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As we head into the new Spring 2025 anime season, let’s take a look back at some of the Winter 2025 anime series I enjoyed the most. The season was filled with all different genres focused on various types of characters. It featured many new and returning favorites and with a bunch of surprises along the way.
First off, I was interested in watching these three series, but didn’t have the time yet to check them out.
I Have a Crush at Work
I don’t think any streamers picked up this office romance series, which is pretty surprising. I thought the genre was relatively popular. I haven’t really watched an office romance anime since The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague and was hoping to watch this one, but it wasn’t meant to be!
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 (Crunchyroll)
I never watched the first season, but as this season was airing, I kept hearing great things about it from friends. It’s apparently really well done and I appreciate series with longer episode orders so you get lots of story. Maybe I’ll get to it another time!
Sorairo Utility (HIDIVE)
After enjoying Rising Impact and Tonbo I was looking forward to watching another golf themed series. This one sounded like a fun initial twist on how the character finds golf. Next time I’m craving a sports anime I’ll try to check this one out!
These twelve anime series from Winter 2025 caught my attention for many reasons and I was (mostly) very glad I watched them!
12) Anyway, I’m Falling In Love With You (Crunchyroll)
Honestly, this is one of the most boring anime series I have ever watched. The story follows a girl and her looking back on her younger life, bouncing between the present and past. The past is a time when a “virus” disrupted life, but they still found ways to be kids and fall in love. The show really wanted to ignore the “virus” aspect yet kept bringing it up? The show was so forgettable, I’d forget what happened by the time the episodes ended. Everyone was in love, but no one was making moves? It was just vibes. Really strange. It also will be back for a second season. Not sure if I will though!
11) Honey Lemon Soda (Crunchyroll)
This romance series had potential and moments where I was really pulled in, but it just lacked a cohesive thread as a whole. The main characters were flawed and it’s the point that they can grow and become better people. I just didn’t buy the romance aspect. The guy was cold often, which helped the main girl grow, but it was just strange at times. The way the adults were portrayed as well was odd. They also flew through storylines when they could have used more time to really flesh out the stories.
10) The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World (Crunchyroll)
When I read the description of this series, I knew I had to check it out. A power ranger essentially ends up in another world in possession of his power ranger technology, giving him the abilities he had in the real world in the new one. It was funny, had some fun fight scenes, and I appreciated the “magic” lore that began to grow as the series went on. I found myself wondering how the physics of the power ranger magic worked in the new world and if it still existed in the real world. Tonally it bounced all over, but it was still funny and charming.
9) My Happy Marriage Season Two (Netflix)
Season two of this romance started off with a great evil stepmother storyline. It was juicy and helped our main heroine Miyo grow even stronger as a person. She was so bashful and soft spoken in the first season, this arc allowed her to become more confident and want to become stronger. The second half focused on a bigger threat, and less on her personal growth, and even the main romance aspect of the series. It was all still there, but the bigger threat took the main time of the storyline. Seeing Miyo tap into her true potential all season long was the main draw. Beautiful, poignant and a delight.
8) Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms (Crunchyroll)
The romantic comedy series could have easily been a one joke story that they drove into the ground quickly, instead, it became more complex and the humor helped keep it fresh all season long. I loved seeing Medaka try to resist his obvious attraction to Mona. She still tried to get his attention all season long, and eventually was able to make small chips in his armor. It was charming and I loved the way the characters’ inner thoughts were portrayed. The series will return for a second season.
7) Sakamoto Days (Netflix)
Part one of this series was full of great fights and funny moments. A former assassin has taken a quiet life as a family man running a business. When a bounty is put on his head, he successfully and often comically avoids the attempts on his life. He’s smooth, quick and always at attention, despite his new plumper body size. The characters around him are just as deadly, and are unintentionally funny. I enjoyed the first half of the story and look forward to when it returns this summer.
