This summer, my three favorite anime of the season air on Saturday. The feeling of excitement it brings me, takes me back to when I was a kid; I would wake up at dawn – because I could not tell time – with butterflies in my stomach.

Just the sun rising meant I was that much closer to my weekend cartoon lineup. Throwback to Digimon marathons on Fox Kids. Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh on TV. None anime staples like Power Rangers.

The rarity of back to back episodes of shows you like, or even a marathon was something I would look forward to all week. Things have obviously changed now with streaming services giving us all the power to choose what to watch and when to watch it. Binging your favorite show is a relatively recent experience. Air dates are no longer important as long as you can avoid spoilers.

But the stars have aligned and this season I have been tuning into these three shows on the day their air, and I am that excited little kid all over again:

3 – Aoashi

Watch out Haikyu!!, a new sport’s anime juggernaut has laid down the gauntlet! I’m talking about the grittiest soccer anime in recent history, Aoashi!

The show starts off as many sports anime do; main character Ashito is a talented star player that lacks technique. He plays soccer because he loves to score goals and loves winning with his friends.

In his final middle school game, he gets recruited by a coach and told to tryout for the best junior league team in Tokyo.

The thing I love most about Aoashi is that Ashito is made aware quickly of the absolute disparity in skill between him and the other youth league players. Ashito doesn’t even know the foundational skills of soccer because he never had to learn them. The soccer he was used to playing was fun and carefree.

The anime really takes its time teaching Ashito these basics and we see him struggle important questions throughout the episodes; does he actually love playing soccer or did he just like being the star of his team? Can he continue to play if that means he would never be able to score another goal? Will he ever close the gap in technique between him and his fellow teammates?

This anime is really laying the ground work for Ashito to be the phenomenal player he wants to be, and I cannot help to be inspired whenever I watch him double down on practices just to keep up.

2 – Shadows House Season 2

I really appreciate an anime that can pace itself well over several seasons. Shadows house continues to expand on its secretive world while revealing new characters and mysteries in its second season.

The show is set in a mansion ruled by “shadows”. Creatures with an indistinguishable human form, devoid of actual features. They are served by “living dolls” that must act as their “faces”. The two main protagonists are Kate, a very smart and reserved shadow; and her cheerful and earnest living doll Emilico.

Season 2 finds Kate and Emilico plunging headfirst into a new mystery in order to clear their name. A mysterious figure, Robe-sama, is terrorizing the dolls of Shadows House and its up to the pair and their new friends to unmask the antagonist.

In the second season, we learn more about; the effects of Oji-sama’s coffee, the star bearers and soot-powers.

I was a huge fan of the first season of Shadows House, however, the second is even better.

1 – Lycoris Recoil

Of the summer 2022 anime shows that I have watched, this is my top show. It’s got action, slice of life, comedy, mystery, government conspiracy…you name it.

Is it all a little far fetched? Sure. The show is so entertaining, you will forget about how coo coo bananas it truly is.

This anime is about two teenage government agents, Chisato and Takina, going on missions that range from -10 to 10 on the danger scale. -10 would be community odd jobs; teaching, deliveries, spying on friends. 10 on the danger scale is fighting actual terrorists, daily shootouts, body guard duty.

They operate out of a cafe called Lyco-Reco.

The most enjoyable aspect of Lyco Reco is that, even its most sombre moments, it continues to be lighthearted because of main character Chisato’s cheerful disposition. Her personality is a wonderful foil to Takina’s stoic and serious nature.

Both girls are badass in their own right. Their interactions with each other; and the interactions they have with their Lyco Reco colleagues is pure gold. The comedy is so off beat and on point, it fills me up with joy.

I adore this show. I seriously do not want it to end.

Those are the three anime that keep me entertained on Saturdays. I hope you let me know what you think of them, if you have seen them. Give them a shot if have not.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, it’s my first blog post. I hope anime brings you as much happiness as it brings me.