October, to some, is the true beginning of the Fall season. With the changing of the weather, Halloween decorations officially being acceptable to put up, and of course, Pumpkin Spice thrown into literally anything. There’s flannel season, hoodie return to their natural habitat, and of course buying candy that never actually makes it to Halloween. While all of these are amazing things that come to us in October, this particular October has much more weight to it. As if this year there is an added ton of Spiritual Pressure looming over us. That is because we are about to receive one of the most plentiful bounties we’ve ever seen. I am pleased to announce that as of today, October 1, 2022, it is officially the fall season of Anime.
The Classroom of the Elite is out on break, the Summertime has Rendered, and The Call of the Night has met the rise of the Autumn sun. The summer season had some surprisingly great anime that I personally scoffed off at first. The reason being is that I was so excited about the upcoming fall that I thought nothing of it. Though I may have been wrong to do so, it is not to say my hype is not justified. From slice-of-life romcoms to hyper-intense sports, to Battles that will shake the Anime community to the core, this season is set to be the biggest one to date. Not only that, but we get to see the return of arguably some of the best Shounen protagonists in the medium while being introduced to a new contender for Anime of the year. So without further delay why don’t we go through the list of shows airing in October? Rather than going through which shows I’m most excited about, instead, I’m going through what shows by dates released.
10.01.2022:
My Hero Academia Season 6: Class 1A is back and the stakes have never been higher. Deku, Bakugo, and the rest of their classmates along with an army of heroes begin the first War Arc of the series as they battle against The League Of Villains and their science-created monstrosities known as “Nomus.” After being somewhat slow in season 5, this season is sure to be kicked up to 100% and is sure to deliver a United States of Smash worth of action. (Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll)
Uzaki Chan Wants To Hangout Double: After having surprising success in 2020, this slice-of-life comedy series is back and sure to bring your wholesome levels up as the cold weather is sure to bring back those “Down Bad” vibes. We catch up with quiet college student Shinichi as he and possibly one of the more busty waifus of the season Hana Uzaki continue to tease one another and grow closer. Could this be the start of a new ship, could we be getting a classic romcom confession to warm our hearts? One thing’s for sure, absurd hijinks and tight spots are sure to come. (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll)
Spy x Family: One of the best Anime of the year thanks to its strong start in the winter season earlier this year. Now back for the second half of the season, we get to see what dangers wait for our favorite fake family. Undercover spy Loid Forger, his assassin and “best girl” wife Yor, along with their adopted telepathic daughter and one who must be protected by all costs Anya are thrown into the hornet’s nest as they try to stop a world war all while trying to fit in with high society. With the Opening animation already being released, one can’t not fall in love with the work Wit Studio and Cloverworks have put into this series. Could be a potential upset alert for the Crunchyroll Awards. (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll) Below is the opening for Spy x Family
10.02.2022
Pop Team Epic Season 2: Words cannot describe the absolute meme of a show this anime is. With quick flash segments and sketches, this parody takes all the cliches that come with the genre and throws them in the garbage, sets the garbage on fire, and then launches it into space. That’s about as close to a synopsis I can give. (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll)
10.03.2022
Golden Kamuy Season 4: An absolute treasure of an anime that takes place in the early 20th century in Hokkaido, Japan. Japanese soldier Saichi “The Immortal” Sugimoto is set to find a golden treasure alongside his partner and native Asirpa. As the seasons’ change and the harsh winter begins to thaw, the duo must face countless others pursuing this legendary treasure. Will they be able to fulfill their dreams, or will the Immortal Sugimoto finally fall? An action comedy history piece where the jokes land with action that feels like every skirmish could be fatal. (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll)
10.06.2022
Mob Psycho 100 Season 3: My most anticipated Anime of the season. Our favorite bowl cut esper Shigeo Kageyama aka “Mob” is back after a three-year hiatus and is ready to come back at 100%. The show takes places shortly after the insane events of season 2 and to say we are in for a treat is an understatement. Mob, now finally being able to start expressing his emotions, must decide what is next in his life. Will he stay with his con artist sensei Reigen exercising spirits, or will he start down a new path? With an all-time confession arc coming up, one thing is for certain. Chaos, city-destroying esper battles, and broccoli cults is just the tip of the iceberg for this incredible series. Below is just a teaser of what’s to come in season 3. (Where to Watch: (Crunchyroll)
