2025 Best of Anime
This blog post is mainly for me to talk about some of the best shows I watched this year, discuss what I liked about them, and hopefully give you some content recommendations going into the new year.
There’s no strict criteria or ranking system, just me highlighting what I enjoyed and a couple of categories I think they fit into best. I’ll discussing shows that ended in 2025. The numbers next to the show title are its score on MyAnimeList, the Letterboxd of anime, and then my own personal rating (both out of 10). All shows within categories are in no particular order.
—
Best for Newcomers:
I find this to be the most important category, and one I subconsciously think about when I’m watching a non-sequel. These are incredible shows that also happen to not have the particularities and difficulties that come with the genre. One quick note is that the final show on this list, the Anime of the Year, is actually my top pick for newcomers as well.
-Blue Box [8.17 / 9]:
A high school sports romance about badminton, basketball, gymnastics, and a love triangle featuring a dynamic supporting cast and characters who you can’t help but want to root for. A season two is coming for this, but the first 24 episodes alone tell a compelling story with a really emotional character arc.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Solo Camping For Two [7.15 / 8]:
If high school awkward romance isn’t for you, then how about awkward romance with adults with a dash of camping? Solo Camping For Two blends a slow-burn romance, campfire cooking, and actual outdoors expertise in a warm and fuzzy 24-episode package. Adult romances are rare in this medium, so I make sure to savor each one I can get my hands on.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
Incredible Sequels
If you’ve heard of or are on the fence about any of these big-name shows, I can vouch for their lasting quality. It’s a definite time investment, but the shows below are worth starting now.
-Re:Zero Season 3 [8.43 / 9]:
Another entry into what might be the best isekai (reincarnation into another world genre) anime to ever do it. After a brief timeskip, we get a high-stakes plotline that gives us a deeper look into the world. I still want so much more, and it feels like we’re not even halfway through the appetizer with Re:Zero.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 [8.91 / 10]:
It’s shaping up to be a modern masterpiece. Perhaps the strongest and best written female main character I’ve ever seen alongside a deeply enthralling political plot set in the Chinese Imperial Palace, The Apothecary Diaries had me hooked from Day One.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga [8.00 / 8]:
After some really slow and unimpressive sequels, the latest season of Blue Exorcist is a raw emotional punch to the gut that answers the questions fans of the show have been asking since it first aired (all the way back in 2011). If you’re a lapsed fan, feel free to skip here and get some of the payoff.
[Where to Watch: good luck man]
-Shoshimin Series Season 2 [8.05 / 9.5]:
I hold anything written by Honobu Yonezawa (of Hyouka fame) in the highest regard, and the Shoshimin Series has been nothing but what I expected: high-level mysteries, intriguing characters, and a touch of romance that always leaves you wanting more. If only the man could write at anything faster than a snail’s pace.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-DAN DA DAN Season 2 [8.45 / 9]:
A wonderfully weird and quirky shonen action show that has still has the ability to hit the tenderest notes of what is maybe the slowest-burning, feet-kicking-in-bed romance I’ve seen in a long time. Season 2 has some slow points if fighting scenes aren’t your cup of tea, but the show honestly has a little someting for everyone—provided, of course, you can get past some of the “anime”-ness it exudes.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc Movie [9.14 / 9.5]:
The thing about Chainsaw Man is that we’re still not even maybe a quarter of the way through the show, yet it’s already pushed, pulled, and strangled me in ways that I couldn’t imagine (and I’ve read the source material already—I know what’s coming, but seeing it animated creates this visceral tension I can’t quite articulate). The Reze-Arc is up there with my favorites, and the entire movie is animated beautifully.
