Keep It Pumpin’ — The Best Action-Packed Anime of Spring and Summer 2022
Sometimes all one needs to relax is some good ol’ fashion, high octane fights with a good plot thrown in for good measure. Thankfully, action is one thing anime shows don’t lack.
In this review, we will revisit some of the best action-packed shows from Spring and Summer 2022. If you are interested in something more laid-back and chill, you can read this article instead.
As excellent as Spring and Summer 2022 was for casual or romance-loving anime fans, it also fares equally well in the action and thriller department. Many new shows from these 2 seasons have made their mark in the anime world, including Summertime Render and Lycoris Recoil.
There are 3 main criteria for the shows listed below:
- Lots of good action
- Are non-sequels
- Show has ended as of October 2022
In this review, we will briefly explore some of the most action-packed anime Spring and Summer 2022 has to offer. Please be warned there will be spoilers.
This article will start off a bit differently by listing the 2 best shows of Spring and Summer 2022. If you can’t afford watching all the shows on the list, these 2 shows are the ones you must absolutely watch.
First on the list is…
Summer Time Rendering | Summertime Render | サマータイムレンダ
Summary
Shinpei Ajiro returns to Hitagoshima Island to attend Ushio — his foster sister’s, funeral. Despite Ushio being officially dead from drowning, he discovers strangle marks on her neck. Other strange occurrences, including the sudden weird behaviour of people, unexplainable disappearances and a weird message from Ushio alerts Shinpei to the existence of “Shadows” — supernatural entities capable of duplicating and deleting humans.
Armed with time-looping powers and knowledge, he now needs to find a way to uncover the mystery behind Ushio’s death, protect his other foster sister Mio, and save the whole island from an inevitable massacre in two days time.
Why I Enjoy This
I can go on and on and on about this show as there’s just so much to unpack. Everything is excellent, be it the pacing, characters, choreography, dialogue, plot, they were all on point. While some shows can get predictable after a few episodes, its a continual back-and-forth struggle between the heroes and the villains.
Neither side gets an absolute advantage in the beginning and things get truly dire in the latter-half, making Shinpei and his allies’ struggles more tense. The ending also beautifully ties up the show. While I am sad there will never be a sequel, I am glad that at least this show ends in an absolute banger.
If you want a gripping show that keeps you at the edge of the seat, Summer Time Rendering is right up your alley.
You can watch the trailer here.
Lycoris Recoil | リコリス・リコイル
Summary
Japan’s peace is protected by Direct Attack’s (DA) “Lycoris” agents — orphaned girls trained to be super spies. After committing an error during her mission, Takina Inoue is transferred to her new base of operations — Cafe LycoReco. It’s there that Takina meets the famed Lycoris agent — Chisato Nishikagi, world-class hacker Kurumi a.k.a. Walnut, special instructor Mika, and booze-loving Mizuki Nakahara.
However, Chisato and her co-workers are nothing like what she expected. While Takina works hard to get reinstated into DA’s main base, Chisato is keen on cheering Takina up and show her that there’s more to life than being in the DA. Along the way, they need to contend with forces hoping to disrupt Tokyo’s peace whilst helping the patrons of Cafe LycoReco.
Why I Enjoy This
Lycoris Recoil is a show that never disappoints. The action and fight scenes are all well-choreographed and smooth. The opening and ending theme music is memorable, the world-building is engaging, and the plot is well-paced. The producers’ love for this show obviously shines through.
However, the main highlight of this show is the character dynamics. While Chisato’s exuberance strongly contrasts with Takina’s indifference, their relationship soon morphs into one of trust and mutual reliance. There is also no single-dimensional character as nearly everyone has secrets and motives of their own.
If you want a show with action, comedy, plot, and heartwarming characters, Lycoris Recoil is the show for you.
You can watch the trailer here.
Summer Time Rendering and Lycoris Recoil may be in their own league, however that is not the end for the recommendations in this article.
The Executioner and Her Way of Life | Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road | 処刑少女の生きる道〈バージンロード〉
Summary
Other-worlders, a.k.a. “Lost Ones ”are constantly summoned due to their “Pure Concept” powers that defy imagination. As their powers come at the cost of mental sanity, previous “Lost Ones” that lost control caused four legendary disasters known as “Human Errors”. To prevent these calamities from reoccurring, the Faust church dispatches magic-wielding executioners to kill off any wanderers.
In the midst of her tasks, Executioner Menou comes across Akari Tokitou who possesses the power of Time. As her initial efforts to kill Akari are fruitless, Menou tricks Akari on a trip to a “Human Error” which can kill Akari off. However, the innocent looking Akari also harbours secrets of her own.
