Spring is a time of rejuvenation, winter ends and the world becomes green again (unless, you live in SEA, in that case, it’s just raining as usual) but for 2022, it also means several prolific new anime will be arriving this April.

With the Winter of 2022 being a more low-key time for new anime, Spring sees big releases and is much anticipated. Here are just ten to watch out for:

Spy X Family

In order to stop a well-connected terrorist, a renowned Spy must create a ‘pretend family’, to infiltrate a school and get close to the terrorist’s son. He recruits a woman and orphan to act as his wife and daughter. Little does he know, the woman is an assassin and the girl is an esper. Only she knows her ‘parents’ real identities. Thus starts a wholesome little thriller about family, school life, and political espionage.

Spy x Family is exciting in premise alone. Three expeditionary people coming together for ordinary family life and the hijinks involved in keeping up the facade. With a great mixture of comedy, thrills, and wholesomeness this is probably the anime most are looking out for this season.

Rise of The Shield Hero season 2

After being Isekai’d to another world, Naofumi Iwatani is labeled the prophesized ‘Shield Hero’. Unfortunately, after being undermined compared to the three other isekai’d heroes who got cooler weapons, he is falsely accused of rape and hated as an outcast. Slowly Neofumi makes new allies (ie buys a couple of slaves) and journeys forth to improve his reputation and become the true Shield people need even if they don’t deserve.

This hit isekai returns with a second season. As you can tell from the premise, this is one of the darker alternate world stories out there with a psychologically damaged main character and a cruel medieval world where everyone’s a dick. That being said it still has plenty of action, and watching our Shield man pull himself out of the mud of bad publicity is fun to watch. The new season promises to further the plot with more party members and greater challenges ahead.

Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie

“Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be… but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens!” (synopsis taken from MyAnimeList)

Another anime in the ‘ridiculously average guy that somehow gets a quirky girlfriend who’s way out his league’ genre, Shikimori looks to be the next best girl of the Spring season. She’s a fiery mix of a tsundere and yandere, going to extremes to protect her man. For those looking for the next big waifu, look out for her.

Summertime Render

Shinpei Ajiro returns to his hometown to mourn the death of his surrogate sister, however, as he looks at her body he realizes that her death could not have been an accident. He’ll soon uncover that there are dark forces at work in his home town and it’ll take a lot of all that he has to uncover the truth.

I’m always been a big fan of two things: murder mystery stories and, sleepy Japanese coastal towns, so Summertime Render bringing the two together is a match made in heaven. The fact that it’s being done by OLM, the same studio that did the best anime of last year Odd Taxi, just makes it sound better.

Tomodachi Game

A group of five friends have their relationship strained when two members lose a sum of money they planned to use to go on a trip. A few days later they are contacted to meet together, only to be ambushed and knocked on conscious. When they wake up, they are greeted by a creepy mascot figure and told that they are going to play a ‘friendship game’ that will test how much they can really trust each other.

Many would compare the premise of this anime to Squad Game, but I’d say this sounds more like an average game of Mario Party. Regardless, another genre I’ve always enjoyed is the battle royal genre and this seems like an interesting spin on the premise. It reminds me a lot of the card game ‘Disturbed Friends’ where chances are this friend group is going to learn a few dark secrets about each other that they’d very were left unknown.

Black★★Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall

It is the year 2062, two decades after the failure of a massive workforce automation project. Artemis, the artificial intelligence at the core of that project, had decided to attack humanity, and the resulting war laid waste to Earth. The only thing that stands in her way is Empress, one of the three surviving guardians of humanity, who’s also known as Black Rock Shooter. (synopsis taken from ANN)

After almost ten years since her last anime, Black Rock Shooter returns. This anime seems set in an entirely different world from the previous series, taking place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi style world that seems very fitting for the character. The anime promises cute girls, guns, and lots of action, what more can you ask for.

There are many other anime premiering during the spring of 2022. Kaguya Sama, Komi-san Can’t Communicate, Date Alive, and Love Live Superstars are all getting new seasons. Netflix has also announced a slate of new anime that will be launched in the coming months. Regardless of what kind of anime you’re looking for, there should be something for you to watch this season.

So, what anime are you planning to watch for Spring 2022?