As more and more anime come out every year, it’s almost too on the nose to say that it’s been a good year to be an anime fan. Almost. 2025 has been a feast for the eyes of fans, from wrapping up winter of 2024 all the way to this winter. The business of anime continues to explode and contract in equal measure. Sony condensed a lot of power with investments in Crunchyroll (in the West) and Kodansha (in Japan) to Toei buying North American distributor GKids. At the same time, more streamers here in the US focused efforts on taking anime a bit more seriously. Netflix continues its pushback against Crunchyroll’s dominance, Hulu secured more exclusives and did a slightly better job advertising them, and even Amazon remembered anime exists. And HiDive…remains.
This puts more series in front of us than ever, and the voting for this year’s best was furious. We experienced three ties after everyone’s votes were counted and came close on many others. There are series that came right up to making the cut. The MAPPA produced Ranma 1/2 remains a stellar and distinctive adaptation. Clevatess is a crunchy retro dark fantasy that tells a satisfying story in one season while keeping the door open for more. We got two drastically different Paru Itagaki manga adaptations in the first part of Beastars‘ final season and in the transgressive Sanda. But, this list can’t be as long as your backlog, so we broke the ties and sifted through to find our favorite gems.
These are the best anime of 2025.
15. May I Ask For One Final Thing?
For many, May I Ask For One Final Thing? has flown under the radar. Shame, because punching through its story is extremely fun. The premise of a debutant with powers to control time punching away her frustrations risks becoming too much of a power fantasy, but that’s the trick. There is a power fantasy happening here, but who’s power fantasy – and who’s actually a victim of ol’ Truck-kun –is flipped. Scarlett’s blessing of Chronos does have downsides. While the “Mad Dog Princess” certainly appears as aggressive and villainous due to her fists, she’s truly a hero. This reversal of the Villainess trope makes Scarlett’s knuckle sandwiches delicious. [Drea H.]
Watch May I Ask For One Final Thing? on Crunchyroll.
14. City the Animation
It only takes a single episode to understand what makes City the Animation special. The not-quite but also very quite Nichijou follow up delivers excellent and punchy laughs every few moments. Despite never giving too much away – even what the name of the City is – every nook and cranny of this world lives and breathes. Much of this comes from the source material’s ability to weave small stories together but the expertise of Kyoto Animation enhances every single frame. The character design and strong lines are instantly iconic and will remain recognizable for years to come. The only shame is City spent the year almost completely unnoticed on Prime Video; something that more than one anime on this year’s list suffers from. [Travis Hymas]
Watch City the Animation on Prime Video.
13. Medalist
If you’re looking for a sleeper hit of the year, Medalist is your best bet. This is the anime that filled the sports-shaped hole in your 2025 anime watchlist. Inori is such a sweet, relatable protagonist that makes viewers fall in love with her passion right away. The formula is perfect: Inori’s the underdog because she’s starting late and her coach Tsukasa is also a first-timer, with her as his first skater. Right from the first episode, Haikyuu!! fans will be reminded of that series, particularly seeing a bit of Hinata in Inori.
Studio ENGI must have put some of their best animators on the series because the skating scenes flow seamlessly in each episode. This is the big standout of the show, because it’s easy for these kinetic scenes to become stilted and awkward if the animation can’t keep up. But that is never an issue with Medalist. Plus, anyone who wanted to be a figure skater in their youth will absolutely love this. [Kayla Chu]
Watch Medalist on Hulu.
12. New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is, without a doubt, one of the best second seasons of a series in a long time, even for viewers just picking up the series. The playfulness from the original is back but with an animation upgrade that bumps the quality of the show way up. Yes, it’s because there has been 15 years containing the fall of Gainax and the rise of Trigger to account for; but the production quality is a huge highlight of the new season. The way the plot unfolds from episode to episode is simply enjoyable. New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is a fun watch that when it ends, it’s disappointing that there’s not another 13 episodes already lined up. [Kayla Chu]
Watch New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt on Prime Video.
11. Gachiakuta
It’s strange but safe to say that the literal show about trash is one of the top anime of the year. From the get-go, Gachiakuta does an amazing job of setting up the premise of a kid being sent to his death and ending up in a world full of trash — which shouldn’t work, but it does. This site tends to be fans of what Studio Bones puts out (spoilers for later in this list), so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The unique ensemble cast of characters beyond protagonist Rudo is what makes the anime worth watching. There is something special about the way the plot and the characters’ backgrounds are explored in tandem. It creates a bond with the audience that keeps them on the edge of their seats to find out what happens next. [Kayla Chu]
Watch Gachiakuta on Crunchyroll.
