The spring 2025animeseason is about to come to a close. Following the winter season, the spring season typically helps push things along with a wider variety of programming, and so long as a show can properly ride that momentum or build up hype in general, there’s always plenty of fun to be had.
The spring 2025 anime seasonwas a season to remember, and it’s easy to see why. The season was filled with a great combination of old favorites returning for new content and new shows that quickly became hits in their own right. As a result,the spring 2025 anime season featured a diverse mix of both old and new anime that were great to watch from the start. A few anime like that especially stand out, and if someone hasn’t already watched them, now’s as great a time as any to give them a try.
Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho
Cast
Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho follows Jinta as he embarks on a century-spanning journey, exploring the deep questions of fate and purpose while wielding a mysterious sword.
Yokohama Animation Laboratory’sSword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentoshostars Jinta, a man hailing from a village of demon hunters whose childhood love was killed by his demon half-sister, Suzune. Cursed with demonic powers of his own that make him immortal, Jinta now scours the land to try and settle things with Suzune, no matter what that may entail and how many decades may pass around him.
While it doesn’t always have stand-out animation,Kijin Gentoshomore than makes up for it with its interesting mystery plots and character drama, all of which are centered around how engaging a protagonist Jinta has grown to be.Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentoshois great for its perfect mixture of action, drama, and heart, and it’s truly been the underrated gem of the spring anime season.
David Production’sFire Forcetakes place 250 years after the Great Cataclysm, an apocalyptic event that burned nearly the entire world to ash and saw the birth of Infernals, powerful demons born from spontaneous combustion. To combat the Infernals, the pyrokinetics of the Tokyo Empire fight as part of the Fire Force, and their latest recruit is Shinra Kusakabe, a boy who shoots fire from his feet and is slowly revealed to be connected to all the hidden workings of the world.
Fire Forcehas finally returned with the first half of its final season, and while the pacing and animation aren’t as good as previous seasons,Fire Forceseason 3 is still delivering on all the great comedy, action, and plot twists that have defined the series for years. The second half will premiere next year, and hopefully, it will end things on as high a note as possible.
WITCH WATCH
Witch Watch follows Morihito, an ogre-powered teen, and his childhood friend Nico, an aspiring witch, as they navigate the chaos caused by Nico’s unpredictable magic while living together. The film unfolds with fantastical antics as the pair grapples with magical mishaps and growing challenges in their shared adventure.
Bibury Animation Studios’Witch Watchstars Morihito “Moi” Otogi, a descendant of ogres who’s tasked with becoming the familiar to Nico Wakatsuki, a young witch he used to be friends with as a child. Nico, who’s always had a crush on Moi, hopes to use their new situation to become a couple, but that’s far from easy thanks to Moi’s obliviousness and, more importantly, how Moi needs to protect Nico from an unspecified tragedy she’s prophesied to face.
Witch Watchis the latest story from Kenta Shinohara ofSket DanceandAstra Lost in Spacefame, and that’s very easy to tell, asWitch Watchalways strikes a perfect balance between absurdist and reference-based humor and genuinely heartwarming moments between the cast, especially whenever romance gets involved. Anime romcoms are often hit or miss with fans, but fortunately,Witch Watchsucceeds on all accounts.
Wind Breaker
Wind Breaker focuses on the troubled delinquents of Furin High School, who despite poor academic performances, passionately defend their town. The arrival of a competitive newcomer disrupts the existing power dynamics, challenging the students' resolve and unity.
CloverWorks’Wind Breakerstars Haruka Sakura, a delinquent who’s spent his whole life being ostracized for his heterochromia and seeks to prove himself by becoming the top fighter at the legendary delinquent-filled school Furin High. As it turns out, though, the delinquents of Furin High are just as kindhearted as Haruka and protect their town from anyone who tries to cause trouble, and by joining with them, Haruka finally finds a place where he can belong.
Wind Breakerwas a breakout hit of 2024, and season 2 has proven that wasn’t a fluke, asWind Breakerseason 2 has been even better than season 1 for how much it ups its gorgeous action while delving even further into the fun cast and the stories that define them.Wind Breakeris truly anincredible new-gen anime, and anyone who hasn’t already seen it would be remiss to keep passing it up.
YAIBA: Samurai Legend
YAIBA: Samurai Legend follows the journey of Yaiba Kurogane, a young samurai on a quest to become a master swordsman. Throughout his adventures, he faces formidable foes, acquires powerful allies, and confronts mystical challenges. Set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan, this anime-inspired narrative explores themes of honor and courage.
WIT Studio’sYaiba: Samurai Legendstars Yaiba, a young boy whose idyllic life mastering the sword in the jungle is upended when he and his father move to the city. Now living with an old friend of his father and his family, Yaiba must learn the ins and outs of modern society while still living out his desire to have a good fight whenever possible, even when his adventures quickly escalate into supernatural territory and often leave him responsible for saving the world.
