Best Winter 2025 Anime

The Winter 2025 anime season got the year started on the right note, delivering more than 40 episodes per week. While quantity and variety are selling points for the medium in general, ultimately, only a handful of seasonal series will be remembered now that the snow has melted away. Offering a nice blend of sequels and newcomers, the Winter lineup produced greatness across a spectrum of genres.

As so many shows aired during this season, keeping track of everything was not only exhausting but also arguably unsatisfying. As such, a shortlist of the best anime of Winter 2025 can serve as a helpful guide, at least in picking out a few starting points. Let’s go through the season’s highlights.

Updated on June 5, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Spring 2025 is nearly done and has not been especially great overall. Just to be clear, the current lineup has plenty of shows that are worth watching, even if they might not go down as all-time masterpieces. Still, Winter 2025 was just far more stacked with goodies. Consequently, two more of the best Winter 2025 anime have been added.

Here are a few important details and criteria:

• Only anime that debuted in Winter 2025 will be considered, and this includes sequel seasons. Therefore, Fall 2024 leftovers (Shangri-La Frontier, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, Blue Box, and Re:Zero) will not be included.
• Click the anime’s title to see a preview, if the article exists.

23

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World

A Sentai Isekai Comedy That Does Justice To All Of Them

A show does not have to be brilliant to be enjoyable. The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World does not excel in any particular area. The action is mostly just OK, and the characters lean heavily into tropes while being endearing enough to be worth watching for 12 episodes. The story moves along quickly and avoids overstaying its welcome, but it does not leave a lasting impression by any means. As far as isekai anime are concerned, Red Ranger is inoffensive.

As a parody of sentai stories that throws in otherworldly shenanigans for good measure, Red Ranger is an absolute blast and a glorious love letter to that genre. Tougo, the eponymous ranger, falls headfirst into a new world, and he decides to continue being a hero. However, his power depends on his bonds, so he quickly forms a party with three characters who are all bemused by his powers. Red Ranger is at its best when focusing on humor, which it wisely prioritizes.

22

Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She’s Saying

An Okinawa Romcom

Every once in a while, an anime comes around that serves as an ad for a Japanese prefecture. 2024 had Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable, a decent-enough anime that started as a cute romance before gradually introducing unnecessary harem elements. Winter 2025 decided to highlight another part of Japan, with Okitsura taking place on Okinawa Island.

Once again, this story revolves around a teen guy who has recently moved from Tokyo and quickly finds himself under the guidance of a few local girls. In this case, Teruaki spends his time with Hina, whom he has a massive crush on, despite struggling to understand her dialect. Fortunately, Kana is around to translate Hina’s words, allowing Teruaki to follow along. However, Kana has very obvious romantic feelings for the male lead, which threatens to complicate matters.

While the love triangle might suggest an infusion of melodrama, Okitsura mostly avoids that, opting to be a carefree slice of life that primarily highlights Okinawa’s beauty and culture. All three leads are likable as well, although Kana is the star of the show as she gets the most attention out of the two girls.

21

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!

A Reverse Isekai Delight

Reverse isekai anime do not get as much attention as their “standard” counterparts, but they regularly offer something different from the norm. While present, overpowered protagonists and action-driven stories are not inescapable, and most series prioritize comedy or slice of life. Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf falls within the latter category, and the series does somewhat come across as an advertisement for the country’s natural beauty and fantastic food. There is, ultimately, nothing wrong with that, and the experience is elevated by the incorporation of isekai elements.

Kazuhiro visits a fantasy world while sleeping, and he accidentally learns that he can bring somebody back to Earth by touching them when he falls asleep or dies. His inadvertent text subject is Maria, an elf who quickly becomes enamored by Japan’s modern pleasures and comforts. While at its best when set on Earth, Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf spends quite a bit of time in Maria’s home world as well, so the anime qualifies as a standard isekai as well. That said, these sequences are fairly forgettable and lack the charm of the Earth-based adventures.

20

Sorairo Utility

A Cute Girls Doing Sports Things Anime

Winter 2025 had one massive sports anime that hogged most of the limelight, even if it was still arguably not among the season’s biggest success stories. While that anime comes later, Sorairo Utility also proved to be a decent addition to the genre that most fans will want to seek out, especially if they also enjoy “cute girls doing cute things” type stories. These sorts of anime are pure comfort food, and they are perfect to throw on after an exhausting day at work or school. They have almost no tension or drama, opting instead to focus on mundane activities.

Sorairo Utility follows Minami, a directionless girl who finally feels a spark when she sees another girl playing at a golf range. Although a complete beginner, Minami quickly decides to embrace the sport, and she shows a talent for it. While not completely devoid of a competitive edge, the story is primarily about a group of girls who bond over golf, rather than their attempts to become the best in Japan.

19

Honey Lemon Soda

A Traditional Shojo Anime Romance

There is nothing wrong with sticking to an established formula, as long as it is executed well. For better or worse, Honey Lemon Soda is a prototypical shojo romance, including a shy female lead who falls head-over-heels for a cool male protagonist who helps her come out of her shell. This dynamic worked for Kimi ni Todoke, and it mostly works for Honey Lemon Soda. While not constantly reaching the same heights as that romance classic, the Winter 2025 anime is nevertheless consistently entertaining and, more importantly, gets better as it moves along.

