The 12 Best Anime of 2025 (So Far)
Anime fans, it’s a good sign when the mid-year best-of list already looks like the finished product. If you thought 2024 was one of the best years in anime history, many of last year’s shows are returning in 2025 for a second season. I don’t know what kind of special ink these animators use—but the turnaround is unbelievably quick.
For starters, six of 2024’s biggest hits on this list are currently kicking off their sophomore runs. This summer, fans have access to season 2 of Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries, as well as Blue Box, Dandadan, and Kaiju No. 8. Plus, a whopping season 21 for One Piece is hitting new peaks in the series’ long-running fandom. Dragon Ball Daima still pumps out entertaining stories for Goku and friends 40 years later, and the upcoming Demon Slayer film just set a release date in Japan for mid-July.
It’s rare nowadays to say that any long-running series or Hollywood franchise is trending in the right direction, but I’ve always felt that way about anime. Whenever I sit down to write this list, the genre looks comparatively stronger than the year before, and 2025 is no exception. These are the 12 best anime of 2025 so far.
The best new anime of 2024, about high schoolers who investigate ghosts and aliens, returns for a second season just half a year after season 1 wrapped back in December. Kicking off this summer with an absolutely insane plot about a haunted house and a giant death worm, Dandadan looks to keep the infectiously fun and comically bright vibes going.
I’m a sucker for sports anime. They’re often formulaic and a bit too gung-ho, but I just mop it up every time. Blue Box, on the other hand, has a little bit of something for everyone. Sure, you can root for Chinatsu to nail a three-pointer during her basketball tournament or Taiki to score a point in badminton, but winning the game isn’t everything in Blue Box. The two also fall in love.
Kaiju No. 8 is about a man named Kafka Hibino who sets out to protect Japan from giant killer monsters, only to find himself inexplicably turned into a monster himself. It’s a bit like Godzilla if Godzilla could transform into a human when he wasn’t on a rampage. In season 1, Kafka joined the defense force that aims to protect the city from monsters (like himself), but his secret was accidentally revealed in the finale. Now back for season 2, Kaiju No. 8 will follow Kafka as he seeks to find his way out of this new pickle—and maybe use his monstrous transformation to help the defense force fight back.
Yes, Let’s Go Karaoke! is an anime about karaoke. It’s just not a sing-along. The story starts when choral student Satomi Oka is approached by a gangster who is desperate to improve his singing skills and win a bet against another Yakuza member. Trapped in this ridiculous endeavor, Oka must help the ruffian learn how to sing before the annual competition lest he risk his own life.
Gachiakuta’s story won’t feel that outside-the-box to anime fans. The plot follows Rudo, a young abandoned boy who is sick of the backward ways of his society and then given the power to actually do something about it. The big difference here is in Gachiakuta’s animation. While its 3D style may not be for everyone, it’s captivating to see the reaction to the studio Bones’s mixed-media approach so far.
Even after series creator Akira Toriyama’s passing last year, Goku and his friends are still going strong in 2025. Daima remixes element of Dragon Ball GT into a new story for the Super Saiyans as they travel to the demon world to defeat a new threat. The latest series is the last Dragon Ball story written by Toriyama before his death. So far, the animation is some of the best that the series has seen yet.
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Long-running anime franchises can feel daunting. Apothecary Diaries works with more of a medical-mystery-of-the-week formula—and it’s so damn refreshing. The story follows a young girl named Maomao who serves as an apothecary to the Imperial Palace during the Ming dynasty. With intriguing ailments and even more clever solutions, Apothecary Diaries is easily one of the breakout hits of the past two years.
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Speaking of untraditional source material, Devil May Cry’s fantasy story originates from a popular Capcom video game series. The story follows a demon hunter named Dante who tracks down sinister terrorists out for revenge against humanity. The series is directed by Castlevania’s Adi Shankar, who is also developing an Assassin’s Creed series for Netflix.
One Piece and its seafaring pirates adapt the expertly animated Egghead arc for season 21 (!) this year. The series remains one of the most popular anime of all time, as One Piece’s animation team continues its never-ending warpath. Season 21 features even more important battles, as well as a remastered adaptation of season 15. Yes, that’s right. While fans wait for new episodes, One Piece will entertain viewers year-round with a revamped version of the Fishman Island saga from 2012. Plus, Netflix is currently entering production on season 2 of the live-action series. As always, One Piece fans are eating good.
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Though Sakamoto Days is one of the best manga of the past decade, the anime entered Netflix’s streaming portal to mixed reviews. While some critics cited problems with the less-than-fluid animation compared with that of its contemporary rivals, the story about a retired killer who is roped back into the insane world of assassins for hire is truly just heating up for viewers. As a reader, I can promise that Sakamoto Days is the gift that keeps on giving.
Remember when I said I was a sucker for sports anime? Well, here’s another recommendation: Turkey. The story follows Mai Otonashi, captain of the Ikkokukan High School Bowling Club, who is pursuing her final chance to win the tournament. While Turkey is mostly a cute, lighthearted story about the difficulties of maintaining friendships, it’s also about learning to work together to succeed—a lesson we could all learn once in a while.
Ever wonder what it would feel like to experience a video-game-like “leveling up” in real life? Well, that’s what happens to Sung Ji-woo in this South Korean fantasy anime. When monsters invade his world, a mystery ability grants him the power to increase his skills with every new villain he defeats. Solo Leveling surprised audiences last year, especially since the web comic’s story didn’t originate from one of the trusted powerhouses in Japanese publishing. If there’s one rule about anime, it’s to never judge a book by its cover!
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