10. My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
There are several elements that make the series My Dress Up Darling so lovable, and they are expanded upon in the lovely and infectious second season. Marin and Gojo remain an excellent, opposing duo who find themselves on the same playing field in their own artistic pursuits. It’s through their shared passion and their ability to manifest these artistic feats through cosplay that give the series its unyielding heart. A reminder that it’s good, necessary, even, to pursue what you love.
The series works even harder in Season 2 to de-stigmatize cosplay by highlighting the diverse groups of people drawn to it as a means of expression or to champion the characters they love. With its buoyant energy and kinetic physicality, the series refuses to visually settle. Like Marin, it is always in motion; even when the characters are sitting still. Armed with a team of animators choosing a looser, stylistic direction, this CloverWorks production clears its own high bar. From continuing the will-they/won’t-they romance between Marin and Gojo as they slowly rely on one another more, to laugh-out-loud comedy, and inspired animation and compositions, My Dress Up Darling remains a slice-of-life highlight. [Ally Johnson]
Watch My Dress-Up Darling on Crunchyroll.
9. To Be Hero X
Everything in To Be Hero X, from the two animation styles, the music, and the characters, make it an incredible watch from start to finish. The way the animation changes throughout the season — and across individual episodes — makes this donghua a unique change of pace from other debut anime this year. Giving the top ten heroes at least two episodes each that not only went into their backgrounds but also connecting them to the hero before and after is a genius way to move the story along. The titular X is a fun twist on the character the series proper sets him up to be while maintaining the mystery. And if you say you don’t like Ahu, then we’ve got a problem. [Kayla Chu]
Watch To Be Hero X on Crunchyroll.
8. The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
The tug of will they won’t they with Jinshi and protagonist Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 remains consistent. This season, Maomao’s drive to continue her apothecary journey ends up getting her kidnapped to a foreign country. Here, her expertise and natural curiosity driver her to unravel the land’s shadowy and corrupt mysteries. Season 2 Maomao is asked to depend on her own wit in order to not be killed by the Shenmei and unravel the fox clan schemes. Picking up slow from a cliff hanger of growing tensions and unsettlement within the palace walls comes away at fluff. But quickly critics would be eating those words as each week couldn’t come soon enough to see what happened next. [Drea H.]
Watch The Apothecary Diaries on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
7. Spy x Family Season 3
Despite two seasons of thrilling espionage action, slice of life domestic sweetness, and truly insane hijinks of a goofy telekinetic little girl, it is surprisingly hard to predict the swings that Spy x Family will take next. The third season proves this many times over as it offers up more narrative substance to sink our teeth into than ever before: the unexpected blossoming of Yor’s friendship with Melinda Desmond, Damien’s continuing down his slow path of opening up to Anya, Fiona Frost getting more time in the spotlight, and Yuri’s status as a state security officer finally becoming a problem.
All of these developments move the dial forward on a series that could comfortably take its time playing around without upsetting its status quo. These lovely developments, along with the comedic highlight of the year in Anya and Damien’s handling of the bus hijacking, don’t even touch the deftly written and emotional sledgehammer of the Lloyd’s Past mini-arc, a cherry on top of a season that continues to surpass all expectations while giving us exactly more of what we already love. [Quinn Parulis]
Watch Spy x Family on Netflix and Hulu.
6. One Piece
Being a One Piece fan in 2025 is a truly unique and special experience. Not only do they get to see the full conclusion of the epic Egghead island escape – itself already a miraculous achievement just by being one of the strongest arcs in a two and a half decade old series – but for the first time the show went on a months long hiatus to give the artists involved time to deliver animation worthy of the story’s quality. This results in some of the best episodes of the year: “The Worst Nightmare: The Five Elders Come Together,” and “The Upheaval of an Era! The Color of the Supreme King That Leads Luffy” features moments that dwarf anything in the show’s history; while “Kuma’s Life” is a strong contender for the most emotional episode in the series.
Through the sheer creativity that comes from letting animators go wild with Gear 5 to the payoff of ancient mysteries finally unveiled in the Kuma sequences, the season’s centerpiece and possibly the finest flashback in a series famous for strong flashbacks, the back half of Egghead proves that One Piece anime has finally kicked down the door and entered the modern era. [Quinn Parulis]
Watch One Piece on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
5. My Hero Academia Final Season
Ending a story is the hardest part, to say nothing of a ten year old ongoing narrative. Yet, My Hero Academia author Kohei Horikoshi landed the plane cleanly last year. All that remained was for Studio Bones to rise to the final challenge and do the same. The anime adaptation hasn’t always met that bar over the years but in the final slate of episodes they truly returned to peak performance.
