Here are Dean’s favourite anime of 2025

As in previous years, in 2025 I found solace in anime.

There's a lot to go through, including films and works from non-Japanese studios that could still be considered anime due to the art style. The list is not in any particular order as I am not an anime expert and don't want to rank these series. However, these are definitely some of the best releases this year.

It's worth noting that I didn't include subsequent seasons, unlike the fantasy seasons of the series. Kaiju #8 Season 2 and Taste or films that replace the seasons, e.g. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (Part 1: The Return of Akaza)) or fantastically beautiful Chainsaw Man – Movie: Reze's Arc.

Scarlet

Scarlet is an interesting anime that offers an exciting experience with a sword fighting badass girl from the medieval era who is trying to avenge her father's death. When she fails to complete her mission on time, she finds herself mortally wounded in a surreal world where she meets a man from the present day.

I watched this movie in the theater and it was absolutely amazing with such beautiful scenes, cool fights and much more.

Scarlet unfortunately not available for streaming yet. But if you end up seeing it streaming somewhere, give it a try if you can get past the 3D-style animation.

Lazarus

Lazarus The story takes place in a utopian year 2049, where a scientist has developed a miracle painkiller called Hapna, shortly after the man disappeared from society. Three years later, Skinner's video appears, saying that anyone who took the drug will soon die.

A task force of strangers band together to hunt down Dr. Skinner within 30 days and force him to give them the vaccine before the first wave of Hapna users begin to die.

Lazarus is excellent and created by Shinichiro Watanabe, known for such amazing anime as Samurai Champloo And Cowboy Bebop. Animation studio Mappa is famous Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Manand much more.

Lazarus available on Amazon Prime Video via StackTV.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Okay, everyone on the internet knows about it. My Hero Academia Now, Vigilantes The action takes place in the same world, but several years before the events of the original series. The main characters are also older and not heroes; instead, they are vigilantes – not fully registered heroes who evade the law and do not have strong quirks (powers).

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes it's fun and the story starts out darker than the original series.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes available on Crunchyroll.

Gachiakuta

Okay, I didn't like this anime at first. The main character seemed annoying, and the “Trash Beasts”, monsters made from garbage, use some pretty crappy 3D animation. Once you get past the garbage beast animation, by episode three the world and the series really open up.

In the series, characters essentially imbue their favorite objects with powers the more they get used to them. Some characters end up gaining some pretty cool abilities with their vital tools.

Gachiakuta tells the story of a boy who lives on a floating city, is blamed for the death of his father and is sent to a landfill where all the garbage from the floating city ends up. The character must find his way back to the floating city and befriend a group called the Janitors, who will then have to confront the raiders.

Gachiakuta available on Crunchyroll.

Summer Hikaru died

Summer Hikaru Died is a horror anime dedicated to the boy Hikaru and his best friend Yoshiki. When his friend Hikaru disappears for a week and returns, Yoshiki notices something strange about his friend. Yoshiki confronts Hikaru to find out that the returned Hikaru was not his friend, but something inhabiting his friend's body.

This is a creepy story about Hikaru and Yoshiki, two best friends, one of whom is not what he seems, but they seem to be becoming more than just friends.

I really like this anime and would recommend it to anyone looking for something less action-packed but with elements of creepy, fantasy and homoeroticism.

Summer Hikaru died is on Netflix.

Sanda

And last but not least: Sanda.

Imagine a world where Japan's birth rate is declining and children are seen as precious and taught not to grow up too quickly, which means kissing is outlawed and sleeping under 18 is discouraged.

When a child needs hope, she turns to Kazushige Sanda, the secret descendant of Santa Claus. According to some legends, the child activates Santa Sanda's powers and is one of the first children in generations to ask for a Christmas gift from Santa.

This series is quite funny; there's also yuri action, the term for lesbian romance in anime, as well as some pretty cool action scenes.

Sanda available on Prime Video.