While the main romance between Uka and Kai underpins nearly everything, Honey Lemon Soda wisely also highlights the former’s budding friendships with her other classmates, granting her agency in the development of those connections. Although likable enough, Kai is very much the standard romance male protagonist who is both really sweet but oddly abrasive, and his relationship with Uka only flourishes during the final few episodes. The animation also has some great moments, particularly in episode 11.

A Tolerance Of Tsundere Antics Is Required

OK, here is a Winter 2025 anime that is the definition of polarizing. For some, I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class was one of the season’s funniest shows; for others, it was the most frustrating. Akane and Saito hate each other, so they are not thrilled when their grandparents force them to marry and live together. Keeping their situation a secret at school, they try to just stay out of each other’s way, which proves pretty difficult. As they spend more time together, they grow gradually closer; in the meantime, Akane’s best friend has a crush on Saito.

I’m Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class‘ characters are a lot. Akane’s tsundere dial is almost constantly turned up to 11, causing many scenes to erupt into yelps of embarrassed anger. Annoying as this can be, Hinaki Yano’s voice acting is so fantastic that Akane can be downright hilarious, depending on whether her personality meets a viewer’s preferences.

The other girls, Himari and Shisei, can also be frustrating, especially since they take up a lot of time and barely have lives beyond their relationships with Akane and Saito.

17

Flower and Asura

A Well-Done Coming Of Age Anime With An Unusual Focus

One of Winter 2025’s HIDIVE exclusives, Flower and Asura went somewhat unnoticed. Part of that is due to its streaming platform, but the story’s focus on high-school broadcasting might be a bit too niche to entice all that many people to seek it out. While certainly a unique topic, Flower and Asura is primarily just a slice-of-life drama that follows a small group of students who are exploring their passion for broadcasting and voice work, with the first-year student Hana acting as something of a surrogate for the audience.

Similar to how the “sport” is not that important in sports anime, Flower and Asura uses broadcasting as a vehicle to tell an enjoyable and even relatable coming-of-age story. Studio Bind’s animation is top-notch, as is the voice acting (unsurprisingly). While not an all-time great, this series should be, at the very least, remembered.

16

Tasokare Hotel

Caught Between The Living And The Dead

Tasokare Hotel was one of Winter 2025’s nicer surprises, and it is fairly accessible due to being available on YouTube’s It’s Anime channel. Based on a game, the concept revolves around a hotel that is somewhat similar to Limbo, and its clientele are people who have recently died or are on the verge of death. When they arrive, they have no memories, so they must use clues found within their rooms to remember who they are and why they are there.

Tasokare Hotel is kind of reminiscent of Death Parade, with each episode following the staff as they handle a new visitor. Their stories are gradually revealed, and happy endings are not guaranteed. While decent from the start, the anime picks up significant steam when Masaki is introduced in episode 3, as he injects a touch of chaos into proceedings. After that, the anime delivers engaging episodic mysteries that occasionally sprinkle in tidbits about the hotel or the staff. However, the latter could be a bit more prominent, especially since the recurring characters are generally more interesting than the guests.

15

Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective

A Medical Detective Story

Lovingly known as “anime House,” Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective wears its influences on its sleeve, with the opening scene referencing a few tropes associated with that Western medical procedural. While sharing similarities with House, Ameku M.D. does enough to establish a unique identity, largely by also incorporating police detective conventions into most episodes.

Takao Ameku is a super-doctor who is in charge of a hospital department dedicated to exploring unconventional cases. Alongside a few aides who are mostly there to provide emotional support, Takao uses her incredible intellect to decipher peculiar medical and, sometimes, criminal cases. Ameku M.D. is mostly amusing fluff, with most stories sticking to the same structure. The mysteries have been a mixed bag, ranging from ridiculously clever to surprisingly obvious. Even when a case does not quite land, Takao is at least entertaining enough to carry the episode.

While most mysteries have not had much emotional weight, Ameku M.D. managed to produce one of the saddest episodes of Winter 2025. Along with being a gut-punch, this two-part storyline succeeded in adding nuance to Takao’s backstory and personality, something the genius doctor previously lacked.

14

Ishura Season 2

A Confusing But Rewarding Isekai Anime

Ishura does not play by conventional isekai or general storytelling standards. Season 1 dedicated its first five episodes to introducing a dozen characters through short half-episode vignettes, all to set up a war that would dominate the second half of the cour. Any viewer who survived the confusing early chapters was eventually treated to a constant stream of intense fights that were enhanced by the show’s lack of a traditional protagonist, meaning nearly anyone could die.

Season 2 follows a similar format, albeit a touch more streamlined and focused. Rather than revolving around an impending war, Ishura has dedicated its attention to an approaching calamity, while also setting the stage for a future tournament that might not end up happening during this season. The story is still relatively difficult to follow, and the world-building is interesting but muddled, but none of that matters as the action sequences are once again great. The anime just wants to let fun OP archetypes duke it out in epic battles, and it delivers on that front.