Fall 2022

I remembered Fall 2022 as the season where a knockout original and a pile of sequels coexisted, and that mismatch mostly worked in its favor. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was the headline — a lean ten-episode run with punchy direction, scarred characters, and a soundtrack that kept scenes humming long after. Road of Naruto leaned into nostalgia and big set pieces; it wasn't reinventing the wheel but its production held up and fans ate it up. KanColle's return and the Sword Art Online -Progressive- movie gave franchise audiences more of what they wanted.

Movies and streaming originals carried a lot of weight. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond turned the series' humor into cinema-scale action, while Romantic Killer used its short format to lean on bright visuals and a catchy score. Sparrow's Door Tightening — small in profile but strong in character focus — proved quieter shows still had room to surprise. Studios like Bones, CloverWorks and MAPPA all turned in slick work, and a surprisingly loud music presence across releases helped the season stick in memory.