The Most Anticipated Anime of Summer 2025

There's no getting around it: Summer 2025 is one of the biggest anime seasons we've ever seen. While preparing for the Summer Anime Trailer Watch Party, I counted no less than 70 trailers between TV anime and Netflix originals premiering between late June and early September. The sheer number of options led to a super-sized "Most Anticipated" this season as DAN DA DAN and Call of the Night vie for the most eyeballs.

Below are the editorial team's picks for some of the best upcoming anime.

One day in July 2024, I woke up to the news of Jigoku Sensei Nube getting a new anime in 2025. My brain suddenly played the opening song of its 1996 anime series adaptation and the few episodes I remembered since watching it in the early 2000s. Nube was part of the late '90s to early 2000s anime boom in Indonesia. It was unfortunate that no kids around me shared the interest back then, as Digimon and Pokémon were dominating children's TV when Nube aired in my country. It wasn't a big part of my childhood, but it was memorable enough that I still remember it in my 30s.

Throughout the years, I have always thought of Nube as an obscure title that happened to get a decent adaptation, before being thrown into the bargain bin of the international TV broadcast sphere. Imagine how surprised I was when looking for information about Nube to write this piece. The manga never dies; it has spin-offs and sequels. A new sequel manga started this year, too. The original <>Nube's popularity also warranted three theatrical films in the '90s, OVAs, and somehow a live-action drama series in 2014.

Looking at recent anime remakes such as Urusei Yatsura and Yaiba: Samurai Legend, I was hopeful that this adaptation would get the same visual treatment. Like many other titles produced around that time, the '96 series has a great art style, but I especially want upgrades on the action scenes. I also hope they would put more grit into horror scenes since Nube is, at its root, a horror series. The art style seen in the new trailer didn't feel like it would make good horror due to its smoothness and color vibrancy.

As far as I could recall, Nube's manga contains plenty of unnecessary fan service elements. Some of them might be seen as problematic nowadays. I hope the production team decides to tone it down or remove it. Said fanservice sometimes includes his students, who are obviously underage. Ritsuko-sensei is sometimes seen dressing improperly as a grade school teacher by exposing cleavage and rocking an impossibly short skirt in manga. As seen in the new trailers, Ritsuko-sensei seems like a proper, beautiful lady teacher, which is already a plus point.

As much as I like what I have seen, I am still somewhat not optimistic about the final product. It has the potential to be decent, and a lot of potential to fall flat. Still, I would never miss my chance to get a shiny new Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

—Gunawan

I admit it—I'm an animal person. I currently share my life with seven cats, a dog, and a wild groundhog. They have a full run of my backyard and can eat all my flowers if they want. And if that groundhog put herself in a box labeled “please take me home?” I'd have a groundhog. If you're an animal person, too, believe me when I say you ought to be excited for With You and the Rain.

Based on the manga by Kō Nikaido, it tells the story of a woman who finds a…dog…in a box on the street. It's pouring rain and the…dog…offers her an umbrella when she stops to look at him. Knowing a good thing when she sees it, the woman asks the animal if he wants to come home with her, and he agrees by reaching out his paw to touch her hand. And thus begins their life together, full of the joys and horrors of living with a pet, and what's more, a pet who can write. Which, now that I say it out loud, probably makes things a whole lot easier.

Now, you and I and anyone with eyes know that this animal isn't a dog. He isn't even a “dog.” He's a tanuki, a Japanese raccoon-dog known folklorically as a trickster. If he is one, he's terrible at it, because his one trick was “disguising” himself as a dog to get taken home, and there was very little actual disguising going on. But that just adds to the cuteness of the series, because everyone around them has to either try hard not to call him what he is or give up entirely and embrace him as a pup. And despite his species, the plot focuses on the everyday aspects of having a dog/cat/tanuki, like spending absurd amounts of time and money on the perfect toy only to have it shredded in twenty seconds or taking a walk with a stick-obsessed dog. It's also worth mentioning that this is emphatically not a tear-jerker, at least as far as I've read of the manga, so you can watch this without fear of it suddenly turning into Old Yeller.

Am I a little concerned that there's not really enough material to make this a full series? Yes. But I also don't care, because I just want to see it animated. Animal people, between this and Nyaight of the Living Cat, we may be in luck, and of the two, this one has my hopes pinned on it.

—Rebecca Silverman

I still can't believe that after a long five-year absence, our screens were finally graced with a new, fully-fledged season of the kooky, spooky, and gorgeously animated Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun in winter. And for bonus points: it was great! But as anyone who watched that season (or read the manga) will tell you, there's still way more story to be covered. Without treading too far into spoilery territory, I'll say that the bulk of the first part of season 2 was spent introducing another school wonder, Mei Shijima. But now that we're past that, our beloved squad of school specters and their supernatural stans has bigger problems to worry about. All this, and the possible romance between Hanako and Nene is now more in focus than it's ever been. So whether you're here for the paranormal high school romance or just the paranormal, you still have something to look forward to in this upcoming cour.

