Top 5 Anticipated Anime of 2025

5. Zeshu

It’s an isekai, but not a standard isekai and that has me very much interested in it. Mainly because the main character, they are an artist. And they realize that they, in this other world, have the ability to rewrite it. It’s really the premise that catches my attention on this one. That idea is just unique and I think it could be a lot of fun in terms of a story. And I want to know how it plays. Is it serious or not? Or is it just going to be a fun time, because as a fun time, I think it could really shine.

4. Witch Watch

An ogre is tasked with being a bodyguard or watching over his childhood friend who is a witch as she completes her training. That storyline sounds interesting to me. And my big concern would be that this is just another action anime. Is it going to be another anime with episodes that are just a big epic fight. Nope, this is supposed to be a more light hearted and fun anime that is going to offer some humor to it and heart. I like the sound of that a lot and often times that is the type of anime that is going to draw me in the most.

3. Lazarus

I want to know more about this one because of the director around it. Shinichiro Watanabe is the director behind Cowboy Bebop an anime that I really like. This is one that sounds very interesting as well. A drug is shortening the lives of people, even though it is supposed to be a miracle drug. So now a group needs to try and saver everyone from the side effects of the drug. The question is, how do you do that?

I like the sounds of this story a lot. I expect that there is going to be some action in the show. Cowboy Bebop is not a show without action. But I also expect that there is going to be a lot of good story and intrigue to the show. And I would not be surprised if it is dips into the idea that the unplanned side effect, shortening lives, wasn’t as unplanned as it may have seemed. But that is a mystery to unravel with this show.

2. Honey Lemon Soda

Normally there is more than one anime on the list that I’ve read the manga for. But this time, that is not the case. At least this far on the list I haven’t made it to another one yet. Honey Lemon Soda is not actually a manga that totally drew me into it. But it’s a romance story, and I find that I like a lot of those adaptations into anime as much or more than I like the manga.

Uka Ishimori is a very shy person and wants to shake that. She meets a boy with lemon colored hair, and he helps her gain confidence. This is not a very unique story, but it is a trope and idea that works well. How can someone who wants to be more take that step to being more to stepping out of their shell. I think that idea resonates with a lot of people, even if the circumstances aren’t the same as it is for them.

1. I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most In Class

One thing was missing from the list. I didn’t have an anime with a long name, and while this isn’t the longest, by any means, of something I’ve watched, it is fairly long. I think that the same in some ways says it all. This is going to be a comedy anime with two characters who get stuck in a marriage or relationship that they don’t want. Or at least, something that they expect isn’t going to work because of their previous history.

It reminds me of other mis-matched character anime. I think of A Couple of Cuckoos as one in this genre as well. And I like this type of show because it is just going to be fun. And it means that I can sit down, relax, and kind of turn my mind off for a few moments to watch and enjoy it. But it isn’t to the point where it’s just action fluff, it’s going to make me laugh and give me a few heartfelt moments as well along the way.

Final Thoughts

Now, to be fair, this will not have some of my most anticipated on the list. Why, because they are season two or threes. So I want to call them out here. I could have almost made a separate list, but let’s just shout them out.

• Solo Leveling season two starts in a couple of days, and I’m very excited.
• Dandadan was announced for a season two this summer.
• And My Dress-up Darling announced for a season two this year as well.
• Spy x Family is always a blast to watch and it’s coming back for a season three, so I want to have more wholesome spy fun.
• Another odd one is Fire Force coming back for season three which should be more over the top action and a barely coherent plot.
• And speaking of crazy plots we have The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You back for season two.
• Plus Oshi No Ko is letting us dive into that mystery more which I’m hear for.
• Finally, Kaiju No. 8 is also set for a second season this year.

Is that a complete list of everything that is returning. I expect that answer is no. And for some people it won’t even include some of the ones that are returning that they are most excited for. Let me know what returning and new anime you are most excited for?

Send an Email
Message me on X at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Top 10 Anime of 2024

10. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

This was one of the bigger anime during the summer season, I believe, because it was a cute romance anime with an interesting premise. Alya has feelings for the protagonist, but she also doesn’t really want to say anything. So she says them in Russian, all of that makes sense from the title, unknown to her, her happens to speak Russian. He had learned it as a kid because he had a childhood friend for a few years who spoke Russian as well, but he can’t remember who it was. Turns out it’s Alya’s older sister, but this is the pretty standard, but cute, high school romance anime.

