The Summer 2022 anime season is in full swing, and almost every show has had a chance to settle in. Some have established their wider plots, while others have started to hint at the larger goals they aim to meet by the season’s end. Some have proven far better than others, though, and that’s why they make our list of the five best anime of August 2022 you should watch.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Season 2
After more than nine years without a continuation, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! anime has returned with a promising second season.
Picking up right where season one left off, the story finds the leads Maou and Emi in another tricky situation. A magical child named Alas Ramus has appeared and claims they are her parents, forcing them to take care of her while juggling their everyday lives and contentious relationship. There’s also the usual array of challenges brought about by their past lives in another realm, with the forces of both men and demons ready to let their conflict spill into Japan.
While the fantasy elements are all well and good, the slice-of-life elements remain the main attraction of the show. Simple shenanigans like keeping Alas entertained without causing a scene in public or dealing with cockroaches are made effortlessly entertaining thanks to the oddball cast of characters on display.
Speaking of which: The series now has far fewer characters to introduce, allowing more time to be spent observing how each character interacts with each other. Even in the first couple of episodes alone, the characters’ debates on proper washer etiquette and arguing about the best economic policy for using an AC shine thanks to the clashing personalities on display.
It’s the perfect show to pop on via Crunchyroll after a hard day’s work and is sure to hold on tight to its spot among the best anime of August 2022.
Call of the Night
Those who enjoy a subtle yet stylish anime experience should definitely keep Call of the Night on their watchlist.
While wandering around one night, a listless teenager named Yamori Kou meets a vampire named Nanakusa Nazuna. Infatuated by her limitless life and freedom, he decides to let her drink his blood and become a vampire himself. There’s just one catch: He has to be truly in love with her for the transformation to be successful. To this end, he begins spending every night with her in the hopes of gaining true love for her.
Providing a mix of slice of life and vampire fantasy with a dash of Shaft design aesthetics mixed in, the show is a relaxing commentary on finding one’s path in life and the necessity of having purpose in one’s actions. Moments that could be used for simple anime hijinks are instead portrayed with a restraint and honesty that forces the viewer to think.
It’s also shown with an excellent visual flair and sense of direction that breathes life into otherwise mundane scenes. Cityscapes sprawl and glow with an air of stillness or life appropriately, and the character designs retain the subdued energy provided by the original manga.
It’s anyone’s guess if the show will maintain this quality and appeal until its conclusion, but for now, it’s spot among the best anime of August 2022 you should watch.
Made in Abyss Season 2
Among the best anime of August 2022 you should watch, the second season of Made in Abyss might be the leader of the pack.
Picking up after the events of the series film Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, this cour sees Riko, Reg and Nanachi discover a village of creatures within the lower levels of the Abyss. Though they seem peaceful enough at first glance, they aren’t without a ferocity and unnerving quality, which hints at a potential conflict for the party to overcome. This is to say nothing of the flashbacks to another party of adventurers who may have done something unspeakable in order to survive to create said village.
It’s a worthwhile expansion of the lore and world the first season introduced, and maintains the stakes brought about by the film. Likewise, the art and animation remain a treat to behold, with wondrous and terrifying vistas depicted alongside smoothly animated and engrossing moments between fully realized characters.
These elements aren’t looking to disappear anytime soon either, meaning those who choose to watch this series will be well-rewarded in the weeks to come.
Isekai Yakkyoku
It wouldn’t be a new anime season without some fresh Isekai offerings, but at least this season has a few standouts with novel ideas. Case in point: Isekai Yakkyoku.
After dying from overwork, a medical researcher finds himself reincarnated into a new world where medical knowledge is leagues behind that of modern society. Fortunately, he has not only his past knowledge of medicine from his previous life but also the blessing of this new world’s god of healing and medicine. Eager to put his skills to good use, he sets off to bring the world’s medical understanding further, healing everyone and anyone he can along the way.
Though it may be lousy with the usual anime tropes of an isekai, this novel premise is proving to be a huge boon for the show’s long-term viability. Instead of solving problems solely with magic battles and fantasy combat, the protagonist can instead fix issues by helping and teaching others, resulting in a more thoughtful progression of events overall.
Admittedly, it’s still unclear if the show will maintain this approach or shift toward relying on its tropes. For the time being though, it’s a great option for anyone looking for a slightly different isekai and sits nicely on our list of the best anime of August 2022 you should watch.
Isekai Ojisan
Isekai Ojisan, meanwhile, is easily the strangest isekai of this season and beyond, but is still an easy entry on our best anime of 2022 list.
A reverse isekai of sorts, the show sees its Uncle protagonist awaken from a coma after being hit by a truck 17 years earlier. Informed by his nephew of the many changes that have occurred since he was injured, he seems bewildered and unsure of how to function in this new reality.
Adding to the chaos is the fact that he wasn’t actually in a coma all this time. Instead, his consciousness was transferred to a fantasy world where he went on several adventures and gained fantastical abilities. Said abilities have even transferred to him now that he has awakened in the real world, allowing him to use his magic as he sees fit, which, as it turns out, isn’t always for the best reasons.
A tongue-in-cheek look at what the fans of anime’s most popular genre would do with fantastical powers, the show offers a good mix of different jokes and gags. It’ll poke fun at Sega fan boys from the ’90s one minute only to show the disastrous consequences of using magic in a modern world the next, with several other topics waiting in the wings to be lampooned. More importantly, these jokes land more often than not, establishing the show as a great comedy that’ll help brighten one’s day.
