HomeAnimeANIME REVIEW | Spring 2022 Returning Series

ANIME REVIEW | Spring 2022 Returning Series

ANIME REVIEW | Spring 2022 Returning Series

Love was truly in the air during the Spring 2022 season. New candidates for anime’s best couple arrived via such series as Aharen-san wa Hakarenai and Love After World Domination, with both series delivering some satisfying rom-com goodness. But beneath the shadows rested the return of two hotly-anticipated romantic comedies, alongside a handful of other new seasons of some well-known anime. Let’s take a look at the returning series of Spring 2022 that delivered the goods, as well as maybe one or two that missed the mark.

KOMI CAN’T COMMUNICATE: Season Two

Poor Shoko Komi! All she wants is to be friends with everyone, but her classmates put her on too high of a pedestal for them to talk to her. Perhaps it’s for the best, as Komi has a hardcore dose of social anxiety. Thankfully, she’s got a friend in Hitohito Tadano, who aids in her quest to make 100 friends. Season One planted the seeds of friendship with great humor and beauty, making it a highlight of Fall 2021’s anime season. Does Season Two manage the do the same?

For starters, we find that Komi’s quest for 100 friends is easier said than done, as her current number is just over a dozen. However, plenty of moments arrive to help the shy girl rack up the count higher. Her birthday/Christmas party and a trip to Kyoto aid in helping her get closer to her classmates, in ways that take Komi by surprise. But it’s her friendship with Tadano that evolves throughout this season, with the two slowly growing to be more than just mere comrades.

A moment where Tadano falls sick has Komi coming over to assist with homely matters, only for her to start holding his hand while he lies asleep. While this scenario plants the seeds for future romances, it’s the Valentine’s Day and White Day episodes where said seeds are watered. The way Komi and Tadano communicate with one another is not only humorous, but also endearing and — quite frankly — relatable. All of it is a showcase of why Komi Can’t Communicate has been one of the most popular manga series of the last few years!

But it’s not just about Komi and Tadano; there’s still plenty of other characters that take hold of the spotlight. Najimi continues to demonstrate why they’re one of the funniest characters in anime today, with their off-the-wall antics in and out of the classroom being the show’s biggest highlight. Katai’s kind heart and tough exterior delivers some truly silly moments that conflict with his true personality. Then there’s Yamai, whose presence in the show is the reason why I have to take a point off of its score. (Seriously, can she just go die in a fire?)

One hopes for another season of Komi Can’t Communicate down the line, as these first two were a true delight to experience. While not everything about it was perfect, the emotional and humorous aspects on display were some of Spring 2022’s best moments in anime. Cute, beautiful, and relatable, Komi Can’t Communicate gave viewers a reason to raise their voices and break down those walls of anxiety!

FINAL GRADE:

Komi Can’t Communicate can be viewed on Netflix.

SHIN IKKI TOUSEN

Ikki Tousen is something of a guilty pleasure of mine. On one hand, it’s super fan-service-y, to the point where the nudity has a “just go with it” vibe to it. However, when done right, the fighting sequences can be pretty badass. Sure, the story is so-so, but everything else in Ikki Tousen has been surprisingly entertaining. Alas, I wish I could say the same about its latest chapter: Shin Ikki Tousen.

At first, the attention seems to be placed on main character Hafuku’s sister Chuubou, as she deals with assassins sent by Himiko. When she’s poisoned, Hafuku returns to the spotlight, as she seeks a cure to save her sister. A trip to a faraway island brings her to the right direction, only for a plethora of enemies and hazards to keep Hafuku from reaching her goal. And then, well…

What happened behind-the-scenes of Shin Ikki Tousen makes this three episode sequel difficult to recommend. Its animation studio ARMS shut down after declaring bankruptcy, and the series itself stops midway through the plot. Chuubou’s left still suffering from the poison, and Hafuku suffers a setback that could result in her death. As such, not a single ounce of closure is presented here for viewers.

It’s a shame, because the fight scenes are pretty good, and are the only reason to watch Shin Ikki Tousen. But with the future of the franchise up in the air, one might be sad knowing that all of the show’s answers might never be revealed. If you’re looking solely for good fights with plenty of fan-service, then you can perhaps watch Shin Ikki Tousen and get your view’s worth. Otherwise, might I suggest playing one of the Senran Kagura games?

FINAL GRADE:

Shin Ikki Tousen can be viewed on Crunchyroll and VRV. It has been licensed by Crunchyroll.

THE DEMON GIRL NEXT DOOR: Season Two

Sometimes it’s frustrating to watch The Demon Girl Next Door. The show can be very funny, as the demon girl Shamiko deals with trying to defeat the magical girl Momo Chiyoda in silly ways. However, there are times when the dialogue moves from one joke to another without a break, resulting in a punchline that’s more confusing than funny. This is what happened with Season One, and it unfortunately still occurs in its second season.