Just the Bakugo focused episodes would be worthy of placement on this list for the catharsis that is the end of his arc. However, the anime doesn’t stop there. Not only does Bones show proper understanding of the series’ final payoffs, but also how the studio itself has helped define what MHA even is. From its callback OP to the long awaited return of the goes-with-anything “You Say Run,” this finale is a true celebration and victory lap for Bones’ most lucrative adaptation since Fullmetal Alchemist. [Travis Hymas]
Watch My Hero Academia on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
4. Takopi’s Original Sin
There are so many different ways to have screwed up Taizen 5’s gut-wrenching miniseries. Thankfully, production company ENISHIYA and director Shinya Iino (Dr. Stone) fully understands that weight of Takopi’s Original Sin and takes care with every increasingly sorrowful episode. Even its honest and clear content warnings baked into the first episode (so no broadcaster or streamer could skip it) show just how seriously everyone involved takes the project. It seems silly to mention, especially given that it’s best to take Takopi on blind. But, it’s a perfectly threaded needle that reflects the beauty under the horror of the anime’s narrative. ENISHIYA’s staff captures Taizen 5’s intentionally rough and often exaggerated faces without turning the material into a farce. While it does mean that some shots don’t play with perspective as much as the manga, none of the narrative’s darkness or light is lost. [Travis Hymas]
Watch Takopi’s Original Sin on Crunchyroll.
3. Dandadan Season 2
Season 2 of Dandadan effectively builds on the strengths the series has already established. Sparing no time, Dandadan dives back into the action following season one’s cliffhanger. A continuing standout of the show is its animation, which uses a variety of techniques to breathe life into the visuals. The mixed animation styles create different textures that emphasize key moments and enhance the intensity of its action scenes. Bold, contrasting colors contribute to the otherworldly atmosphere of a series rooted in the supernatural.
While the artistic elements are certainly noteworthy, the true standout of Season 2 is undoubtedly the writing. Our eclectic characters babysit a newly possessed Jiji, headbang through an electric exorcism, fight ghostly composers, and battle a Kaiju from the cockpit of a Mecha Buddha – all within the span of 12 episodes. The show balances absurd moments with a sincere core, blending tones that other series would struggle to manage. This balance is best seen in Jiji’s struggle with the guilt of exorcising a spirit he perceives not as purely evil, but instead tragic. His sense of compassion reflects the essence of the series: humanity found amidst the supernatural. [Carly Johnson]
Watch Dandadan on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.
2. Kowloon Generic Romance
Kowloon Generic Romance weaponizes nostalgia in ways not seen since grifters ruined Star Wars. The anime is dripping in a very specific late ’80s anime aesthetic that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was from then. Shading and highlights reflect practices that have fallen out of style but not for looking bad. Every meal the series lingers on is bathed in lighting reminiscent of OVAs that those of us in the West had to bootleg.
It’s very apt, given that nostalgia is very lens that Kowloon Generic Romance explores each of its characters’ identities – who they were, who they are, who they want to be, and why they want to be who they were. The series is shockingly mature and straightforward in spite of its science fiction driven mysteries. That might be the most controversial thing about Kowloon Generic Romance, those expecting detailed and complex lore dumps won’t find them here. These characters might look like they belong in Ghost in the Shell, but their stories don’t. Overcoming that expectation does reveal the true complexity of the series, which sees its cast struggle with falling into the same nostalgia the animation dares its viewers to succumb to. [Travis Hymas]
Watch Kowloon Generic Romance on Crunchyroll and Apple TV.
1. The Summer Hikaru Died
The Summer Hikaru Died is a miracle production. There were some lofty expectations upon the announcement of the series. The adaptation blows them all away, reminding viewers of a vital truth: the point isn’t simply to adapt, but to elevate. Written and directed by Ryōhei Takeshita, the CygamesPictures adaptation understands the medium’s expansive possibilities, creating something just as tragic and deeply unsettling as the manga does in a singular way.
The series works on an imbalanced, dissonant scale of clashing sonic cues and vibrant but nearly blinding visuals. There are genuine scares in the series that stem from observed tension and inexplicable events. More than anything, it is the overwhelming, insidious grief that dominates the screen. We ache with the isolation Yoshiki feels and the impossible reckoning he and Hikaru are on, both in the thematic, queer undertones of what it means to live in a small town village in Japan as a gay teen, and the overarching fear of the “other” that faces them. From Chiaki Kobayashi’s performance that is riddled with heartache, to the disquieting score by Taro Umebayashi, the series is an exercise in deep-rooted melancholy and unease. [Ally Johnson]
Watch The Summer Hikaru Died on Netflix.
