Like in previous years, in 2025, I’ve found solace in anime.
There’s much to go through, including movies and works from non-Japanese studios that could still be considered anime due to the art style. The list isn’t in any specific order, as I’m no anime expert and don’t want to be ranking these series. However, these are definitely some of the best to launch this year.
It’s worth mentioning that I didn’t include any following seasons like the fantastic seasons of Kaiju No. 8 season 2, and Dandadan or movies that replace seasons, like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (Part 1: Akaza Returns) or the fantastically beautiful Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.
Scarlet
Scarlet is an interesting anime that offers a time-bending experience with a medieval-era sword-fighting bad-ass girl, who is trying to avenge the death of her father. When she wasn’t able to complete her mission in her era, she ended up fatally injured in a surreal world where she meets a man from our present day.
I watched this film in theatres, and it was absolutely amazing, with such beautiful sequences with cool fighting and more.
Scarlet is not yet available for streaming, unfortunately. But if you eventually see it on streaming anywhere, give it a shot, if you can get past the 3D-style animation.
Lazarus
Lazarus is set in a utopian year 2049, where a scientist developed a miracle pain drug called ‘Hapna,’ shortly after this man disappears from society. Three years later, a video of Skinner surfaces, saying that anyone who has taken the drug will soon die.
A task force of strangers joins together to hunt down Doctor Skinner within 30 days and get him to give them the vaccine before the first wave of Hapna users start to die.
Lazarus is excellent and is made by Shinichirō Watanabe, who’s known for amazing anime like Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop. And Mappa, the animation studio, is known for Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and so many more.
Lazarus is available on Amazon Prime Video via StackTV.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Okay, all weebs know about My Hero Academia, now, Vigilantes takes place in the same world, but several years before the events of the original series. The main characters are also older and aren’t heroes; they are, instead, vigilantes — not fully registered heroes skirting under the law, and don’t have overpowered Quirks (powers).
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is fun, and the story starts darker than the original series as well.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available on Crunchyroll.
Gachiakuta
Okay, at first, I wasn’t down with this anime. The main character seemed annoying, and the ‘Trash Beasts, which are monsters made out of garbage, use pretty trash 3D animation. Once you get past the trash beast animation, by episode three, the world and series really open up.
In the show, the characters essentially imbue their favourite objects with power the more they get used. Some characters end up getting some pretty cool powers with their Vital Instruments.
Gachiakuta follows the story of a young boy who lives in a floating city and is accused to the death of his father and is exiled to the junkyard zone where all the floating city’s trash ends up. The character has to find a way back up to the floating city and befriends a group called the Janitors, who then have to square up against the Raiders.
Gachiakuta is available on Crunchyroll.
The Summer Hikaru Died
The Summer Hikaru Died is a horror anime focusing on the boy Hikaru and his best friend Yoshiki. When his friend Hikaru disappears for a week and comes back, Yoshiki notices something weird about his friend. Yoshiki confronts Hikaru to find out that the Hikaru that returned wasn’t his friend, but something inhabiting his friend’s body.
This is a spooky tale, with Hikaru and Yoshiki, two best friends, one isn’t who he appears to be, yet, seemingly, they are becoming more than friends.
I absolutely love this anime, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for something with less action, but with some elements of spooky, fantasy, and homoeroticism.
The Summer Hikaru Died is on Netflix.
Sanda
Last but not least is Sanda.
Imagine a world where the birth rate in Japan is declining, and children are looked at as precious, taught not to grow up too quickly, meaning kissing is outlawed and sleeping until you are 18 is discouraged.
When a child needs hope, she turns to Kazushige Sanda, secretly the descendant of Santa Claus. Based on some lore, the child causes Sanda’s Santa powers to kick in and is one of the first kids to ask for a Christmas gift from Santa in generations.
This series is pretty funny; there’s also some ‘Yuri’ action, a term for lesbian romance in anime, and some pretty cool action scenes as well.
Sanda is available on Prime Video.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
