Winter is here and so are the hottest anime to keep you warm! Join us as we count down our picks for the most exciting series launching in early 2025. From returning favorites to fresh new stories, this season is packed with everything from isekai adventures to figure skating drama. Which winter release has you most excited to bundle up and binge?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best anime to kick
00:21off 2025.
00:35Number 10, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World
00:47We all know that the isekai genre is beyond saturated by this point, so it takes something
00:52a little extra to stand out. A red power ranger being transported to a medieval fantasy world
00:59and going on to defeat monsters and magic users with ludicrous sentai logic, now that
01:05we can get behind. A loving satire of all things super sentai, watching a red ranger
01:15embark on a D&D campaign fuelled by the power of friendship and explosions, never stops
01:21being hilarious. Who needs a natural 20 when you can summon a mecha at the drop of a hat?
01:36Number 9, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2
01:53After years of waiting, the ghost boy lurking in the lavatory has finally returned to continue
01:58his antics, and so far it's been a delight to watch. Between battles with timekeepers,
02:04the blooming romance with Nene and Hanako, as well as the seventh wonder's past as
02:09a human, it's nice to see the story continue to unfold along with its signature vibrant
02:14visuals. Hopefully, we won't have to wait nearly as long before it wraps up its long-suffering
02:33story.
02:37Number 8, Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc Season 2
02:43Whether you've been a die-hard Kinnikuman fan your entire life, or just love watching
03:00anime wrestling, then you're in for a treat. Continuing the battle against the perfect
03:05large numbers, this season has been nothing but hands. Watching the mountain get crushed
03:16over the Grand Canyon, all the Chojin factions getting into a deathmatch, Brock and Jr. laying
03:22down a Berlin beating, the cheesiness doth overflow, and we are here for it. They even
03:37turn the world's oldest pyramid into a wrestling ring. You gotta love the madness.
03:43Number 7, Zenshu It just goes to show that MAPPA aren't
03:47only gods when it comes to adapting beloved manga, but also can cook up a storm when it
03:52comes to original works. And while far more low-key, we dare say Zenshu is one of the
04:05best to date. After a rotten clam cuts her life short, Natsuko, a prodigal animator going
04:11through a slump, awakens in her favourite animated movie, where she becomes intrinsically
04:16embroiled in its plot. What follows is a whimsical, hilarious, and honestly beautiful
04:33take on an isekai, as Natsuko, despite being stuck in a world of fantasy, starts to make
04:39true human connections for the first time. And yes, the irony is not lost on us that
04:45MAPPA of all people have made an anime that deals with the mental welfare of an overworked
04:51animator.
05:03Number 6, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
05:10Season 2, the pinnacle of harem anime is back, and oh how we missed it. After essentially
05:27putting all others in its genre on blast, Giga-Chad Rentaro and his ever-expanding collective
05:33of true loves have returned to the fold, bringing with them unfiltered hilarity that continues
05:39to somehow be equal parts degenerate and endearing. When he's not adding new love
05:54interests to the roster, you can bet that Rentaro and company will find new ways to
05:59break the fourth wall in the most ludicrous ways possible, while also parodying everything
06:05under the sun. And yes, that includes Dragon Ball.
06:15Number 5, Medalist If past successes are anything to go by, anime
06:20and figure skating are a winning combination, and that's certainly continued to prove
06:25itself true in the form of Medalist. United by their fear of being too old to enter the
06:42competitive scene, former ice dancer Tsukasa takes the spirited Inori under his wing, where
06:49they endeavour to take the sport by storm, and the results are stunning. The performances,
07:01the animation, the heartfelt connection between teacher and student, this is a stirring show
07:07that's sure to amaze, as well as strike you right in the feels. Yuri walked so Medalist
07:13could skate.
07:27Number 4, Sakamoto Days You can take the hitman out of the game, but
07:32not the game out of the hitman. Despite retiring, settling down and putting on a few pounds,
07:54Sakamoto remains the deadliest assassin out there, which comes in handy when killers start
07:59coming out the woodwork to threaten him and his family. A raucous blend of comedy and
08:12action, the beloved source material has finally been granted a respectable adaptation that's
08:18to showcase that, no matter what, you do not mess with Sakamoto.
08:30Number 3, Dr. Stone – Science Future Science never sleeps, and neither does Senku. Having
08:44finally arrived in the US of A, Senku and his gang of would-be scientists are on track
08:50to discover the root cause of the phenomenon that turned all of civilization to stone.
08:55Except now, they have a huge roadblock in the form of Dr. Zeno and his cabaret of mercs,
09:01who are more than content with the way the world currently operates. Outgunned and outmanned,
09:23watching Senku brainblast his way out of one perilous situation at a time will never not
09:28make for peak anime viewing.
09:41Number 2, The Apothecary Diaries – Season 2 Mystery, medicine, and political machinations
09:48amongst hundreds of the Emperor's concubines. That's right, Mao Mao is back, baby, and
09:54it's just as entrancing as when we last left her. With the rear palace shaken up with
10:15the influx of new concubines, as well as shady circumstances surrounding Jinshi's true
10:21identity, there's no shortage of problems for Mao Mao to solve in her typical unorthodox
10:32manner. Even in a forest of scheming beauties, none shine more than her, though maybe that's
10:46just because her put-downs are legendary.
11:05Number 1, Solo Leveling – Season 2 Jinu's debut turned out to be an unexpected
11:21knockout given the high quality of animation and blistering fight scenes. Season 2 said,
11:27hold my soju, and showed us what a shadow monarch could really do. As his power continues
11:38to swell, Jinu not only has to contend with far greater threats emerging from the gates,
11:44but also the strongest hunters the world has to offer. By this point, it's not a case
11:49of worrying if Jinu can win, it's wondering who among his foes he's going to turn into
11:54his next shadow minion.
12:09Which of these anime do you think kicked off the new year in style? Let us know in those
12:14comments below.