[Where to Watch: at your local theater]
-Call of the Night Season 2 [8.34 / 8.5]:
If season one didn’t put you off, you’ll get back your investment plus a whole lotta interest with season two. It’s almost entirely centered on Nazuna’s backstory, but it demonstrates what’s at stake and who’s getting hurt in this world’s main conflict. I’m not entirely invested in the main plot of this story, I’ll be honest, so this might be its peak for me.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus [8.18 / 9]:
The spiritual successor of the Monogatari Series delivers again with a Christmas-themed show which largely builds off of the movie and first season by introducing more issues requiring the protagonist’s intervention. I’m not sure where it’s going long-term, but I’m enjoying the ride thus far. That being said, another season like this would be a disappointment.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Spy x Family Season 3 [8.26 / 9]:
We’re entering the part of Spy x Family that made me realize I’m witnessing a modern masterpiece. It dives heavy into the conflict underlying the entire world, Loid’s backstory, and gives us a little spark of what’s to come in the future. I think something really special is happening, but failing that, Anya herself makes watching the show worthwhile.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
Just Fun Watches
These shows aren’t world-beaters, probably won’t have any lasting legacy, but man are they so much fun. If you need a “turn your brain off” or palate cleanser in between whatever hard-hitting drama you’re binging, these have got you covered.
-Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective [7.14 / 7]:
What if House M.D. was anime?
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Witch Watch [7.38 / 7]:
A romcom fantasy set in high school about a trainee witch destined for doom but being protected by their childhood friend, who happens to be from a lineage of ogres. It’s really cute, really wholesome, but dives into the meta-gaming/otaku culture of anime a little too hard for me to be completely engaged all the time. It’s very much a “one episode a week” vibe.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Secrets of the Silent Witch [8.12 / 8.5]:
I almost considered putting this in Hidden Gems, which is a testament to how well executed this show is. It’s a simple concept—young genius witch with crippling social anxiety gets dragged back into high school (the horror) with a mission to protect the prince. You watch her grow, struggle, deal with the past, yet persevere through it all. It’s an endearing show full of really funny moments and a realistic emotional payoff.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Dealing with the Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze [7.65 / 7]:
You want a cute romcom? Here’s a cute romcom cooked to just above par. Three genius sisters with a disheveled lifestyle get a clumsy yet hardworking housekeeper who attends the same high school.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister [7.55 / 8]:
You want a cute romcom? Here’s a cute romcom cooked to a good bit above par. Three shrine maiden sisters with a disheveled lifestyle get an overly serious, studious, yet caring housekeeper who attends the same high school. This one has a little bit of supernatural Shintoism spice that puts it, in my opinion, better than most generic high school romcoms.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Pokemon Concierge Part 2 [7.47 / 8]:
I love Pokemon. I love claymation.
I love Pokemon Concierge.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Alma Wants to Be a Family! [7.15 / 7.5]:
Another really well executed and fun romcom. A genius engineer and programmer create an adorable robot daughter that tries to set them up with each other. The show is about their domestic struggles and bliss. It’s a unique concept that is a really cute watch—even if cringe and painfully slow at times.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
Interesting But Disappointing
I had a lot of hope for these shows, but these two still have something to offer that might be worth looking into.
-Lazarus [7.19 / 6]:
A dystopian, end-of-the-world scenario where humanity’s only hope is in a ragtag bunch of convicts? It’s shamelessly baiting nostalgia from Cowboy Bebop, but doesn’t deliver whatsoever in a rushed, incoherent plot. That being said, it has a really cool atmosphere, some fantastic action scenes, and a soundtrack by Kamasi Washington. The last element alone is enough for me to at least give it a shot.
[Where to Watch: Apple TV, HBO, Crunchyroll]
-Hotel Inhumans [6.71 / 6.5]:
I waited eight episodes for this show to go somewhere, and it just didn’t It very much leans into a traditional episodic storytelling structure which has its charms, but the overarching narrative begging to develop simply never does, even in its final episodes. I’m a big fan of the world, the characters, and I’m much more tolerant of a slower build than most, but it needed just a bit more of a push for me to have felt satisfied. That being said, a season two is announced, so maybe that will change things.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
Hidden Gems
As a sicko seasonal watcher, these are the shows that keep me coming back. The shows nobody really talks about, that aren’t in the popular discourse, that will almost certainly not get second seasons, but bring something to the table that is valuable and enriching for me. For me, anything outside of the Top 1,000 shows is a “hidden gem.”