9. Tower of God

Now, I will caveat this and say, I haven’t caught up on the second season yet. But the first season was really enjoyable. I read the webtoon/manhwa for Tower of God and enjoyed that as well. And I think the story is very well translated to the screen. I’ve heard that the second season maybe doesn’t have as good animation, but the first season is really good. And the premise of this anime, this getting out of the dark and climbing the tower to find the person you care about, it’s well done. The characters have complexity and the whole story is just enjoyable.

8. Oshi No Ko

Now we go to an anime that feels very anime like, but also different. It’s different in that there are elements of this show that’s a mystery. And of course, it’s odd that because the two main characters are reincarnated as the twins of the Idol that they love. I like how the anime and manga don’t really hide from the more questionable sides of the Idol industry and the entertainment industry as it tells the story. And the mystery element is interesting as well and offers some good challenges for the main character.

7. Horimiya

Horimiya is one of my favorite manga that I’ve read. I really enjoy the dynamic between the couple and just how wholesome the whole thing is. And they do a good job of translating at into the anime. They do some odd stuff with the anime in that they condense it and skip arcs and storylines in this teen romance again. But I appreciate that the main characters fall for each other quickly and there isn’t a ton of back and forth of will they won’t they nor is it a harem where all the girls like the main character. It’s just that good wholesome romance.

6. Sign of Affection

And speaking of a good wholesome romance anime, Sign of Affection is amazing for that. The story is of a deaf girl and her falling in love with a guy, and the guy falling in love with her. But it’s just this heartfelt story for them, and it feels like a real relationship. Yes, there is some jealousy and an attempted love triangle in it, but for the most part it’s just this great story about a wholesome relationship. And the male lead, they do a good job of creating a character who puts in so much effort, like learning sign language, that it’s just even more wholesome.

5. Solo Leveling

Now we move into action with Solo Leveling. I am pretty sure that this was my most anticipated anime of 2024 and it really didn’t disappoint. I like Solo Leveling a lot, but there are a few that make it higher that I watched. The animation for this show is great and it stays true enough to the story. It really gives you some iconic moments from the manhwa and it does a good job with them. I enjoy the premise as well of that weaker character becoming strong, but not becoming an edge lord in the process.

4. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War

The final romance on the list is an anime that’s been out for a little bit, but I love this one. It’s so fast with the characters spitting back and forth insults and romance at the same speed. All because the two most popular and powerful kids in the school are in love with each other. But if either of them breaks and admits it to the other, it’s a sign of weakness and the other will have power, that’s their worry anyways. It’s really fun and funny and Ian Sinclair as the narrator is amazing in this, he goes so hard on being over the top and comedic.

3. Shangri-La Frontier

The top three are all ones that I assumed that I’d like because I like the manga lot for all of them. Shangri-La Frontier is no exception, clearly, and I appreciate this one as a video game anime. I love how the video game is highly developed in this anime as well. It makes it feel more immersive, and you get little bits of the real world and real world elements affecting the game, but it’s much more focused on the game itself.

The main character is fun as well, I appreciate as well that he just wants to have fun. It could be a serious gamer, but not. He is a trash gamer, plays bad games, and now he’s just trying out an amazing game. And his two gaming friends are entertaining as well as they give each other a hard time. Even the NPC companions that he has are great.

2. Dandadan

Dandadan is so close to being my top anime of the year, it was really a coin flip between two for me. But I enjoy how absurd this one is, and then how it had an amazing heartfelt moment in it as well. The premise is just goofy. Ken believes in aliens. Momo believes in spirits. They don’t believe in the thing the other believes in. They both challenge the other to go to spots where aliens and spirits are seen. And, well, they both turn out to be right. And it gets crazier from there. The animation is amazing, and like I said, it has some beautiful moments as well. This is romance, comedy, adventure, supernatural all in one.

1. Kaiju No. 8

Finally, my top is Kaiju No. 8. I love this one because Kafka is a dummy but a great character. He’s washed up just fine with working in kaiju disposal. He takes one last crack at the defense force and, well, with a little bit of help from being infected by a kaiju, he’s able to make it. It’s all about his challenge and striving to be a hero and be able to be at his friends side. Of course, his friend is the most powerful kaiju hunter out there.

The cast of characters is a blast as well in this anime. Kafka, like I said, is a dummy, but he has this heart of gold. Mina is stand off-ish but it’s a tough shell. Reno I love as a character because he wants to be tough and cool. He thinks that he can do it all but develops such a soft spot for Kafka and helping him along and worrying about him, as one of the people who knows he’s infected, it’s amazing. And Kikoru is the prodigy that everyone is chasing down. But also is a character with more depth. It’s just such a fun show with everyone, plus great kaiju fighting action and gross kaiju clean-up.

