Chiamaka Onuoha – Editor

Favorite 2022 Anime: Bleach Thousand Year Blood War

My favorite Anime of 2022 is “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War”. From the moment it was announced that they would be bringing us the final arc, I had been sitting on the edge of my seat and I am happy to report, so far, I have not been disappointed. To prepare, I rewatched and caught up on previous episodes and begged my sibling for their Hulu (without ads) subscription. October would not catch me slipping. This Bleach Arc may not be the best storyline, but it holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. Bleach was one of the first Anime I ever watched when I moved to America, back when Anime lovers were ostracized by our peers. Anime was a safe place for me because I was bullied as an immigrant so being able to watch its final arc from a much better place invokes so much nostalgia. I am reminded of the solace I found amidst depression and heartbreak, grateful I lived to see much better times, and glad I can enjoy this, not as a form of escapism, but with pure delight and with the world (because Anime is cool now). I also feel satisfied that Bleach, the Anime series, is getting a fitting ending. The episode “Changing History, Unchanging Heart” in season 16 seemed too abrupt and didn’t really seal everything up for me. Since I don’t currently read Manga, I didn’t know there was more to be expected. I like shows to end without unanswered questions and in a manner that matches the same quality we got in previous episodes, which I feel Bleach: TYBW will do. So, catch me in 2023 with more tears of joy and more yells of “no” and “what the heck” as I get closer to ending a bittersweet chapter in my life.

My favorite anime of the year is parts two-three of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean”. Inherently, I have been a big fan of the JoJo’s franchise since my daughter introduced me in 2020. I propose this being my favorite anime of 2022 due to the captivity and edge-of-your-seat, tug-and-pull of the plot. “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean” gives us comedic relief via Anasui and his love for Jolyne, sinister, heart throbbing chills from the Father Pucci, and pure rebel girl power from the talented women of the season (Jolyne, F.F., Ermes). A fine rationality that I admire of Araki, creator of the JoJo’s franchise, is his willingness to kill off key characters. The only surviving member of the show was a little boy named Emporio. Though he “brought back” our beloved characters via alternate reality influence, we still received the tear jerk of losing our best pals. I enjoyed this anime and felt a sense of freedom as I experienced this masterpiece in its entirety.

Tiana Dowell – Writer (Spoiler Warning!)

Favorite 2022 Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6

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JoJo’s Stone Ocean Part 3 Best Moments - https://youtu.be/qmFz5X5rphM