It's time to count down the very best anime of the year, from the characters we couldn't help rooting for to the songs at the top of our playlists! ― Welcome to our editorial team's countdown of the very best anime that aired this year! Below you'll find Anime News Network's top 10 anime of the year, the characters that inspired us, the moments that we couldn't stop talking about, the songs that are...

game review

Utawarerumono: ZAN Game Review

Jan 2, 12:00 games

Utawarerumono Zan trades out the series trademark strategy with visceral action—does it stick the landing, though? ― While the Utawarerumono series is best known for its strategic leanings, Utawarerumono Zan took the series into a more action-oriented angle when it released in 2018. After six years, Shiravune has brought it back to PC in America. While it has a few flaws in its formula, it's a nevert...

review

2 comments

Rooster Fighter Volume 1-8 Manga Review

Jan 1, 12:00

2 comments

manga

For a series that could be boiled down to super chickens taking down demons that threatened humanity, the artwork goes so much harder than expected. ― It took me a while to really figure out how I could articulate what makes Rooster Fighter so appealing. At first, I thought it was just the absurdity of its premise because it's a simple yet effective setup for what I thought was going to be a more com...

column

2 comments

This Week in Anime - Ringing in the New Year

Jan 1, 10:00

2 comments

anime

Chris and Coop look ahead to their most anticipated anime series of 2026. ― Chris and Coop look ahead to their most anticipated anime series of 2026. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyter @vestenet Coop Welcome to 2026, Chris! I hope you had a restful holiday season, because it lo...

feature

48 comments

The Winter 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Jan 1, 09:00

48 comments

anime

It's the Winter 2026 Anime Preview Guide! We're off to the races with Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None and Tamon's B-Side, as well as Sentenced to Be a Hero, You and I Are Polar Opposites, and the second season of Hell's Paradise! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2026 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as the...

interest

10 comments

Happy New Year From Around the Anime World: Hold Your Horses Part I

Jan 1, 00:00

10 comments

just for fun

Featuring Ghibli, One Piece, Frieren, Ranma 1/2, Jojo's, Re:ZERO, Capcom, Assassination Classroom, Super Sentai, Yu-Gi-Oh!, & more! ― The Year of the Snake has come to a close, and it's off to the races with the Year of the Horse. With the new year comes greetings from across the anime and manga world: Assassination Classroom Capcom Captain Tsubasa Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis 【謹賀新年！】／　🎍Happy ...

news

7 comments

In Memoriam

Dec 31, 23:50

7 comments

people

To those who left us in 2025 ― William Bassett Voice actor Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes James Carter Cathcart Voice actor, script adaptor Pokémon, Revolutionary Girl Utena Juli Erickson Voice actress Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Ouran High School Host Club Bill Flynn (also known as William Flynn) Voice actor Case Closed, One Piece Ron Friedman Writer ...

news

9 comments

Historie Manga Gets TV Anime by LIDEN FILMS

Dec 31, 22:29

9 comments

anime

Latest manga from Parasyte creator Hitoshi Iwaaki ― A website opened on Thursday to announce a television anime adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki's Historie manga. LIDEN FILMS is animating the production. Iwaaki noted in the announcement of the anime that he first conceived the story over four decades ago, and first began sketching the art in his then-tiny studio some 20-odd years ago. Kodansha's K Manga ...

review

2 comments

Wandance Volume 4-5 Manga Review

Dec 31, 12:00

2 comments

manga

Wandance really gets you moving. ― Kabo and Hikari are both driven to get better as dancers. Club President On-chan, trying to entice Iori back to the club in the hopes that he'll step up as president next year, agrees to take the club to a dance battle. Kabo gets to bond with the only other guy in the club, and we get to learn the difference between street, house, and break dancing. I absolutely lov...

news

7 comments

Kaguya-sama: Love is War Anime Gets New Finale Film

Dec 31, 09:17

7 comments

anime

Manga creator Aka Akasaka drafted film's original story concept ― Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Otona e no Kaidan (The Steps to Become an Adult), the Kaguya-sama: Love is War anime's new television special, ended on Wednesday with an announcement of a brand-new Kaguya-sama: Love is War film. Original manga creator Aka Akasaka drafted a new, original story concept specifically for the film, which will s...

review

Search and Destroy Volume 1-3 Manga Review

Dec 30, 12:00 manga

Kaneko’s art is so sharp it looks like it was drawn with a scalpel. ― “Why are you so… angry?!” So every opponent asks of the vengeful Hyaku immediately before their violent dismemberment at her rage-filled hands. Hyaku, it turns out, has a lot to be angry about. Like her namesake Hyakkimaru, protagonist of Osamu Tezuka's classic Dororo, Hyaku's infant body parts were sacrificed and replaced with pro...

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