6) Link Click: Bridon Arc (Crunchyroll)
This new story is pretty much a prequel series, though its placement in the main storyline is later. There’s also some hints that we’ve been on an all encompassing time traveling plot even longer than we knew. We go to the past again, this time for an extended period of time. We see younger versions of the main characters and get to know them even more. Things begin to change in the timeline that are unexpected. In the end, it left me with even more questions. I miss the case of the week way the first season told its story, but it’s another compelling season of Link Click that I want to live in for a long time.
5) Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective (Crunchyroll)
If you take a medical show and mash it up with a detective series, you have Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective. A young gifted doctor helps solve unique medical cases by looking at the full pictures. She’s got her quirks and even though she is brilliant, she still questions her abilities, making her feel even more human. Some cases took multiple episodes to solve. Some stories were stronger than others, but I really enjoyed the vibes of this series. A few production issues led to delays, but I still looked forward to the next episode.
4) The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season Two (Crunchyroll)
This comedy series is seriously bonkers in the best way. Season two dials up the wacky even more, leading to even funnier episodes and jokes. We meet even more girlfriends this season, and each is quirkier than the last. It’s such a wild premise that it could easily fall flat and repetitive. My favorite arc was the baseball one. It was full of so much humor, great character development, and so many meta moments made me crack up. I’m so glad I kept up with this one! I can’t wait to see the Rentaro family grow even more.
3) Zenshu (Crunchyroll)
I almost didn’t watch this one going into the winter season. As an original story, it always runs the risk of losing its hold midway. Somehow, Zenshu gets even better as it quickly becomes self assured in the tone and story it wants to tell. It’s part isekai, part fantasy, part comedy and part drama. It is such a unique story story. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, because it’s a lot of fun seeing how it all goes down. I’m glad I went in blind. It made me appreciate the story more. The animation is on point, as it is MAPPA, and it is so confident in itself in every aspect. I hope we see more bold unique stories to come.
2) Medalist (hulu)
This one wasn’t even on my radar going into the Winter season. As I’ve said before, sports anime are some of my favorite series for a reason. I don’t think I’d normally watch a series about figure skating, yet, it is compelling and must see. The characters are precious, hopeful, and full of so much life. You can’t help but root for everyone. Inori and Tsukasa are such great characters. They’re adorable, funny and great at what they do. They also don’t shy away from their insecurities and past difficulties. Major performances are CGI animation and the transition might be a little jarring, but I grew to love it. They’re well choreographed, and the are a sight to see. I am so happy the series will be back for a second season!
1) Solo Leveling Season Two (Crunchyroll)
The first season was enjoyable, but season two takes the series to a new level. Jinwoo is exponentially growing in power, strength and ability. Episodes fly by with tons of action, sure a few slower episodes every now and then, but it is telling a lot of story in a short time. I almost wish some arcs could have been an episode or two longer just so I could have lived in the moments longer, but they were so good! The battles are intense and beautifully animated. I’m not sure how much more there is to adapt, but I hope we get more real soon! It is so intense, shocking and confident in itself. I need more!!
With the Spring 2025 season about to begin, I’m looking forward to checking out these new and returning series: Lazarus (adult swim/Toonami), Go! Go! Loser Ranger! (season two, hulu), Wind Breaker (season two, Crunchyroll), Witch Watch (Netflix/hulu/Crunchyroll), Mono (Crunchyroll), Yaiba: Samurai Legend (Netflix/hulu), To Be Hero X (Crunchyroll), Moonrise (Netflix), and Lycoris Recoil Short Movie. Hopefully I will be able to watch them all and I’m sure I’ll find even more unexpected ones to watch!
What were your favorite series of the Winter 2025 season? It’s never too late to start a new series! Here’s to more great anime in 2025!
These series and more can be streamed with English subtitles and some English dubs on various streamers including Crunchyroll, Netflix, hulu, Prime Video, Max, HIDIVE, and more.