At this point in The Demon Girl Next Door, Shamiko and Momo are now good friends. In fact, they wind up working more together to deal with daily gripes than against one another. A search for Momo’s sister Sakura results in a foray of shenanigans, from working in a demon cafe to fights with the realm of dreams. They also touch upon their friend Mikan’s strange powers, which may be caused by a guardian who misunderstood her task of protecting her.

Shamiko, Momo, and Mikan are a very entertaining trio to watch on the screen, but sometimes The Demon Girl Next Door goes too fast with its jokes. When a punchline hits well (especially when it involves the whatchamacallit rod), it can be very hilarious. However, The Demon Girl Next Door may require more than one viewing to capture all of the gags that occur in each of the episode’s 22-minute timeframe. Then again, there’s plenty of worse things you can do with your extra time.

FINAL GRADE:

The Demon Girl Next Door can be viewed on HIDIVE, and has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

YATOGAME-CHAN KANSATSU NIKKI: Season Four

Each episode of Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki is only three minutes long, yet it manages to fill every one of those moments with a regular episode’s length worth of jokes and puns. But not all of the jokes land, especially if you live outside of Japan. In fact, one can say that Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki is more of an educational show, as it also teaches viewers about the ins and outs of Nagoya, Japan.

A lot of the gags arrive via the cat-hatted Yatogame, who finds ways to declare Nagoya the best city in town. The rest of the cast then bounce off of her, as they either agree or argue over why she’s right or wrong. These battles go at a spitfire’s speed, while factoids about Nagoya and its neighboring cities are thrown in here and there. It makes for some interesting viewing, but whether or not it’s entertaining depends on your knowledge of local Japanese cultures.

FINAL GRADE:

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki can be viewed on Crunchyroll and VRV. It has been licensed by Crunchyroll.

KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR -ULTRA ROMANTIC- (Season Three)

My heart’s having a major conflict regarding my pick for best modern-day romantic comedy. Last season saw Teasing Master Takagi-san deliver one of the most satisfying conclusions I’ve seen in the history of anime rom-coms. And now, we have Kaguya-sama: Love is War returning with one of the most genre-smashing seasons ever put to animation! Oh where to begin!

Season Three — subtitled Ultra Romantic — doesn’t quite earn its namesake, but that’s intentional. Kaguya and Shirogane are both idiots of the highest order, meaning there’s nothing “ultra” about their romance skills. But that doesn’t mean they’re not going to try to get the other person to confess, and boy do they really want their relationship to actually start! It also doesn’t help that Chika, Ishigami, Miko, and even Ai have their own problems to deal with, many of which stem from Kaguya and Shirogane themselves!

Ishigami grows a lot more here in Kaguya-sama: Love is War, thanks to him wishing to confess his love to Tsubame. Their moments together at the Culture Festival give off a big beacon of hope to the shut-in, to the point where it appears that true happiness for him may be in grasp. Miko attempts to find a place in the Student Council, as her strict antics slowly become looser with the aid of her friends. As for Chika, well, can author Aka Akasaka listen to voice actress Konomi Kohara’s request for a love interest before the manga wraps up this year?!

It should be noted that Chika needs no love interest to be a highlight. So long as Shirogane keeps needing her help with random things, she’ll have a major purpose for this series. That moment arrives in the now-famous rap episode, which pays homage to the Beastie Boys in the most beautiful and in-your-face ways! Saying more here would spoil the magic one experiences when watching the madness unfold.

But it all winds down to that Culture Festival, where the love between Shirogane and Kaguya is put on the line. The amount of work and dedication these two put into having their hearts on display is both inspiring and hilarious. Those last few moments of the arc bring to the screen the mic drop everyone has been itching to see. And believe me: it delivers it flawlessly!

There is plenty more Kaguya-sama: Love is War left to enjoy, as a big-screen sequel was recently announced. But for now, Ultra Romantic showcased the many great strengths of its characters and situations. The emotions, the tension, the jokes, and even homages to every sort of entertainment imaginable that were placed in this series were top-tier. If Spring 2022 was the season of love, then Kaguya-sama: Love is War was the Cupid’s arrow that shot through its heart!

FINAL GRADE:

Kaguya-sama: Love is War can be viewed on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and VRV. It has been licensed by Aniplex of America.

Any returning shows we missed? Have a different opinion about the ones we talked about? Comment below with your thoughts on the Spring 2022 returning series!

Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.

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The J-POP king of America, Evan has been bringing the hottest sounds of the Land of the Rising Sun to the English-speaking public since his college radio days. He's also an expert in the gaming, anime, & manga realms, never afraid to get critical when the times call for it. Born & bred in Boston, he achieved his biggest dream yet by making the big move to Tokyo, Japan in Summer 2023! For personal inquiries, contact Evan at evan@b3crew.com. For press/band inquiries, write to us at thebastards@bostonbastardbrigade.com. (Drawing by AFLM of Wicked Anime)