-Zenshu [7.58 / 8]:
A love letter to animation and niche media. The story takes place in a genius animator’s favorite childhood anime, where she finds herself after collapsing from repeated failures to write a romance. I didn’t appreciate this show for the actual storyline or supporting cast (which feel intentionally and necessarily half-baked), because the shining pillar of Zenshu is the main character and their relationship with art. If you have any background or attachment to visual media, I’d check this out.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Kowloon Generic Romance [7.35 / 8]:
Set in the Second Kowloon Walled City (today, a historical site with demolished buildings), this is a sci-fi romance with a gargantuan mystery plot that was, for me, completely enthralling. The main characters work at a real estate company and navigate a city that shouldn’t exist, with people whose existence is fleeting, and memories that are missing. It has an anime-original ending that ties up the story nicely, if with some lasting questions and plotholes (but after a certain point, the coherence of the plot is nowhere near as important as the characters themselves).
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Apocalypse Hotel [8.01 / 9]:
The art of a 12-episode story is somewhat lost in 2025—back in the 2000s and 2010s, you didn’t have that kind of capital or real estate to work with, and so viewers were used to and animators had worked with these limitations in mind. Shows like Anohana, Terror in Resonance, Angel Beats, and Serial Experiments Lain wasted zero space and still made a huge impression on those who watched it. Nowadays, pretty much every major series gets multiple seasons, two cours, and a smattering of movies to round out what can be a decade-long experience (see: Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, etc.).
For me, that’s why it’s all the more impressive when in 2025, a studio can produce something like Apocalypse Hotel, giving us a really heavy narrative across decades rich with environmental storytelling and timely themes while still packing in some genuinely hilarious moments throughout. I’ll be thinking about this show for a while.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Catch Me at the Ballpark! [7.13 / 7]:
If Zenshu is a love letter to animation, Catch Me at the Ballpark is a heartfelt, charming love letter to Japanese baseball. The show captures and reflects not necessarily the competition or sport of baseball, but what encapsulates the entire sport—the fans, the mascots, the energy, the media, the veterans, the managers, the crew, the security guards… there’s nothing necessarily fantastic about the show itself, but it’s different from almost anything else in the medium.
[Where to Watch: Crunchyroll]
-Takopi’s Original Sin [8.78 / 9]:
This is a truly bizarre show tackling a truly common and human issue. The plot itself revolves around an alien sent to Earth with magical tools on a mission to spread happiness meeting a little girl who is the victim of vicious school bullying. From there, the show just takes off at blistering pace without any regard for consistency, sanity, or resolution. It’s a tough watch, but one where you just kinda soak it in and let it wash over you.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
-Ruri Rocks [8.00 / 10]:
I love rocks. Growing up in Denver, my family would take trips to national parks and mountain ranges on an almost monthly basis, and these would be the highlights of my childhood. The view, the climbs, the animals, the snow, the trees, but most importantly, I loved looking into caves and seeing what sort of hidden treasures they contained. Some of my fondest memories revolve around picking up an unnaturally smooth rock and taking it home, or talking to local gold panning prospectors and listening to them ramble on about their vast expertise about the mines. In another life, I dedicate my life to geology.
For now, I’ll settle in a spectator role, and Ruri Rocks is a really cute show about a girl first entranced by jewelry becoming an avid scholar of minerals through a chance encounter with a graduate student. Her love of rocks crystallizes as the show progresses, and both her and the viewers learn more about the solid ground beneath our feet. It’s not some sort of dramatic masterpiece, but it doesn’t have to be, and it would be worse off had it tried to—I find that the most compelling stories are the most personal, the ones you’ve lived through, and the most ordinary, everyday experiences are dramatic enough for me. The love of learning, exploration, and geology is the centerpiece alongside stunning visuals, distinct characters spanning the entire academic spectrum, and an enthusiastic main character that makes me a little envious of their childlike whimsy.
[Where to Watch: good luck man]
Opening/Ending Themes of the Year
Here are the opening/ending themes from this year I’ve enjoyed the most.
