The Best Winter 2025 Anime, Ranked (So Far)
The world is nearly a month deep into 2025, and many of the anime that have been promised for winter have premiered with their first episodes. But there are only so many hours in the day to dedicate to watching the slew of series that have come this season, and the long list can be as intimidating as the deadliest shōnen enemy.
Although there is a crop of splendid anime to pick from this season, only a handful are truly worth getting invested in. Great hits like Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries have returned for their second seasons, while there are new and fresh gems in the lineup like Sakamoto Days and ZENSHU that can keep even the pickiest anime fan entertained.
10. Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! is a Soothing Reverse Isekai
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Friday
This Zero-G production adapts Suzuki Makishima’s light novel about 25-year-old Kazuhiro Kitase and his ability to enter another reality through slumber. At first, he thought this reality was simply a world that manifested in his dreams, only to be proven wrong when he found his adventuring companion, Mariabelle (“Marie”) the elf, in his bed after waking up from one of these supposed dreams.
Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! is a unique take on the isekai genre, in which the protagonist is able to travel between the modern world and the fantasy one through the simple act of sleeping. It focuses less on the action of adventure and more on the wonders of it; through the innocent and food-loving eyes of Marie, this light-hearted anime takes viewers on a simple and relaxing journey of a young elf experiencing the hidden joys of modern Japan.
9. This Super-Powered Guild Receptionist is Sick of Overtime
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Friday
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time is a CloverWorks action-comedy about the hard life of Alina Clover, who recently scored a safe and secure job as a guild receptionist. The only issue is that she is often met with endless paperwork as the result of difficult bosses who refuse to be felled. To rectify this and get her regular working hours back in order, Alina dares to go against her company policy.
Alina Clover secretly goes into the dungeons herself to wipe out the bosses who are at fault for her overtime. But, as luck would have it, she ends up getting the attention of a guild leader, who will stop at nothing to have her on his team. Despite the concerningly absurd amount of power she wields, Alina is a heroine who just wants nothing more than a simple life. Viewers will be caught between wanting to see her thrive in monster-slaying while also wishing she could get the peace she deserves.
8. Honey Lemon Soda is a Sweet Shojo Bubbling Up in Popularity
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Wednesday
Honey Lemon Soda, based on Mayu Murata’s sickly sweet shojo manga, follows the story of the socially anxious Uka Ishimori, who was bullied in middle school. After meeting her bullies again, her high school life sets off on a rocky start, but she is determined to change into a new person. With the help of popular boy Kai Miura, things start to take a turn for the better, and she finds herself gaining the courage to truly improve herself.
J.C. Staff’s newest anime about a high school romance doesn’t bring any new tropes to the table, but it doesn’t stop Honey Lemon Soda from being a touching series about young love and personal growth. Uka is an underdog who will slowly captivate the audience with her kind heart and determination to build herself a life as bright as the colors that J.C. Staff uses to tell her story.
7. Dr.STONE: SCIENCE FUTURE is a Voyage of Laughs
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Thursday
Adapting Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi’s award-winning manga, TMS Entertainment’s Dr. STONE is a post-apocalyptic adventure comedy about Senku Ishigami and his endeavor to rebuild civilization after all of humanity was petrified into stone for millennia. The previous season concluded with Senku forming a crew and building a working ship to sail across the oceans to distant lands in order to gather supplies for their ultimate destination: the Moon.
Dr. STONE: SCIENCE FUTURE is the fourth season in Senku’s hilarious, educational plight of restoring mankind to its former glory, utilizing the skill and talent of every one of the allies he’s made thus far. The new season’s first episode started off with a round of poker that seemed very low-stakes, but it was actually a game to decide how the rest of their journey at sea will go—a light-hearted gamble that, while Senku has good intentions, might end up having heavy consequences.
6. The Tension is Rising in My Happy Marriage's Second Season
Airing on Netflix, New Episode Every Monday
The anime adaptation of Akumi Agitogi’s My Happy Marriage has been one of the most touching love stories of the decade, telling the tale of Miyo Saimori after she left her abusive home and found herself a life full of love and warmth in the household of her future husband, Kiyoka Kudo. The first season ended with Miyo and Kiyoka finding the strength to fight for each other in a world where enemies are slowly emerging from the shadows to keep them apart.
