2022 has definitely been a rollercoaster journey for the world and for the realm of anime as well. Many of the fan-favorite anime have returned on-screen again. Bringing in some new storylines and anime emerged, which fans had a great time watching. Along with some amazing new titles, several enduring hits have made a comeback for fans to enjoy. There are a ton of eagerly anticipated shows throughout every season, and almost all of them have indeed been huge hits. But one cannot deny the fact that not every show can be a hit, and while 2022 has seen some absolutely exceptional anime, it has also had its fair share of duds.
On some occasions, the debut of a new anime can fall short of viewers’ expectations. While at the same time, some returning anime made a comeback and completely missed the mark. In any case, a lot of anime shows this year fell short of their potential and disappointed eager viewers. Here are some of the most disappointing anime of 2022.
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6 Bubble
DCUNetflix
When Bubble was initially announced, everyone was extremely hyped up about it. Considering it was coming from one of the most acclaimed studios, Wit Studio, fans thought it was destined to be a hit from the get-go. There is no doubt in admitting that its soundtrack and visuals are amazing and worth admiring. However, beautiful visuals are all it has. If one is looking for a good plot and a character arc, this would not be your cup of tea. While the show is placed in a post-apocalyptic realm where children are into parkour, the tale mainly focuses on a boy who gets saved by a girl with mysterious powers. Despite having a gripping premise, its hype soon saw its demise as the story felt extremely flat, and the audience couldn’t feel invested enough to watch it till the end.
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5 Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie
CrunchyrollMuse CommunicationTV AsashiABC
One of the most highly anticipated anime of 2022 was Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie. Many thought it would be at the same level as My Dress-Up Darling in the rom-com genre. However, it was anything but that. Instead, it really has evolved into one of the year’s most underwhelming series of 2022. If one looks at other excellent anime, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie simply fell short in almost every area of achieving that. The anime has nothing that would make watchers come back for the next episodes. With little drama or comedy, the plot was extremely uneventful, and no endearing characters outside of Shikimori herself. The anime just feels extremely distasteful. Even for Shikimori, many thought she was too flawless, which made her extremely unrealistic to relate to or root for. Even though it is a feel-good series, even that couldn’t make up for what it lacked.
4 Vampire In The Garden
Netflix
Despite not originating from a manga, Vampire in the Garden isn’t the worst anime on the list. However, it wasn’t able to meet the high expectations people had of it either. While the soundtrack, art and animation all are breathtaking, it is the characters and stories that are lacking. The anime takes place in a society where vampires have almost wiped off humanity and have constrained them to reside in a fortified city. After seeing the Queen of all Vampires purposefully defend the main character Momo’s companions during the vampires’ onslaught, he eventually decides to accompany her home. The two quickly get close and decide to search for a utopia where vampires and humans can coexist. It takes a lot of introspection, detailed world-building, and in-depth character development to handle such a tricky plot. This show extremely lacked that. The characters, especially Momo, were one-dimensional, and his decisions never felt believable, leaving the show feeling empty and forgettable.
3 Futsal Boys!!!
Tokyo MXBS11MBSFunimation
When it comes to sports anime, there are two things which are incredibly essential for its success, one being the way sport is depicted, and the other is how the characters are portrayed. Characters in successful and loved sports anime tend to fall into one of three categories: endearing (like in Haikyuu!! or Free!), complicated and well-developed (like in Run with the Wind), or completely bonkers (as in Kuroko’s Basketball).
Futsal Boys!!!! doesn’t really have any characters who fit any of these descriptions or who accomplish anything really notable in the show. This makes it even harder to root for these characters, as the audience doesn’t even feel attached to them. Then, if we talk about the sport itself, Futsal is a legitimate sport, which is quite challenging. The majority of the movements depicted were incorrect, even though the names of the set plays were largely correct. Thus, it is one of those animes where you aren’t learning about the sport, nor are you gaining anything about the characters, which makes it a waste of time for viewers.
2 Requiem Of The Rose King
Viz Media
Requiem of the Rose King is one of the most highly acclaimed shojo manga that tells a tale of an intersex Richard III from his very turbulent youth during War of the Roses into adulthood. It’s an absolutely amazing manga that is emotionally profound, graphically stunning, and full of fascinating historical details. Requiem of the Rose King received a significant amount of buzz, given that it had been a while since shojo fans got any good brand-new series. Many watchers thought that this highly anticipated adaptation would herald the great return of this entire genre. Unfortunately, this anime fell short in every sense. Unfortunately, the anime couldn’t live up to its manga. The entire plot was extremely convoluted and rushed. In addition, the anime omits numerous crucial moments and elements that provide the narrative with its complexity and depth.
The animation is, at best lackluster and, at worst abhorrent, and in certain sections, the scenes are not even animated. Rather, they depict the story through still images, which is extremely disappointing and jarring for a watcher. These problems were simply just a bit too much for watchers to turn a blind eye to, and eventually, they lost interest leading to the terrible demise of this series.
1 The Rising Of The Shield Hero - Season 2
CrunchyrollSEAPlus Media Networks AsiaAT-XTokyo MXTVAKBSSUNTVQBS11
Ever since its release, The Rising Of The Shield Hero quickly ranked among the most well-known isekai, rivaling perhaps household names like Sword Art Online and Re: Zero. All the hype of the first season led to fans anticipating even top-notch work from its season, too. In fact, many thought it would be considered one of the top, if not the greatest, anime of the year. The story follows Naofumi, who was suddenly summoned into another world with a few others, to protect it from reoccurring invasions. He immediately gets powers of the shield bestowed on him, only they feel like the ones from a game he once played.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with this season. It somehow turned out to be one of the worst of the year. Almost everything viewers adored in the first season was abolished in season 2. Instead, the series became yet another uninspired, bland isekai with the same drab plot and cast of characters. The series as a whole has become a catastrophe because of the result of this continuation, and viewers who were counting down the days are now rapidly losing faith in it.
