NEET Trash: Spring 2022 – Ones To Watch

Let me start by saying I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in the world of anime by any means. If I had to, I would say I’m seasoned. Experienced, maybe. There’s a lot that slips through the cracks and I miss out on some real gems or I just sleep on it. The latter of which isn’t so bad because I can binge an entire show. However, I miss out on those good discussions. Or worse, I miss out on the good memes. That would be a true tragedy. Would you believe that this was me with Jujutsu Kaisen? I was so in love with Demon Slayer and when Jujutsu Kaisen came out, I let it completely fall off my radar.

Luckily for you, I am here to help you not miss some of the best new anime on offer. Just know I want to focus on the newer anime so shows like Kaguya-sama, Komi-san, and Rising of the Shield Hero won’t be featured here because you should already be watching these shows. Think of me as your anime salesman and I want to set you up with a brand spanking new show to obsess about.

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

Before I start, I gotta talk about my honorable mention, The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Just trust me here, you need to add this to your watchlist. I want to say so much more but I fear whatever I say gets right into spoiler territory. I will however say this, I thought it was just going to be another isekai that I put on as a palette cleanser between two shows. Let it be known, this is so much more than just another isekai. Yes, it deals with “Lost Ones” from Japan but where the show took me, I would have never seen it coming. I know people that had the premise spoiled for them and it doesn’t diminish the experience too much but I feel it would be more enjoyable going in completely blind on this one.

Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie

Let’s face it, dating in high school is just tough. For Izumi, it has to be challenging. I say this only on the fact that the world seems hellbent on hurting/embarrassing him in some form. It’s a good thing he’s dating quite possibly the perfect girl for him. After all Shikimori isn’t just a cutie (ha, see what I did there) she excels in her academics, in sports, and everyone at school loves her. But there is a whole other layer to her. Shikimori is the perfect gentleman. She knows to stand between her and her partner in case, say, a side mirror gets a little too close to pedestrians. She goes out of her way to protect Izumi from all the dangers in his life. Izumi’s bad luck can’t break through the wall that is Shikimori’s admiration for him. And when the moment has passed, she gives him a scolding so tough that it may just awaken something in you that you didn’t know was there. If anyone has a hole on their “Best Girl” shelf now that Marin Kitagawa isn’t cosplaying, Shikimori is perfect to fill the void in your heart.

Ya Boy Kongming

Ya Boy Kongming has quickly become one of my favorite anime this season because of two reasons, it’s genuinely delightful and that OP is a bop as the kids say. For those unaware, Kongming was an actual Chinese military strategist during the Three kingdoms period way back around the 200 AD years. The premise of the story is when Kongming passes away in 234, he awakens in modern day Shibuya during a huge Halloween party. Everyone around him is in costumes, partying, drinking, and he accepts it all to be Hell and just goes with it. Fate brings him to a nightclub where Eiko Tsukimi is performing and he instantly becomes captivated by her music. It is settled that Kongming will help Eiko hit it big on the scene until the entire world knows her music using stratagems from his past life. Once Eiko is famous, Kongming’s mission of peace will be fulfilled. Eiko just has to bring Kongming up to speed on things like smart phones, EDM, and what actually is the block chain.

Spy X Family

Now for probably the most anticipated anime this season, Spy X Family. I feel like this one sells itself from the premise alone. In order to complete his latest mission, a spy has to adopt a girl so she can pretend to be his daughter and attend a distinguished school so he can get close to his target. However, the girl he adopts is a telepath and can read his mind for every secret he can’t share. The daughter, Anya, loves a spy TV show so getting to live in the care of one is entertainment she can’t beat. Unfortunately, the school requires both parents to be present during the admission interview so now our spy, Loid Forger, has to find a wife and find her fast. You know, that old trope. Well, who Loid and Anya find is a woman named Yor, who seems to be an office worker who doesn’t stand out too much, but gets ridiculed by her coworkers for being a single female in her late 20’s. However, Yor is also known as the Thorn Princess and is a contracted assassin. So unbeknownst to Loid AKA Twilight, he makes a deal with Yor to become a family to keep his cover safe. Yor keeps her cover safe and doesn’t have to deal with office gossip anymore. And Anya gets to live in a house with an assassin and a spy who hide their double lives from one another. Hijinks ensue. The music in this is perfect for the setting. So if you watch anything this season, I wholeheartedly believe this is something just about anyone would enjoy.