The Winter 2025 anime season was chock-full of great titles. There may not have been as many hit anime series compared to seasons prior, but the past few months still delivered well-written new content that will be talked about all year long. 2025 still has a lot in the tank in terms of upcoming anime releases. But in the past few months, anime fans have been getting plenty of quality series with excellent writing.
This winter brought fans plenty of new anime that took them by surprise. It’s no secret that the season is still filled with sequels to long-running series. But what new blood was pumped into winter brought a lot of interesting twists to the usual iseka anime and mystery genres. Out of these series, the ten listed below were the most enjoyable and will likely be talked about for years to come.
10
Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Is a Refreshing Reverse Isekai Anime
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! proves that reverse isekai anime can still have a well-written, slice-of-life story to it. The skilled Elf Mage, Marie, finds herself in modern-day Tokyo and learns about the new land she’s found herself in. Episodes are dedicated to Marie and her new friend Kazuhiro, learning about how to use a local library and making French cuisine together. Marie’s curiosity about the conveniences of the modern world and Kazuhiro’s willingness to help her adjust to her new lifestyle make their dynamic a joy to watch.
The anime occasionally has both characters explore Marie’s fantasy world together, too. Just as Kazuhiro teaches Marie about Japan, Marie does the same whenever they both venture into her world. These encounters see the pair fighting monsters and other foes Marie is more familiar with. The balance between learning about modern Japan and Marie’s fantasy world makes Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! stands out from other fantasy series.
9
Witchy Precure: Mirai Days Brings Back the Magic of the Original Series
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Witchy Precure!! ~MIRAI DAYS~ is the long-awaited sequel to the original magical girl series that was released back in 2016. Instead of just picking up where the original series left off, the anime series ages up its core duo of magical girls to reflect the passage of time, making Mirai and Liko young adults. The anime doesn’t forget about this either, as Mirai must balance being a student at university with continuing to save people as a magical girl. Likewise, Liko has become a teacher at a school for aspiring witches and is forced to put her responsibilities on hold once a new threat looms over the horizon.
Related
A Record-Breaking Magical Girl Anime Finally Lands on Crunchyroll
One of the most important shows in the Pretty Cure franchise is now available to watch on a major streaming service, alongside its three predecessors.
Mirai and Liko are still the focus of this series, and they retain their great dynamic from the original series. Mirai’s bubbly attitude bounces off of Liko’s more serious demeanor. The two even end up taking care of a naive girl named Hisui, who bears a resemblance to the third Precure from Mahou Tsukai, Hanami Kotoha. The series is a great follow-up to the events of the original, with great action to keep fans immersed as they watch the series on Crunchyroll.
8
The Characters Feel Wonderfully Realized in The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World
Streaming on Crunchyroll
The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is known for being a love letter to tokusatsu series like Kamen Rider and Super Sentai. The devices Togo Asakura uses, like the Maximum Kizuna Kaizer or the Cooperation Caliber, wouldn’t feel out of place in an episode of Power Rangers. But the isekai anime’s fantasy elements aren’t anything to sneeze at either. The characters introduced in the fantasy world that Togo explores are well-written in their own right.
Togo’s companions have interesting motivations for joining his adventures. The arch-mage Yihdra is dedicated to restoring her family’s reputation after her father was kicked out of the capital and feels reassured by Togo’s confidence that she can achieve her mission. The duo of royal princess Teltina and her knight Lowji also travel the land to rid it of dangerous mana seeds, with Lowji and Togo slowly working through their differences as the adventure continues. Despite the occasional anime fanservice moments, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World has plenty to offer for fans of fantasy and tokusatsu alike.
7
Solo Leveling Season 2 Lived Up to the Hype & More!
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Solo Leveling made a huge splash last year, building Sung Jingwoo from a lowly E-rank Hunter to a force of nature that can beat back powerful Hunters and monsters. Solo Leveling Season 2 isn’t through with putting Jingwoo through the ringer just yet. As he continues to level up, the Hunter faces new challenges, like the monstrously strong Ant King, a monster so strong that it defeated several S-Class Hunters in an instant. Rival hunters like Hwang Dongsoo also came after Jingwoo after he caused the death of his older brother.
Related
Solo Leveling Cast and Character Guide
Solo Leveling may be all about Sung Jinwoo’s rise to power and higher hunter ranks, but that doesn’t mean he’s in the dungeons alone.
Still, that’s not to say that Jingwoo doesn’t have any strong allies either. The S-Rank Hunter, Cha Hae-In, regularly assists him when he’s raiding A-rank Dungeons. While Hae-In suspects Jinwoo at first, the pair still form a respect for each other’s strength. Solo Leveling’s writing still makes Jinwoo face believable roadblocks on his journey, despite being far more powerful than he was in episode 1. Even the ending for this season hints at much greater threats looming over the horizon.
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Studio MAPPA is well known for their work on action series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Vinland Saga, and Chainsaw Man. However, their latest original title, Zenshu, takes a more personal look at the life of an aspiring animator named Natsuko Hirose. As Natsuko is transported to the world of her favorite anime film, viewers get to see how the animator’s appearance can change the lives of the movie’s characters for the better. While the main protagonists of A Tale of Perishing are rude towards Natusuko at first, they slowly warm up to her.
A good example of how Natsuko changes the film’s characters for the better is her relationship with its protagonist, Luke Braveheart. At first, he constantly belittles Natsuko before she gains the power to create anything she draws and sees her as a nuisance. However, he grows to develop feelings for her, even if he knows that this won’t be reciprocated. But Luke’s relationship with Natsuko slowly makes him a more compassionate person.