I'm very pleasantly surprised that we're getting more Hanako-kun this soon. Sure, it probably would be more convenient as a viewer if we got one 24-episode season as opposed to two 12s that were only spaced a few months apart from one another (to say nothing of how there's always going to be a part of me that wonders why we can't just call this season 3; why do we need parts? Did we learn nothing from the confusing naming conventions of the bajillion seasons and parts of Attack on Titan? Why are studios so allergic to just telling anime fans how many episodes they're in for?). But if it means getting a better finished product, I certainly don't mind the wait. And to be clear: considering last time we had to wait five entire years, just a few months is pretty minimal—a little more than a lingering ghost of the previous wait time, one might say.

—Kennedy

Back when Kyoto Animation was something of a pariah in certain fandom spaces, you could still hear the refrain, “but Nichijō is pretty good!” appended to many statements about the moe menace. To be sure, Nichijō was and is exemplary. KyoAni's kinetic adaptation tapped into the zany quintessence of Keiichi Arawi's madcap gag manga. It remains one of my comedy anime gold standards, and many of its bits and skits live rent-free in my brain to this day. But Nichijō wasn't an outlier, and the studio culture that produced it hasn't gone anywhere. In fact, they've now circled back 14 years later to deliver us more Arawi antics in the form of CITY The Animation.

We might as well call it what it is: a sequel, albeit a nontraditional one. CITY isn't a literal follow-up to Nichijō, as Arawi continues to draw both series, but we might label it an evolution or permutation of the formula. Similarly, you won't find a ton of overlap between the core staff members of the anime adaptations. Taichi Ishidate, CITY's director, was a major contributor to Nichijō, and Hiroki Ueda and Kana Miyata return to work on photography and color, respectively. Still, there are a lot of new faces. That makes sense; 14 years is a long time. However, Kyoto Animation's history of mentorship and in-house training means this adaptation isn't being thrown to the wolves.

One needs only to watch a trailer to assuage any doubts about CITY's adaptation. Seriously, go watch one if you haven't already. It's like Nichijō's goofiness never left, and I wouldn't be surprised if CITY ends up an even more sophisticated entry in the comedy anime canon. Honestly, though, I'd watch it just for those delicious colors. The flat shading, thick outlines, and bold palette capture the vibes of a comic book in motion ridiculously well. I don't believe I've seen any other cartoon approach this style and nail it so definitively. Couple that with virtuoso animation chops from some of the most talented and well-trained folks in the industry, and I can't find a good reason not to be excited for CITY. This summer will be full of bright blue skies and anime girls shouting absurdities.

—Steve Jones

While I'm not the biggest fan of the Soul Eater manga, and Fire Force has somewhat dulled my opinion of Atsushi Ōkubo as a writer, I dig the general aesthetic of his approach to worldbuilding and characters. Something in a similar vein was probably always going to catch my attention. As one of his former assistants, Kei Urana's Gachiakuta has more than a few similarities in terms of its art and stuffing its setting full of characters with unhinged personalities. It does, of course, come with some key differences. Aside from being significantly less horny on main, it also skews towards more of a punk-like aesthetic than either of Okubo's major works. Between its grungy urban fantasy setting and its heavy use of graffiti, the series has a distinct visual identity that helps set it apart from its battle shonen contemporaries. The story centers around a boy named Rudo who finds himself accused of a crime he didn't commit and is tossed into a grungy underground world where people are plagued by giant monsters made of trash and the only ones who can combat them are people called Givers who possess the ability to transform a cherished object into a weapon. As he tries to find out who framed him, he eventually gets involved with a group of Givers known as the Cleaners and agrees to join their ranks if they can help him find a way to return to the surface to get his revenge.

On its own, this is a pretty solid setup for a shonen battle show, but what has me particularly excited for the anime is that the folks at Studio BONES are helming it. Their track record on delivering quality action shows more or less speaks for itself. While their works may not always have the same insane highs of something like Jujutsu Kaisen, they come pretty close and usually with a much more stable production schedule, so it'll be nice to enjoy some good battle sakuga without worrying about if the staff is being pushed too hard.

While this is Fumihiko Suginuma's solo directorial debut, his track record assisting on titles such as The First Slam Dunk and Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai makes me think this'll be in good hands. I'm excited to see what they bring to the table here. This show will also feature Taku Iwasaki, and given how great his tracks have been on Bungo Stray Dogs and others like Soul Eater or Noragami, I expect this show to have some banger tunes, if not one of the best anime soundtracks of the year. Since the manga is a bit on the slow side for a weekly serialized story, I am a bit worried about how well the anime will be able to work that into a good enough season of standalone television. Still, I'm hopeful that the show will move at a decent pace and the folks at BONES are reliable enough that I trust them to find a balance that works. If you've been among those clamoring for a new Soul Eater anime, this is the next best thing, and between its killer aesthetic and solid lineup of staff, I have no doubt this'll end up as one of the hottest shows of the summer.

