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?

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5 – Toradora

A cute anime about two classmates who form an accidental friendship. Ryuji freaks everyone out because of how intense he looks, and Tiaga is tiny but makes up for it by being fierce. Will this unlikely duo be able to find happiness in their life or will fate conspire against them? This anime is just cute and a feel good anime that is not super new, but definitely worth checking out. The story is predictable but in a good way and the two main characters are just extremely enjoyable.

4 – Fire Force

Fire Force is more of a standard anime, I would say, in a lot of ways, but it’s still a lot of fun. Spontaneous human combustion is a thing, and when people combust they turn into monsters. There is a special series of Fire Forces who deal with these fires, and these people tend to have powers as well. Fire Force 8, where Shinra, the main character, ends up, is a bit different than the rest. While all of them fight fires and investigate the phenomena of spontaneous human combustion, Fire Force 8 has been tasked with investigating the other Fire Forces in hopes of finding out what secrets they might be hiding.

3 – Fruits Basket

Now, this one isn’t one that I purely watched in 2020. But there was a new season, and Fruits Basket has been climbing up my anime rankings. This is another feel good anime, or at least a peaceful feeling anime. It isn’t about the over the top action, instead it’s about the Chinese Zodiac animals and how they work in the real world, and about Tohru Honda who finds out their secret and it is taken into their family. I think that this anime just gets better as it goes and as the world that they are creating, which is basically just the normal world, grows and is fleshed out. The characters are very likeable and it just works.

2 – Food Wars!

And now we’re back to an anime that is just completely goofy. Food Wars! is about food, and being the best and most creative chef possible. Soma transfers into the most prestigious culinary school in Japan where food wars happens, and he doesn’t make himself any friends by saying that he’ll end up at the top of the class. Much absurdity ensues from there as this school has a weird student hierarchy, even odder personalities and teachers, plus multiple tests and challenges focused on getting people to fail out of the school. I really enjoy this one even with all of the fan service in it.

1 – Sword Art Online – Alicization Part 1

Finally, the best thing I watched thus far this year, and I’m sure that I’ve missed some anime along the way, is Sword Art Online Alicization. There is more of it out, but it’s not on Funimation yet. This continues the world and story that was created throughout the first two seasons of Sword Art Online and through the movie. It still focuses around the same characters, but the twist on what is happening is really good. I think that it successfully takes what could feel like a premise where they are just stretching it out for its popularity and sticks with a really good story. Sword Art Online I think when I do a Top 10 Anime overall list sometime next year will have creeped even closer to the top of that list, it is just consistently good.

What are some of the best anime that you’ve watched this year? I can think of two, A Wise Man’s Grandchild and Gun Gale Online (the SAO spinoff) that I wouldn’t consider that good that I’ve watched, but it’s been a long year and I don’t remember them all.

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1 Steins;Gate
I love this anime. It’s smart with well written and developing characters throughout the story. It’s also one of the few stories that gets time travel right. Too often you just end up with a convoluted mess, but Steins;Gate turns that mess into artwork. We’ve talked about it before, so go check out those articles if you are curious about it.

2 Cowboy Bebop
This anime is close to being number one with as much as I love Steins;Gate. Cowboy Bebop just has this lyrical beauty to it from the animation of the world and characters to the actual music which really drives the show. I feel like I’m about ready to go back and watch it again because of how well put together it is. It came out the same year as Firefly and in some ways I feel like there are a few similarities with them. But the show is just amazing and the music is the best use of music in any media that I can think of.

3 My Hero Academia
I believe that this one is a new one to the list, but I really dig it. It’s a world where a lot of people have super powers, some use them for good and some use them for evil. The main character, however, has no powers and he wants powers more than anything, so he can be like his hero All Might. He has a chance meeting with All Might which leads to some major changes in his life. The story has emotion and a bit too much crying at times, but they delve into characters and create something that has those super hero moments but also has so much heart.

4 Space Dandy
He’s a Dandy guy, in space. Another anime that uses music well, Space Dandy is just an absurd romp with an incompetent creature hunter. This anime is completely over the top and quite pulp like in how it’s created. The characters are bumbling and arrogant, but generally end up having their heart in the right place. Each episode stands pretty much by itself, so what happens in one episode doesn’t matter for the next. This is by far the goofiest of all the animes on the list, but it is so great.

5 Assassination Classroom
This was really tough for the last one, and I think last year this was my #2 anime or #3. Assassination Classroom is not that accurate a title, because it makes you think of lots of violence, and this is a goofy junior high school anime about  a bunch of misfit students coming together. With their teacher being a crazy yellow tentacle monster who is going to blow up the earth unless they can kill him. They take the time and look at each character and you get to see how the teacher helps them grow into better people.

There are so many options for honorable mentions as well, and animes that I need to finish watching that might end up cracking the top 5, but who knows. Soon I’m going to have to do top 10’s just so that I don’t have 20 honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention:
Sword Art Online
Ancient Magus Bride
Blood Blockade Battlefront
The Devil is a Part-Timer
Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon

What are some of your favorite animes? Are there any that you think I should watch?