5
Ameku M.D. is the Dr. House of the Anime World
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Ameku: M.D.:Doctor Detective mixes medical drama with murder mysteries in a novel way. It’s rare for much anime to focus on the lives of doctors, especially ones that solve mysterious illnesses and deaths that can’t be explained by normal means. Luckily, Takao Ameku is ready to solve many cases for her clients. These bizarre incidents range from unexplained fevers to murder victims with blue blood.
Thankfully, Dr. Ameku has a team to help assist her. Her primary assistant, Yu Takanashi, helps her solve cases even if he doesn’t like to be looked down on by his superiors. Mai Konoike is a cheerful intern who constantly teases Dr. Ameku and Yu about their relationship while helping solve mysteries. Overall, the series is a lovely watch from start to finish that will be remembered as a future cult classic.
4
Ave Mujica Sets A New Standard for Idol Anime
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Ave Mujica: The Die is Cast is a dark entry into the BanG Dream! Idol anime franchise that’s filled with interesting drama. The members of the Ave Mujica band are all dealing with different traumas from their past that they work to overcome together. The band’s leader, Togawa Sakiko, formed the band to cope with leaving her previous band, leading her to have a very cynical and guilt-ridden outlook on the world. The other band members, like Yuutenji Nyamu and Misumi Uika, have clear ambitions to achieve stardom but are duplicitous towards each other to get more clout.
As the girls keep more secrets from each other, the band grows more unstable. The secrets that Sakiko keeps from the other band members cause noticeable friction that only makes the group more suspicious of each other. The anime expertly balances these growing tensions with friendly outward facades from Uika, Sakiko, and Nyamu, putting viewers on the edge of their seats. Ave Mujica is a must-watch for any anime fan, regardless of whether they’ve seen an idol anime before.
3
Sakamoto Days Expertly Mixes Killer Action and Comedy Anime
Streaming on Netflix
Sakamoto Days faithfully adapts the hit manga from Shonen Jump and keeps everything that makes its characters so great. Sakamoto’s devotion to his family makes the former assassin a relatable figure whenever he isn’t dealing with hitmen looking to take off his head. Since he’s sworn off killing, Sakamoto is often forced to handle his opponents in nonlethal ways, giving him more of a sense of justice when he defeats them in spectacularly animated battles. Sakamoto builds a team of equally capable former assassins who help him look after his convenience store.
Sakamoto’s recent hires aren’t slouches either. In one minute, the clairvoyant Shin Asakura can predict his opponent’s next moves in battle with his psychic abilities. But as soon as he’s working at the store, he gets comically frustrated by mundane tasks. Similarly, Lu Shaotang is a martial arts master who is notoriously tardy and rarely shows up to work on time. Sakamoto Days‘ writing makes every viewer have someone to relate to, exceeding most anime fans’ expectations for the adaptation.
2
Medalist Lives Up to Being Yuri!! On Ice’s Spiritual Successor
Streaming on Hulu
Medalist is the first hit anime since Yuri!! On Ice to look at the lives of figure skaters. The anime sees an ice dancer named Tsukasa Akeuraji struggling to make a name for himself until he encounters a young skater named Inori Yuitsuka. Recognizing her potential, Tsukasa quits figure skating to become Inori’s coach, leading to the pair developing a strong partnership with each other. As Inori faces more challenges on her way to becoming a pro figure skater, Tsukasa’s experiences become crucial to both of their success.
The anime does an excellent job at displaying how Tsukasa’s coaching skills improve Inori’s performances. During their practice sessions to compete in the Meikoh Cup, Tsukasa gives Inori crucial choices on which techniques to practice first. Inori’s innate talent doesn’t always save her though, and she’s still prone to making mistakes on the ice. Despite these setbacks, Inori’s determination and Tsukasa’s guidance help propel them both to new heights, allowing them to become better at their craft.
- Release Date
-
January 5, 2025
- Network
-
tv asahi, ABC TV, Nagoya TV, HTB, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, NCC, Niigata Television Network 21, khb, KFB, HOME, KSB, Kagoshima Broadcasting, Oita Asahi Broadcasting, Asahi Broadcasting Aomori, Iwate Asahi TV, Akita Asahi Broadcasting, Yamagata Television System, Shizuoka Asahi TV, Asahi Broadcasting Nagano, Hokuriku Asahi Broadcasting, Ehime Asahi TV, Yamaguchi Asahi Broadcasting, Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting, Ryu-Q Asahi Broadcasting
- Directors
-
Takahiro Hirata
1
The Apothecary Diaries Excels at Everything That Makes Shojo Anime Great
Streaming on Crunchyroll
The second season of the Apothecary Diaries continues to impress viewers with its intricate mysteries. Life inside the Imperial Palace never gets boring, with Maomao and Jinshi working together to solve a new batch of cases. The pair try resolving the cause of mysterious disappearances linked to mushrooms, a caravan with goods that harm pregnant women in the palace, and foreign envoys seeking the mythical Moon Maiden. Between solving these new mysteries, Maomao and Jinshi are still delightful to watch on screen together.
The pair’s slow-burn relationship is steadily developing but is never uninteresting. Maomao’s practical and no-nonsense personality is slowly chipped away by Jinshi’s childlike demeanor, leading to some hilarious arguments over whether to keep mushrooms that grow on carcasses or debating about the size of frogs. The combination of intriguing mysteries and Maomao and Jinshi’s dynamic still makes the anime a treat to watch.
