Fall 2022 has been a stellar season foranimefans, bringing forthan epic line-up of new entertaining showsand witnessing the return of many beloved series. Shows likeMy Hero AcademiaandSpyxFamilyalready had fans hyped up for this season, but they were not the only gems fans got treated to this fall. This season also saw the release of one of the most anticipated shows of the year,Chainsaw Man,which ended up exceeding expectations.
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Other notable shows this fall include the likes ofBlue Lock, a show about boys competing to become Japan’s best football striker, andThe Eminence in Shadow, a somewhat unique take on the Isekai genre. What made these shows truly resonate with fans was not only their interesting premises but also the characters that helped deliver them, and there are some male characters that fans cannot seem to get enough of.
5Cid Kageno (The Eminence in Shadow)
Cid Kageno was an eccentric high schooler who used to beat up thugs as a hobby, but he ended up dying when a truck accidentally ran him over. Soon after Kageno realized that he had been reborn as an infant in a new world. Retaining all his previous memories and eccentricity, Kageno continued to pose as a side character in front of everyone around him, but in secret foundedan organization called the Shadow Gardento fight an evil cult from wreaking havoc in his new home world.
In truth, Kageno was only making up a false fantasy to lure in some test subjects, upon whom he could experiment on with his new powers, but his fake story actually ended up being real. Kageno’s character brings a new color to the Isekai genre keeping things fresh and entertaining.
4Loid Forger (SpyxFamily)
The undercover agent turned father turned husband has returned to fight the corruption in his world and stop a war from erupting between two rival nations, all the while trying tobalance his newly formed family life. Loid Forger is the alias that Agent Twilight uses to blend in with civilians and carry out his missions in secret.
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In the second cour of this hit show, Agent Twilight is seen trying to ensure the success of Operation Strix and took on some terrorists, giving fans some engaging action sequences in the process. While Loid has been slowly getting closer to Yor this season, the arrival of an old acquaintance of his, Fiona Frost, might end up threatening their budding relationship.
3Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia)
It is not common for rival characters in shonen shows toacknowledge their own weaknessesand work on them, which is why fans were surprised at the recent twist that occurred in the sixth season ofMy Hero Academia, centering around Bakugo. Katsuki Bakugo is very popular in the fandom due to his rude nature and hotheadedness, but this time around Bakugo has proven to everyone that despite his questionable behavior, his heart is still that of a hero.
What defines a hero is not how much power one has but one’s ability to act in times of distress. During the fight against Shigaraki this season, most of the Pro Heroes were not able to fare well against his newly added buffs and powers, however, that did not stop Midoriya and Bakugo from facing the menacing villain. It was during this clash that Shigaraki tried to deliver a deathly blow to Midoriya, only to be intercepted by Bakugo, repaying Midoriya for saving him once prior.
2Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100)
Shigeo Kageyama, aka Mob, has come a long way since coming under the wing of Arataka Reigen, the biggest conman around. However, the third and final season ofMob Psycho 100seeks topush Mob even furtherto help him finally break out of his socially awkward shell. This season Mob has had to deal with a lot of emotional challenges that come with being a teenager on top of the usual esper shenanigans.
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No doubt Mob is the strongest esper around, but he still has no clue as to what he wants to do with his life. His growing popularity also caused a spike in his ego sparking a fight between him and his spirited friend Dimple. There is still more to come for this social oddball this season, as Mob prepares to finally confess his feelings to Tsubomi-chan.
1Denji (Chainsaw Man)
Chainsaw Manwas the most hyped-up show of this yearand saw the debut of one of the weirdest protagonists ever seen in shonen anime. Denji was an orphaned demon hunter who had to do everything between cutting wood to selling his own body parts to ensure his survival. As bad as life was for Denji, he made it work as long as he had his demon dog Pochita alongside him.
But one hunt gone wrong almost ended up costing him his and Pochita’s life. After the incident, Denji became infused with his demon dog and turned into the ferocious hunter known as the Chainsaw Man. Fortunately, things started to get better for him after that, as he was picked up by the Demon Hunters of Public Safety, who provided him with a roof, a job, and lots of jam to put on his bread.