—Jairus Taylor

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is arguably Gainax's last great anime series—the last anime there to be directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi of Gurren Lagann fame before he left to form Studio Trigger with fellow Gainax alumni MASAHIKO Ōtsuka. Because of this, despite Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt being a cult hit original anime with a cliffhanger ending, any sequel long seemed to be an impossibility. But here we are, 15 years later. With Gainax all but gone and Trigger picking up the rights, it's a Christmas miracle in July, everybody.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is the story of the two worst angels in heaven. Banished to Earth due to their overindulgence in lust and gluttony, respectively (not to mention their generally selfish, immoral attitudes), the titular Panty and Stocking are tasked with defeating evil spirits (using their undergarments which transform into weapons) to earn their way back into heaven. Of course, the two are far more interested in indulging in their carnal desires than they are in putting any effort into their divine mandate. This makes for a setting rife for misadventures. And while the two are hilarious on their own, the show also adds a ghost-hunting nerd, a masochistic priest, and two demons into the mix to add even more comedic possibilities.

When it comes to explaining the humor, I feel it's most effective to share with you a quote from the English dub of the original Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt:

Scanty: “Ugh! You two are the most disgusting creatures. What angel doesn't have morals? Hello!? This is your friend I'm about to kill. You're kinda supposed to care!”

Panty: “Uh… no. But straddle his face and give 'em a last meal.

This exchange is emblematic of what to expect from this show. It's vulgar, shocking, irreverent, and utterly hilarious.

The actual content of the episodes for this series is limited only by the creators' imagination, and we tend to get two stories per episode. Sometimes we get straightforward adventures like people getting eaten by possessed toilets as a ghost attempts to cover the city in feces or Panty attempting to recover every copy of a porn she once starred in so as not to interfere with her celebrity lifestyle. Other times, we get movie parodies or more experimental shorts like a music video starring our heroines. It is a series where anything goes, and if New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT is even half as creative and funny as the original, it'll be an instant hit.

—Richard Eisenbeis

A lot has changed between now and the release of the first season of My Dress-Up Darling. Outside of the manga officially ending, I have not cosplayed nearly as much as I did back when I was reviewing the original season. This worries me because given how fun and full of life the original first season was, there's a very good chance that this second season will be the show that pulls me back into it, finances be damned. While I will admit that its lens was a little narrower than what I would've liked, it was a show that encouraged getting into a costume and taking pictures with your friends. It demonstrated that, to many people, cosplay isn't just about putting on a costume; it's about showcasing your love for a character.

The fact that the story followed a Gojo, an inexperienced craftsman who learned about cosplay through other people while creating cosplays, led to a unique and natural perspective. It didn't feel like an expert was talking down to the audience. Instead, viewers were learning as Gojo was. Even if the cosplay wasn't the primary draw, the love story was enticing enough on its own. I would argue My Dress-Up Darling excelled at romance more than any other aspect.

Gojo and Marin's dynamic is precious. It is, in some ways, typical while in other ways incredibly unique. The character animation and amazing voice acting by Hina Suguta shaped Marin's infectiousness. Even without the cosplay angle, I could watch an entire show just about these two teenagers slowly falling more in love with each other. I'm curious exactly how much material this season will cover, but I am looking forward to an expanded cast, what new things Marin and Gojo learn, and how much further their relationship will develop.

—MrAJCosplay

I'm not alone in making The Summer Hikaru Died my most anticipated summer title. Mokumokuren's groundbreaking tale is more than the sum of its parts and a challenge to compartmentalize. It's a combination of horror, coming of age, and BL that's executed so originally, it has attracted readers who don't usually enjoy any or all of those genres. Its ability to transcend genres has made it a manga award darling, netting nominations for the Manga Taisho Award, the Next Manga Award, the Eisners, and more. What makes it so special? Its immersive, quietly terrifying worldbuilding and its all-too-relatable co-protagonists, one of whom only feels human.

I have never been to a sleepy rural town in Japan, but reading The Summer Hikaru Died, I felt something akin to nostalgia for a setting I've never known. The droning cicadas, the maddening heat, and the nosy neighbors all lend a hand in creating an oppressive atmosphere. It feels like a stifling place to grow up, which is probably why Yoshiki dreams of escaping to the city. Yoshiki knows he's different from other people (his queerness is implied) and can't bear to be a target in his watchful, gossipy town. He's only able to relax with Hikaru, but who is Hikaru? Ever since his best friend returned from a week lost in the mountains, something hasn't been quite right. The story expertly overlaps Yoshiki's awakening sexuality with Hikaru's monstrous transformation. Like any good horror story, it amplifies a commentary on real life. What is adolescence, if not becoming somebody, something you no longer recognize, and all against your will?