Yaibawas originally a niche series from the 80s and 90s, but thanks to WIT Studio’s reboot ofYaiba,Yaiba: Samurai Legendis one of the best anime of spring 2025, thanks to its incredible animation and overall direction.Add in how it was made by the creator ofDetective Conan, and it has all the makings of a modern classic that everyone should get invested in.
To Be Hero X
To Be Hero X presents a unique world where people’s trust, quantified as data visible on their wrists, empowers individuals with superpowers. As trust levels fluctuate, the hero known as X navigates the challenges and uncertainties of maintaining public confidence and hero status.
BeDream’sTo Be Hero Xtakes place in a world of superheroes where the heroes draw their power from how much people believe in them. Naturally, this has led to a group of ten heroes standing out more than anyone through how much the public believes in them, but what most people are unaware of is how much drama and trauma is going on with them behind the scenes.
Between being a Chinese donghua and being part of a relatively obscure franchise, there wasn’t much hype forTo Be Hero X, but sure enough, it quickly rose to prominence thanks to its clever take on superhero stories and for its unique blend of gorgeous and stylized 2D and 3D visuals.To Be Hero Xis one of the most inventive animated projects of the year, and with it having a secondcourin development, it’s only going to get better.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, released in 2025, follows Koichi Haimawari, an aspiring hero using his modest Quirk for good deeds. Teaming up with two unlikely allies after a chance encounter with local thugs, they navigate the challenges of combating evil without formal superhero training.
Bones Film’sMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesis a prequel spinoff of the iconicMy Hero Academiaseries. Koichi Haimawari is a college student who was forced to give up his dreams of becoming a hero, but when a dangerous drug epidemic hits his town, he’ll work with new friends to protect it not as a hero, but as a vigilante who can go places and do things the heroes wouldn’t think about.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantestakes place roughly 5-6 years before Izuku began attending U.A.
Not only doesVigilantesbenefit from doing a completely different story fromMy Hero Academiathat still has all the same charm, but thanks to a complete overhaul in the artwork and direction,My Hero Academia: Vigilanteshas some of the franchise’s best writing and visuals in years, by far. Many people have even taken to calling it better than the main series, and while that’s hard to say, it’s easy to see why people would think that.
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley explores the protagonist’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, highlighting her connection with siblings Matthew and Marilla, her friendship with Diana, and her romance with Gilbert.
The Answer Studio’sAnne Shirleyis the most recent anime adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’sAnne of Green Gables. Like the books and previous adaptations, the series stars a redheaded orphan named Anne Shirley who starts a new life after her accidental adoption, and from there follows Anne going through all the ups and downs of life and slowly growing into adulthood.
The 1979Anne of Green Gablesanime is one of the most iconic anime of all time, and the latest adaptation is a worthy successor, asAnne Shirley’s gorgeous artwork and animation, combined with how perfectly the novels are being adapted, make it an incredibly heartfelt, character-driven story from start to finish. Old and new fans alike can get plenty out ofAnne Shirley, and it’s bound to go down as being just as iconic as the original, if not more so.
2Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Anime Series By Studio Khara And Sunrise; Directed By Kazuya Tsurumaki
Studio Khara and Sunrise’sMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXtakes place five years after Zeon won an alternate version of the One Year War. As tensions between Zeon and the Federation continue to mount, a girl named Machu finds herself drawn to the underground Mobile Suit fight circuit and a mysterious boy named Shuji Ito, all of which slowly escalates into another massive conflict that threatens the entire galaxy.
It’s one thing forGQuuuuuuXto be made by the same team behindNeon Genesis Evangelion, but between its amazing art and animation and the strong writing for old and new characters alike,Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXis an incredibly engaging anime that has plenty of appeal for old and newGundamfans alike. It’s the strongestGundamseries in years, and if it sticks the landing with its finale, it’s going to stay like that for years to come.
Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty
Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty explores the rekindled passion for music by Lilisa Suzunomiya, who abandoned her guitar after her mother’s remarriage. Her passion is reignited upon meeting Otoha Kurogane, a seemingly perfect classmate who secretly plays heavy metal drums, unraveling their shared musical journey.
Bandai Namco Pictures’Rock Is a Lady’s Modestystars Lilisa Suzunomiya, a young girl trying to reinvent herself as a refined young lady after her family marries into high society. Lilisa’s new life has her abandoning the guitar she had played since childhood, but after meeting Otoha Kurogane, a genuine upper-class lady who’s secretly a foul-mouthed drummer, Lilisa regains her passion for guitar and profanity and decides to become a guitarist in secret while still being a “proper” young woman.
Between the anime’s absurdly profane comedy, the stylish 3D visuals, and the surprisingly strong and engaging character writing that perfectly complements the stellar soundtrack,Rock Is a Lady’s Modestyis an amazing anime for its unique take on music and coming-of-age stories. There’s never been an anime quite like it, and it easily stands out as thebest anime of spring 2025, by far.