-Girumasu ED: unfortunately a very catchy song but symbolic of the brainrot I’ve suffered
-Ameku M.D. OP: Aimer brings the heat
-Blue Exorcist ED: the show’s emotional gut punch in musical form
-Lazarus OP: Kamasi Washington jazz is great. Shoutout also to the ending, which is just The Boo Radleys.
-Witch Watch OP 1, ED 1: the first opening is just so fun for the eyes, and I really like the energy of the first ending
-Kowloon Generic Romance OP: the retro aesthetic brings everything together
-Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? OP: file this under “annoyingly catchy”
-Apocalypse Hotel OP: mysterious, brooding, hopeful, and sung in a deliberate artistic choice; great visuals as well
-Shoshimin S2 OP 1, ED 1: two really fun songs. Yorushika can’t miss (with what is maybe the best animated opening)
-DAN DA DAN S2 OP 1: a really emotional opening sung to perfection
-Call of the Night S2 OP 1: afrobeat off rhythm J-POP with rap, by Creepy Nuts? Yes please.
-Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus OP 1: almost catches the highs of the peggies, and that’s a huge compliment
-Secrets of the Silent Witch ED 1: it’s just such a calming, comfy song that prepares you for whatever’s ahead
-Mikadono Sisters OP 1: I don’t know if it’s actually good, but the singing here is just so energetic and fun to listen to
-Solo Camping For Two ED 1, OP 2: I have a soft spot for realistic snapshot moving intros (see: Makeine OP)
-Hotel Inhumans OP: really fun opening with no right to go as hard as it does
-Spy x Family S3 OP 1, ED 1: would you like war imagery? here is your war imagery, good sir
-Apothecary Diaries S2 OP 1, OP 2, ED 1: this show delivers in every way, including its music.
-Amagami Sisters OP 1, OP 2: character songs are usually throwaways, but the strings made these openings really fun
-Re:Zero S3 OP 1, ED 1: Myth & Roid the madmen, they’ve done it again
-Blue Box ED 2, Shade of Love (insert song): both songs made me the most emotional I’ve been in a long time
Anime of the Year - Orb: On the Movement of the Earth
At the time the show was airing, funding for research was being slashed across the country. I had friend starting PhD programs who had to take a step back, or people making conscious decisions that academia was no longer a viable option, having been made an even riskier prospect than it already was. But for many, the call to discovery is more than a practical career decision or the path of least resistance—it’s a calling, an urge, or something in between that compels people to learn, to find, to study simply for the sake of knowing more.
Orb is set in ancient Europe, following the astronomical discovery of and massive religious resistance to heliocentrism, the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way around, as was the popular and Catholic Church-backed position. The characters in Orb are not perfect or likely heroes. They are not devoted scholars in universities, researchers at the largest companies, or child prodigies that are propelled into stardom. They are not solely evil monsters, single-minded villains, or cruel zealots. They are simply curious ponderers, or downtrodden hopefuls, or dedicated parents, all who happen to find themselves within something much larger—an idea, a theory, a question that persist beyond them. How the characters decide to interact, embrace or reject it defines the contours of the story, which ploddingly moves along without remorse for any single individual.
What I love about Orb is that it tackles and beautifully portrays so much about what learning process involves. Some will never live to discover the massive impact of their work; others will chase a white whale, only to learn of their folly too late; few will be the true pioneers, but only able to do so thanks to the thousands before them. It balances drama, action, and mystery, but the show is through and through a thriller from start to finish.
I’ll warn that there’s some graphic violence (which isn’t central to the plot) and dark themes (mostly around death), but they aren’t there to appease an audience. They exist to further important themes or move the story along. The opening and ending themes throughout the show are also fantastic, and the visuals change as the plot progresses—keep your eye out and don’t skip them (who would want to skip this banger anyways?).
Orb is a generational show, and a rarity in the medium. It’s a love letter, a condemnation, and an ode to academia, science, and learning all in one. The character work is up there with the best, the voice acting is generational, and it’s left me with a greater appreciation for the many discoveries and advancements that have allowed us to live not only in a more convenient life, but a life where many of our questions can be answered. It’s up to us to answer the many more questions humanity has had for millenia, as well as the new questions we ask today.
[Where to Watch: Netflix]