I've enjoyed The Summer Hikaru Died as both a manga and a light novel. There's no question I'll savor the opportunity to digest this uneasy story in anime form as well. I was not particularly impressed by the initial trailer, which had a reliance on static and spooky effects that felt at odds with the subtle horror of the manga, that creeps up on you almost by surprise. If the anime can show more restraint, it could even become the best version of this story.

—Lauren Orsini

Call of the Night just feels like summer to me.

You can't excise the feeling from when you first experienced an affecting work, and the summer of 2022, when I was freelancing from a home with a broken air conditioner, will see Call of the Night stick with me like my beading sweat from that season. Many of my cohorts and close friends had been talking about the series since it started airing. So a couple of months into its run, I waited until it got dark outside, and finally threw the series on to check out. What I immediately discovered was an anime awash in atmosphere—where the titular night itself was represented in every hue except for the expected inky black. It's a style that's a forward-facing symbol of the dense elements that make Call of the Night what it is.

There's a sense of freedom to the aimlessness that comes from answering the Call of the Night. The oppressive heat of the summer soaks into the pavement and hangs around after the sun is down, while the lights of the city come out alongside some desperate late breezes attempting to provide a reprieve from the atmosphere. Other things come out too, and in the case of this story, that includes vampires. Escape from the yoke of humanity itself is a kind of freedom, and that's the offer that disaffected protagonist Ko takes relatively young vampire Nazuna up on in Call of the Night.

Call of the Night is swamped as much in the atmosphere of the night itself as it is in the thematic atmosphere of youth, love, and the complicated lusts that arise out of that cocktail. Apart from any pubescent fantasy fanservice anime, this is a series that comprehends horniness and the essential discomfort that must underscore it. The supernatural trappings appropriately embody the fear that naturally accompanies adolescence, projecting the abject horror of growing up via the alluring threat that adults like Anko represent in that. The promise of delving further into Anko's past and her history with Nazuna posits plenty of appeal in a continuation of this anime on its own. It's an accentuating shadow around the story of Ko deciding how he (might not) grow up, marinated in the vibrant darkness of the night and scored with the call of music from Creepy Nuts. I eagerly anticipate the setting of the summer sun once again.

—Christopher Farris

The first season of DAN DA DAN is just a series made up of superlatives. It's one of the best action-adventure anime in recent memory. It's one of the best horror anime in recent memory. It's one of the best rom-coms out there, both in terms of its romance and its comedy. Momo and Okarun make for two of the best anime protagonists to ever do it (and by “it”, I of course mean “flail, scream, cry, and otherwise freak-the-hell-out through a series of increasingly deranged science-horror misadventures”). Science SARU's work on the adaptation is so gobsmackingly impressive that it becomes easy to take for granted; when you watch the absolutely incredible Acrobatic Silky flashback from Episode 7, for instance, it becomes necessary to remind yourself that this is, in fact, a weekly anime made for television, and not one of the year's standout animated films.

In other words, if you were to ask me, “James, why is DAN DA DAN's second season one of your most anticipated anime of the summer?”, I would probably just babble incoherently while gesticulating wildly in the direction of basically any scene from any episode of the first season like I was Courage the Cowardly Dog. Perhaps, though, you are not like me, and the exemplary quality of that first go-round has not convinced you to gorge yourself on every last frame of DAN DA DAN Season 2 sight unseen. Well, what if I told you that, so long as the bar of quality for Science SARU's production values remains consistent, this season stands to improve on every other aspect of DAN DA DAN by leaps and bounds? You see, as anyone who has come this far with our beloved dork-ass weirdos will know, DAN DA DAN is a story that lives and dies on the strength of its cast. Momo and Okarun have always been perfect paragons of humanity that must be protected and venerated at all costs, of course. Still, we saw how much the show improved by tossing Aira's inimitable brand of teenage cringe into the mix. We'd only just begun to comprehend the depths of Jiji's lunacy before the season came to its sudden cliffhanger of an ending.

Without going into manga spoilers, I can promise you that season 2 of DAN DA DAN is only going to go harder and crazier when it comes to the heroes and villains of this saga. If you've seen any previews for the Evil Eye movie that previewed the season's first arc, you can already guess at some of the strange new facets we will uncover about Jiji's role in this adventure, and you've glimpsed as some of the bizarre and distressingly moist threats that Momo and Okarun will have to overcome. That's just the beginning, my friends. I don't think we need the future sight of a mystic like Grandma Ayase to predict that the next few months are going to be the Hot (But Also Deeply Weird and Awkward) Guy and Girl Summer that we all have been waiting for.

—James Beckett