

3 Call Of The Night (+/- 0)

Except for (some) returning shows and maybe Lycoris Recoil, Call of the Night was the "biggest" Summer 2022 anime. The vampire-themed series attracted plenty of hype prior to its debut courtesy of Kotoyama's respected manga, and interest hardly waned as the season progressed. Suffering from insomnia, Kou Yamori heads out in the middle of the night to, hopefully, clear his mind. During this excursion, the 14-year-old boy runs into an enigmatic woman named Nazuna Nanakusa who revels in the freedom offered by the midnight hour. Also, she is a vampire, and Kou wants her to turn him into one. However, this process requires that Kou fall in love with Nazuna.

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Call of the Night is a slice of life with a hint of romance, and the story primarily focuses on exploring Kou and Nazuna's peculiar relationship along with the former's enchantment with vampiric life. The leads are charming, and the anime makes expert use of its secondary characters to challenge or tweak the protagonist's perspective. Call of the Night is also the only Summer 2022 anime to introduce perhaps its most interesting character during its last three episodes.

2 Lycoris Recoil (+/- 0)

An original anime, Lycoris Recoil started strong and largely succeeded in sustaining that momentum. Set in a familiar but slightly futuristic world, Tokyo's peace is maintained by an organization that hides operatives known as Lycoris within general society in order to stop crimes before they get going. To blend in, these agents dress as high school girls.

Following a botched operation, Takina gets booted out of the group's main hub and sent to one of its associates, a café called LycoReco, so she can improve her teamwork. There, she meets Chisato, a talented and carefree agent who shows her new partner that she does not have to follow the standard Lycoris method to become everything she can be. Takina and Chisato complement each other beautifully, with the latter helping the former to come out of her shell.

Lycoris Recoil's action sequences are top-notch, not only in terms of animation but also in the way they highlight the characters' personalities. As the season progressed, the show expanded its scope both in terms of set pieces and ideas. Although superficially, the anime's final stretch of episodes raised a few questions on the dangers of Lycoris agents acting as judge, jury, and executioners, asking whether they are actually a net positive for society. Ultimately, this line of inquiry did not amount to much, but these episodes did produce plenty of quality action and dialogue exchanges.

1 Made In Abyss: The Golden City Of The Scorching Sun (+/- 0)

Made in Abyss is not for everyone. Season 1 and the Dawn of the Deep Soul movie follow a group of (mostly) children as they venture into the Abyss, a pit filled with wonder and horror. This anime does not hesitate to torture its characters and, by extension, the audience. These beats are impactful because they are not the narrative's default setting. Made in Abyss has plenty of action-packed and thrilling moments, and these sequences make the darker turns all that more shocking.

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Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun follows Riko, Reg, and Nanachi as they enter the Abyss's sixth layer, which quickly leads them to a village filled with Hollows. The season steadily peels back the layers of this realm and the people who live within it, revealing a center that is complex, chilling, and hauntingly human. Although a bit slow-moving at first, The Golden City of the Scorching Sun gradually picks up steam as it moves towards a deeply unsettling and riveting final act, one that also sets up this narrative's future chapters.

Where To Stream Every Summer 2022 Anime

Dozens upon dozens of anime aired during Summer 2022. This section reflects which streaming service can be used to watch every Summer anime not highlighted in the previous section.

This section also includes continuing anime that predate Summer 2022 (like One Piece and Detective Conan); however, ongoing shows that are not on streaming services will be omitted (like Sazae-san and Crayon Shin-chan). ONAs or OVAs will also not be included.

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