Final Thoughts

I made it through 10, and I should be able to skip honorable mentions. But I want to talk about a few more that I really enjoyed as well. Both Mushoku Tensei and Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy are fun isekai to checkout. And I found some enjoyable comedy romances with things like The Quintessential Quintuplets, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You and My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. Those three are all just good fun with The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You having such an absurd premise.

What is your favorite anime that you watched in 2024? Based off of my tastes, at least from this list, are there any that I should really checkout?

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here

Manga Round-up

I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level

This one I was disappointed in. I generally like Isekai and this one has a slice of life feel to it as well. But honestly, it’s just kind of boring. The slice of life aspect isn’t that interesting. The protagonist is not that interesting. And the premise while fun, makes for a fairly standard story. It could have been like Bofuri, but instead it’s just kind of a dull affair.

Shangri-La Frontier

I’ve only read one book for this and I want to read more. Shangri-La Frontier is about a character who is overpowered for the game that they are playing. But it is just a game, and they are taking all of their knowledge of how to play and beat lousy games and transferring it to a really good game. I like that play on the VRMMORPG genre in Manga.

I think it works because it gives the main character a different lens on the game being played. It isn’t a death game, Sword Art Online, and it isn’t just a standard fantasy game. While, it is, but the main characters perspective on it is different. He wants to be lousy games, this is just someone talking him into trying a good game. And he isn’t afraid of dying, if he dies, he respawns and tries again.

Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers

This one I am actually all caught up on. And it’s solid, it doesn’t do anything too groundbreaking, but it tells a fun story. A person from another world, another fantasy world, gets summoned into a new fantasy world to be that worlds heroes. But at Level 1 his stats suck. So he’s cast aside, but turns out he was the hero, and now the dark one and the kingdom who cast him out are trying to vie for his attention. Of course, all he wants to do is be left alone.

The depth in this one is lacking, it is mainly standard fluff. But the slight tweak of him not working for either side can be interesting. And the characters around him are pretty interesting, especially fro the two sides trying to sway him to their side.

Delicious Dungeon

What would happen if you needed to rush into a dungeon (or chose to) to save a loved one and you didn’t bring any food. You’d need to use what you can from the dungeon to make meals. Delicious Dungeon is a goofy premise but another one that I like, pretty well.

I say pretty well, it took me a bit to get through the first manga. Mainly, each chapter is very separate. So you read one, you can put it down and pick it up again whenever. That isn’t a bad thing, it just means it takes longer. And I wonder if I will read more, because the story doesn’t progress that quickly. It is, after all, a manga about cooking.

Kaiju No. 8

The most recent one I read, and I enjoyed it last night. It makes me want to pick-up more. A washed out wannabe Kaiju fighter doesn’t have the best life. He is cleaning up after the messes when a Kaiju is killed. But something happens that makes it possible for him to go after that dream of being a Kaiju fighter again. Of course, this opportunity is not what you’d expect.

Kaiju No. 8 is lighter for sure and more humorous than some of the other manga. But I like where it is going the balancing act it puts on the character. And the jokes it can manage to pull off. It is just a fun experience to read without being too heavy or too brooding. And it feels different. I read a lot of fantasy, but this a good change of pace.

Ghost Reaper Girl

Utterly disappointing for me. Ghost Reaper Girl is very basic and doesn’t do anything exciting. It is mainly a chance for some fan service. But beyond that, the main character is not interesting. The two characters she interacts with mainly are not interesting. The story is just not that fun to experience with them.

Now, I might have the wrong idea for this one. I like horror manga, and I might have thought it was going to be that. But when the characters aren’t compelling, even a misconception of what I was going to read doesn’t cover that. It is just not enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

A mixed bag of manga for sure. I really like Kaiju No 8 and Shangri-La Frontier. And there are some other solid ones in there. But with as much as I saw on I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, I had high hopes for that one. I thought it is going to be a light and goofy manga. Maybe one that is more standard of an Isekai. But it is not that interesting, unfortunately.

And I need to read a few more manga as well that we got. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun is high on that list. I know I will like it, I like the anime. And same with Spy x Family. Plus a few more manga are coming in, or are here that I need to checkout and see if I like them.

What new manga are you reading, or light novels? Let me know.

Send an Email
Message me on Twitter at @TheScando
Visit us on Facebook here
Support us on Patreon here