In the world of anime, there are always reasons to be excited. There are always new releases. Series making a comeback. Great movies on the horizon. That’s why it’s so thrilling. And we’re not going to lie: 2025 is not going to be any different. That’s why we have chosen the ten series you should have on your radar in 2025 if you don’t want to be left out of the loop. Just a note: we are excluding second seasons because the lineup is so strong that just with new releases, we already fill the ten spots. So, without further ado, let’s go straight to the list.
SAKAMOTO DAYS
Sakamoto Days is one of the most popular comedies in Shonen Jump. With good reason. This hilarious story about a retired professional assassin with a family who just wants to be left alone, but of course, they don’t leave him alone, will have an anime adaptation coming to us from Netflix, and if anything is evident, it’s that it has the potential to become one of those animes that seem to come out of nowhere and end up being watched even by your grandmother.
Fate/strange Fake
The Fate franchise stopped being niche a long time ago. That doesn’t mean that many of its adaptations aren’t, at the very least, disappointing. But that’s unlikely to happen with Fate/strange Fake. Why? Because the original novels are by Ryogo Narita, author of Durarara!! and Baccano!. Because the anime is being made by A-1 Pictures. So at the very least, it will be interesting and have incredible twists. And from there, the sky’s the limit.
WITCH WATCH
Another title from Weekly Sh?nen Jump that is performing exceptionally well. But this time it’s neither a comedy nor a battle shonen. Or not exactly. It’s a romantic comedy about a teenage witch who must learn to work, and perhaps something more, with her childhood friend, who looks like an ogre. There are fights. There is comedy. But the emphasis on day-to-day life, romance, and character development is what’s important. And it can work exceptionally well in anime.
Kowloon Generic Romance
Jun Mayuzuki has become a cult mangaka with only three mangas to her name. Especially thanks to After the Rain, an exceptional coming-of-age story about a high school girl who falls in love with the manager of the family restaurant where she works. The anime of After the Rain is a must-watch, and you should see it if you haven’t already, because now they are adapting her next manga, Kowloong Generic Romance, which promises the same sensitivity, depth in character development, and exceptional character design and use of colors. A potential must-see.
Ninja and the Assassin’s Life Together
Shaft is the most unique anime studio in Japan and hasn’t released anything since 2022. Now it returns in 2025 with two projects, the one we will see in full is Ninja to Koroshiya no Futarigurashi. Assuming the return of Yukihiro Miyamoto to direction, director of masterpieces like Arakawa Under the Bridge, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, or Fate/Extra Last Encore, this is the adaptation of a comedic manga about an assassin and a ninja who share an apartment. Will this be the strangest anime of 2025? Surely. Will it be the best? Maybe.
The Summer Hikaru Died
The Summer Hikaru Died is one of the most interesting mangas published in recent years. This mix of coming-of-age and LGBTQ+ tinged horror inspired by Tokyo Ghoul is causing a sensation, and its anime, with just a trailer, already promises to be an absolutely amazing adaptation. Appropriately, it will also be released in the summer. So missing it is not even an option.
SANDA
Do you still believe in Santa Claus? Don’t answer yet. Paru Itagaki, the creator of Beastars, the anime that has been a hit for years on Netflix, has something to tell you about that with SANDA. A hilarious series, full of action and with all the depth we could expect from the creator of Beastars, asking the question we all wonder, what would happen if Santa Claus were real and had superpowers in a dystopian future? Well, this fall you’ll know the answer.
Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Animation
Disney has taken the anime world by storm and it seems they don’t want to let go. This will be demonstrated with Disney Twisted-Wonderland the Animation, an anime adaptation of a gacha game that has been hugely popular among young Japanese women for years. Now, it aims to replicate this success worldwide. Set in a school for Disney villains, it offers exactly what you might imagine: Harry Potter with handsome boys who are just bad enough to make you think they wouldn’t be with us. What more could we ask for?
New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Technically a comeback, but what a comeback. After fifteen years in the fridge, Gainax’s last great series returns, with its original creators, now in a Trigger in a state of grace. And what does this New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt promise us? The same as the old Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. Experimental animation, endless pranks, and loads of fun. Exactly what we want from this series.
Lazarus
We have saved the best for last. No other series, anime or not, has the credentials of Lazarus. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, with action scenes directed by Chad Stahelski, director of John Wick, soundtrack by Kasami Washington, and script by Dai Sato, this is a who’s who of contemporary culture. If there is an anime that has everything to succeed, it is this science fiction story about a miraculous drug of which we still know almost nothing, except that it is made by some of the greatest creatives in the world. And we don’t need to know more.