Why I Enjoy This
Compared to most of the shows in this list, this show has some of the slickest and best animation. All the action and fight scenes are excellent; there are no choppy scenes and no two opponents have the same powers. As almost every opponent Menou goes against is overpowered, she also needs to use her wit and intelligence in her fights.
Ironically, while Menou seemed to be the one tricking Akari, as the show progresses it seems that Akari (or future/past Akari?) is the more crafty one instead. This show has some girls’ love (yuri) themes, but it is not featured prominently in the show.
You can watch the trailer here.
Engage Kiss
Summary
Bayron City is a global metropolis powered by the energy resource Organium. Unfortunately, the presence of organium also attracts demons. To keep the population safe and ignorant of the demons’ threats a.k.a. D Hazards, the city employs Private Military Companies to tackle such hazards.
To uncover the reason behind his family’s disappearance, Shuu Organa enters a contract with A-class demoness Kisara at the cost of his memories. As the top combatant in the city, Shuu now needs to fight not just the demons, but also a tyrannical government and the advances of both Kisara and his ex-lovers.
Why I Enjoy This
This show is produced by the same studio of Lycoris Recoil, which means that the animations and action quality are just as good. All the character designs are also attractive and unique. Although the music and design suggest this show to be a cheery one, it actually tackles some pretty serious themes. There is also an unexpectedly gut-wrenching fight scene between Shuu and (SPOILER ALER) his adopted father.
Unfortunately, compared to Lycoris Recoil, other aspects of this show lack lustre. The pacing is not very even and it can be campy. The ending could also have been more definite as Shuu’s relationship with his lovers seem to have zero progress. Despite its flaws, Engage Kiss is still an enjoyable show action-wise and works well as a popcorn-flick.
You can watch the trailer here.
Fuuto PI | Fuuto Tantei | 風都探偵
Summary
Shoutarou Hidari, Philip and Akiko Narumi are members of Fuuto City’s Narumi Detective Agency. After investigating a mysterious girl called Tokime, their investigations lead them to “Gaia Memories” — thumb drive-like memory units providing their users, a.k.a. “Dopants”, with superpowers. To combat the villainous threat of Dopants and uncover Tokime’s mysterious past, Shoutarou and Philip must once again use their Gaia memory for justice as Kamen Rider W.
Why I Enjoy This
Henshin! Let’s first list the positives. As far as live-action-to-anime remakes go, this show is pretty good. The characters and visuals are overall attractive, the transformation scenes and music accompaniments are fitting, and while the action might not be spectacular, it’s still considered quite smooth and on the higher end compared to the other anime.
However, this show is much more enjoyable if you know the lore and watched the previous live-action show. There are lots of references and easter eggs which could be easily missed. Compared to the live action version, there are also fewer fights (perhaps 1–2 fights every 3 episodes). The series also ended on a cliff-hanger, which might be a bit frustrating if you want to know exactly how it ends.
You can watch the trailer here.
Honourable Mentions
While the following anime are not strictly under the ‘action’ category, there are bits and pieces of action in them.
Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs | Otome Game Sekai wa Mob ni Kibishii Sekai desu | 乙女ゲー世界はモブに厳しい世界です
After being reincarnated into a matriarchal game world, mob character Leon Fou Bartfort needs to use his game knowledge to survive in this world and live a life of convenience.
There is action, but the animation is nothing exceptional. The most enjoyable aspect in this show is of course seeing how he outwits and trash-talk the other characters.
You can watch the trailer here.
I’m Quitting Heroing | Yuusha, Yamemasu | 勇者、辞めます
Leo Demonheart, the hero of humanity, is ironically ostracised by humanity after he repels the demon queen Echidna’s army. Weary of being alone, he decides to quit as a hero (hence the title) and join the demon army’s recruitment drive, However, is he able to move his former enemies with his sincerity and be successfully recruited into the demon army?
Compared to the other main characters on this list, Leo is seriously overpowered and easily defeats his foes. The best fight scene in this show is undoubtedly his final conflict with the demon queen and her four generals, where Leo plays the villain role convincingly well.
You can watch the trailer here.
Love After World Domination | Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de | 恋は世界征服のあとで
Fudou Aikawa and Desumi Magahara are deeply in love but there’s a small hiccup — the former belongs to hero group “Gelato 5”, whereas the latter belongs to evil organisation “Gekko”. Strictly professional fighting and dating aside, they also need to keep their relationship under wraps from everyone else.
This is the only show that appears both on this action list and also on the relaxing list. While this show’s main theme is undoubtedly romance, the producers didn’t skimp out on the action part too. Out of the 3 honourable mentions, I would actually say that this has the best action overall.
You can watch the trailer here.
That’s all I have for now. If you have other suggestions or enjoy this article, feel free to let me know.
I hope you enjoyed this read.
Happy watching!