10.09.2022:
Blue Lock: Sports anime can be a tricky code to crack. I personally am not the biggest fan of these as they can get hard to follow with all the dialogue during the sports sequences. Outside of Haikyuu, Megalobox (Both Season 1 and are incredible), and Hajime no Ippo, sports anime feel few and far apart. That is until the announcement for Blue Lock was announced. The synopsis goes as followed: “After reflecting on the current state of Japanese soccer, the Japanese Football Association hire the enigmatic and eccentric coach Jinpachi Ego to achieve their dream of winning the World Cup. There they initiate the Blue Lock—a prison-like facility where three hundred talented strikers from high schools all over Japan are isolated and pitted against each other. The sole survivor of Blue Lock will earn the right to become the national team’s striker, and those who are defeated shall be banned from joining the team forever.” You can’t make this stuff up. (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll)
10.011.2022
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood Arc: The Strawberry Soul Reaper is BACK and the spiritual pressure is strong enough to buckle your knees in. While Luffy and the Strawhat Pirates have been carrying us through The Wano Arc all of the year, it is finally time for another member of The Big 3 to make his triumphant return. An OG bad boy of the Shounen genre, Ichigo Kurosaki returns from a decade-plus hiatus to give us one of the anticipated arcs the series has. The animation, the character/hollow designs look incredible, and if you don’t think Bleach isn’t gonna bring an absolute BANGER track for the intro then you just don’t know Bleach. All we have left to say is BAN KAI. (Where to Watch: Hulu) The latest trailer is here:
10.12.2022: Chainsaw Man: It hasn’t aired a single episode yet, and it is still already being crowned the Anime of the year. The hype train has been derailed and is upside down on fire and all we have is a trailer or two. One of those reasons is that Anime production juggernaut Studio MAPPA is the one animating and producing the show. The same studio behind JuJutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan: The Final Season, they look to continue their dominance on the scene with this soon-to-be classic. The story follows Denji, a young man trapped in poverty, working off his deceased father’s debt to the yakuza by working as a Devil Hunter. With the help of his canine companion and Chainsaw Devil Pochita, Denji looks to live a better life after joining the Public Safety Division, led by Makima. Denji is partnered with Power, the Blood Fiend and best girl, and Aki Hayakawa, a self-destructive Devil Hunter. Makima promises Denji any favor, provided he kill the Gun Devil, perpetrator of the greatest massacre in human history. Blood, gore, action, comedy, and a Gigachad of a lead protagonist, this show has all of the ingredients to go down as an all-time anime. Don’t believe me?
Here’s the latest NSFW trailer: (Where to Watch: Crunchyroll)
10.23.2022
To Your Eternity Season 2: I won’t lie, I only watched the first episode of season 1. Reason being, I was genuinely destroyed after watching it. The first episode of this self-discovery epic will emotionally break you. The story focuses on a shapeless being that doesn’t understand what it even is. After centuries of changing into different shapes and creatures, it finally starts to get a conscience and even begins to ask the what it really means to not just be alive, but what it means to be human. Though I have some make up work to do, I know that this show will be bringing the emotional stakes and stabbing said stakes right through my heart again. (Where to watch: Crunchyroll)
Finally, though this may be considered cheating, I am going to through in an Anime movie.
11.04.2022: One Piece Film: Red: We take a break from Luffy fighting the Unstoppable Monster that is Kiado to focus on the tragic story of his lost childhood friend and International star Uta. Being one of Luffy’s first ever friends, and daughter to one of the Four Emperors Shanks, Uta wishes to create a utopia where all the conflicts of the world vanish. This film has been destroying Japanese box offices and is second in Japanese movie history only behind Demon Slayer Mugen Train. The reviews of this movie have been nothing but stellar and have claimed it is the best One Piece movie to date. Easy for first time viewers to get behind and get familiar fast, while giving long time fans a new and interesting tale. All of the Strawhat Pirates get their time to shine under the spotlight while also getting potential teasers for upcoming episode. If there was ever a time to pick up the iconic and legendary series, now is the time to set sail on the adventure of a literal lifetime. (In select theaters November 4th.)
So here is to all the weeds, nerds, and dorks that will be with me in solidarity during “Weebtober.” It is sure to be an incredible season to hide in your room, close the blinds, and blanket burrito it up. And if you need more weeb content/reviews, here is a link to my review of Netflix’s Anime Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
Elli-torial: Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Plugging Back Into Night City