My Happy Marriage’s second season started off on a tense note, presenting the strained dynamic that Kiyoka has with his mother, introducing a new type of grotesquerie and offering an eerie glimpse of the new foe just waiting around the corner. Thus far, Miyo has shown the courage she’s built when facing her new challenges, but it will take even more out of her and Kiyoka to survive the oncoming calamity that was foreseen by the imperial prince.
5. The Apothecary Diaries is Back With Everyone's Favorite Heroine
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Friday
The Apothecary Diaries, adapted by OLM and TOHO animations, was a series that leagues of anime were eagerly waiting to return. It captivated audiences with its intricate storyline detailing the life of a young and studious apothecary—Maomao—trying to survive in a harsh world as she solves mystery after mystery to help her allies overcome the perils of the imperial court.
4. Sakamoto Days is a Comedy About Appreciating the Peace of Normalcy
Airing on Netflix, New Episode Every Saturday
Sakamoto Days is Netflix’s brand new anime about the formerly feared hitman known as Taro Sakamoto. Usurping the popularity of The Way of the House Husband, TMS Entertainment’s adaptation of Yuuto Suzuki’s action comedy shonen follows the simple, mundane life of Sakamoto and his former partner, Shin Asakura, as they manage the Sakamoto family’s convenience store.
Sakamoto's peace is constantly disturbed by the enemies he made during his violent past, but, with the help of Shin—who is able to hear the thoughts of others—he’ll be able to better work around the “no kill” rule placed upon him. Filled with peak comedy and a love for the delicate simplicities of normalcy, this anime will give fans a newfound appreciation for the ever-growing domesticated crime-lord genre.
3. ZENSHU's Protagonist is Pushed to Expand her Creative Limits
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Sunday
Mappa’s newest hit series, ZENSHU, is about the prodigious animator and director, Natsuko Hirose, as she endeavors to work on her next project—a story about first love. The problem is, in spite of working tirelessly to complete the storyboards, she struggles to produce something profound and meaningful. When she’s suddenly isekai’d into the world of her favorite childhood anime, Natsuko may just find the answers and inspiration she’s looking for.
ZENSHU is Mappa’s original story written for the creatives. Although the premise can be a bit tone-deaf considering the recent controversies around the studio’s work environments, the anime has proven to be something well worth the watch for its unique take on the creative struggle, colorful and fluid animation, and hilariously relatable main protagonist. ZENSHU is a series that can only get better with each episode.
2. Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is an Intense War of Blood and Balance
Whole Season Available to Stream Now on Netflix
Castlevania: Nocturne, the spin-off to Netflix’s hit animated adaptation of Konami’s famous game franchise, Castlevania, became a success as massive as its predecessor. Having premiered in September of 2023 with all 8 episodes, the first season of Nocturne ended with the tragic sacrifice of Tera Renard and the emergence of Alucard.
Nocturne returned on January 16 with eight more riveting episodes covering the struggle to take down a fear-mongering vampire queen and her quest to attain a demonic form of godhood to conquer the mortal world. Richter Belmont and his allies must overcome their internal struggles so that they can truly come together to defeat the divine monstrosity that is Erszebet Bathory.1. Solo Leveling Season 2 is Another Intense Ride to Ultimate Power
Airing on Crunchyroll, New Episode Every Saturday
Solo Leveling, an A-1 Pictures production based on the widely popular manhwa of the same name, became one of the biggest hits of 2024. Following the story of E-rank hunter Sung Jinwoo—who was dubbed “the weakest hunter in mankind”—this urban fantasy details how Jinwoo gradually levels up in strength with every enemy he defeats. However, the power he gains seems to be coming at a cost: his humanity.
The first season saw Jinwoo defeat Igris the Bloodred as well as an army of lower-level foes before he attained the title of Shadow Monarch, granting him the ability to summon his felled enemies into his own legion of loyal fighters. Solo Leveling’s second season promises as much brutal action and intensity as the first, as Jinwoo has more unexpectedly dangerous dungeons to overcome and the vengeful Hwang Dongsoo to face.