The best anime of 2025 (so far)

Every year feels like it is going to be the best year yet for anime. 2025 is no exception in this regard. The summer season is full of incredibly exciting returns and highly anticipated new series that we’ll almost certainly fall in love with. But the year up to now has also brought us some haymakers even without those. Some we expected; One Piece took months off to prepare for some of its most heartbreaking storylines yet and The Apothecary Diaries hasn’t stopped its hot streak from last year. Others, like Zenshu, seem to come from almost nowhere to blow us all away. There’s a big back half of the year coming, so now’s the time to take a look at the best anime of 2025 so far.

 The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries brings it to you every season, and season two is no exception to that. What I loved about season two was how in-depth it went with the characters we already know and the ones we’ve just met. The reveal that the Madam was the Moon Goddess was such a fun twist I didn’t see coming. While some might have thought that the worldbuilding was all done in season one, season two proved to expand the world even more. New characters combined with information on the areas outside the kingdom rounded out the world perfectly and made it, overall, more believable. From the twins who visited to learning about Jinshi, we get a boatload of lore that had me tuning in every week. – Kayla Chu

The Apothecary Diaries is available on Crunchyroll.

Kowloon Generic Romance

Atmosphere is a huge reason why Kowloon Generic Romance works so well. Nostalgic longing is a core theme of the series — the true core if anything — and the anime pushes that feeling in every frame. The series drinks in the meticulous recreation of classic ’90s anime. Lighting, character designs, even the food, all of it looks like it’s come from 30 years ago and has been lovingly restored. These production choices feed into Kowloon Generic Romance’s mysteries.

Mysteries that swirl around Reiko and her attraction to her coworker Kudo that leads to the discovery that she’s not who she thought she was. Then the discovery that person wasn’t who anyone thought at the same time. The anime has to find answers without the full manga available, which may make some hesitate. Rest assured, the staff at Arvo Animation manages to thread the needle and deliver a satisfying one-shot series. – Travis Hymas

Kowloon Generic Romance is available on Crunchyroll.

Medalist 

Written and illustrated by mangaka Tsurumaikada, Medalist is the best manga you aren’t reading. So, when it was announced that studio ENGI would be taking on the anime adaptation, expectations were, well, astronomical. While it doesn’t hit the quality of fellow skating anime Yuri on Ice, it comes shockingly close. The magic of Medalist is in its characters. The lovable and empathetic student and coach duo of Inori and Tsukasa are easy to root for as they both strive to nurture their confidence while finding strength in their abilities and excelling at what they do. Their growth as individuals through their tireless efforts to achieve a win, make for well-rounded, layered, and immensely relatable characters. Inori and Tsukasa aren’t effortlessly gifted. No, they must work for every single win, big or small. The heart and soul of the series is in them, and the adaptation nails that. – Allyson Johnson

Medalist is available on Hulu. 

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes 

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is seemingly in a tough position as it must tackle an already well-established world with new, unfamiliar characters (aside from some well-timed cameos.) And yet Vigilantes exceeds expectations and then some with some tremendous action, clean and crisp animation that holds its influences close to the chest, and one character in particular who makes the entire journey worthwhile. Because Knuckleduster is a superb character. The series establishes his influence and inspiration of protagonist Koichi via a tight and well-paced story. Drawing on inspirations from more Western superhero media, the superb compositions and a deliberate decision to shift the color story and aesthetic from main series are stunning. This is a story about ground-level heroes who work under the mask of night. We’re not operating in blue sky territory. The moon and the bruising sunsets are pivotal to making Vigilantes distinct from Hero Aca. – Allyson Johnson

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available on Crunchyroll. 

One Piece 

After a seemingly unprecedented break in the middle of the hotly anticipated Egghead arc, One Piece returned for one specific mission: to rip our hearts to shreds. The animation continues to show a marked step up with fluid and kinetic action scenes – even in anime only combat scenes. However, it’s the adaptation of Kuma’s backstory that has made for such riveting, tear-inducing viewing. Fans have been thrown through the wringer in terms of traumatic pasts and the fraught journey back to life and camaraderie.

Kuma’s history offers no such relief or even a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not just the dynamic animation or engaging direction that swallows us whole as we watch the tragedy of Kuma’s life unfold into brief, momentary bliss before spiraling once more. Everything about the production comes together to create, well, life. It’s the underlying thesis of One Piece as a whole. The idea of inescapable destiny, the price of hope, and the power of laughter and freedom; and how the promise of it, however distant, is enough to spur us forward towards adventure and liberation. – Allyson Johnson

One Piece is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

If you ask me, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is the anime sleeper hit of the year. Based on a fictionalized version of Poland and set in the 15th century, Orb focuses on the concept of the universe. With a cast of revolving main characters, whose ages vary throughout, watchers are able to experience the world through different perspectives and time periods. Every time something happened to a character I liked, there was a new one ready and waiting for me to fall in love with. The writing has to be fantastic for that to happen, which only shows one of its strong points. Additionally, the animation is beautiful to watch in action. Each scene is smooth and flows into the next without any janky cuts. It’s a beautifully done anime all around. – Kayla Chu

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is available on Netflix. 

To Be Hero X

In a sea of superhero-themed movies and shows, To Be Hero X is the superhero show we deserve. The manifestation of their supporters’ beliefs is an interesting take on the superpower genre as a whole — even if the characters we’ve come to love suffer because of it. Additionally, the character designs are so refreshing to see. My favorites are Queen and Loli because how can you not love their designs? My favorite part about the whole show, though, is how each character in the top ten gets at least two episodes to explore their stories. We learn all about them, their motivations, their fears, everything, and to top it all off, each story is connected to the next in some way. I know To Be Hero X is still airing, but it’s worth the weekly wait between each episode. – Kayla Chu

To Be Hero X is available on Crunchyroll. 

Witch Watch 

Witch Watch continues the new wave of shonen romance reaching the animation shores and it is a welcome arrival. Part slice of life, part gag, and part action, Witch Watch has something for everyone. At its core lies the magical klutz Nico, whose attempts to make people’s lives better tend to run into shenanigans that even the anime’s director likened to Bewitched of all series. It’s an apt comparison, because Nico would absolutely ask Samantha Stephens for advice on how to bag the man and they’d have a great time.

That fan fiction sidebar might sound out of place, but Witch Watch is the kind of series to embrace it. Her foil in Morihito is no slouch either, a fantastic straight man to Nico’s funny that isn’t afraid to be part of the joke. With the first cour wrapping up, the larger plot is finally coming into focus and Nico’s reverse harem is basically complete, promising more crazy shenanigans. – Travis Hymas

Witch Watch is available on Crunchyroll. 

Zenshu 

If I’m being honest, Zenshu wasn’t on my list of anime to watch this year since I’m not a huge isekai watcher, but I took a chance on it and was pleasantly surprised. Natsuko is the single most relatable character for anyone who graduated, got a job in their desired field, and was wildly good at what they do. The genius in the workplace isn’t a new trope by any means, but MAPPA—and boy, do I hope you see the irony in all of this—shows exactly why that genius might not be such a great thing. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the plot grabbed me and I found myself tearing up here and there when watching. Zenshu is a solid anime from a year with a lot of strong anime releases. – Kayla Chu

Zenshu is available on Crunchyroll. 

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