As the holiday season draws near, and you find yourself with some free time, why not relax and unwind the right way? Here is our Fall 2025 anime roundup. Enjoy!
Spy x Family Season 3
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Animation Studio: WIT Studio, CloverWorks
Synopsis: The Forger Family is back. The make-believe family continues its misadventures as it pursues its various goals while trying not to be exposed by the government.
What Works: Charm and humor have always been the series’s greatest strengths, and that continues here. Coupled with a willingness to focus on characters outside the core family, and you add to it a sense of freshness, a series in its third season can always use.
What Doesn’t: The only complaint that can be levied against the season at the halfway point is its continued inability to progress the plot. For how often Operation Stryx comes up, minimal momentum gets sent its way.
Odds of Success: High
To Your Eternity
Animation Studio: Studio Massket, Drive
Synopsis: Sensing the final defeat of the Nokkers, Fushi (Reiji Kawashima, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic) awakens from a centuries-long slumber in the modern world. Believing this to be an era of peace, the immortal revives his old friends so they can enjoy the marvels of the modern age together. But all may not be as peaceful as it seems.
What Works: This season brings a unique energy to it through its sense of mystery. Strange things are brewing, and not knowing what’s going on or how to stop it puts Fushi in a far more vulnerable state than he’s been in a while. Combined with complex character moments, there are a lot of good things happening in the first six episodes.
What Doesn’t: Some fairly important decisions are made by cast members for less than sensical reasons. These moments feel less like reasonable narrative directions and more like convenient excuses to push Fushi toward his next stage of development.
Odds of Success: Average
Gnosia
Animation Studio: Domerica
Synopsis: Based on the 2019 game, it follows protagonist Yuri (Chika Anzai, Astral Chain) as he is trapped in a reality-jumping time loop that forces him to relive different versions of the same event. He and several others have escaped onto a spaceship, only to discover one or more of them are secretly Gnosia. Now, they must determine who is human and who is a monster in disguise.
What Works: Turning a social deduction game (think Among Us) into an anime is a recipe for creating tension and complex character interactions. Combined with gorgeous visuals and creative character designs, there is a lot in the moment-to-moment of the show to pull you in.
What Doesn’t: Too many elements don’t make sense, and clearly only exist for the sake of the mystery. For example, the onboard AI can tell how many Gnosia are onboard at the start of the game, and can tell when all Gnosia have been eliminated. However, if the game starts with two, it doesn’t know when one has been eliminated; it only knows when both are. Make it make sense.
The other big problem is the grand narrative goal. Five episodes in, and Yuri’s only goal is to complete the loop enough times until an arbitrary count is reached and he can move on. This lacks any compelling element or engaging reasoning, making the series so far feel hollow.
Odds of Success: Average
My Hero Academia Season 8
Animation Studio: Bones
Synopsis: The final war rages on as Deku (Daiki Yamashita, Drifting Home) and Shigaraki (Kôki Uchiyama, Buddy Daddies) clash one final time with the fate of the world at stake.
What Works: Superbly animated action combines with moments of tension and high drama to deliver lots of explosive scenes as the series wraps up its acclaimed run.
What Doesn’t: The show’s tendency to overexplain certain background elements hasn’t died down at all. The need to dive too deeply into the nitty-gritty of quirks and character motivations can, at times, stall the show’s momentum.
Odds of Success High
SI-VIS: The Sound of Heroes
Animation Studio: Studio VOLN
Synopsis: SI-VIS is Japan’s favorite idol group. But what the world doesn’t know is that the band’s concerts actually serve as a defense against an alien invasion few can perceive. When long-time fan Kyoya Minama (Anan Furuya, Overtake!) learns the group’s secret as he joins in the wake of a tragedy, he discovers there’s a lot more to being a member than hitting all his marks.
What Works: Solid music and a strong, positive message of hope and teamwork give the series an upbeat momentum, even as it faces world-ending perils.
What Doesn’t: The pacing is too fast, making obstacles feel far too fleeting to have impact. And while the brief moments of action look good, frequently the dancing feels stiff, which feels like an inferior choice for a series centered on musical performances.
Odds of Success: Low
Digimon Beatbreak
Animation Studio: Toei Animation
Synopsis: When humanity adopts new AI assistants called Sapotamas, powered by an emotional energy called e-pulse, they promise to help people reach their “ideal self.” However, strange monsters are emerging from some Sapotamas, as Tomoro Tenma (Miyu Irino, Platinum End) is about to discover.
What Works: Bright visuals bring a lot of energy to the anime, and creative monster designs help reinforce the fun. This is balanced by the occasional emotional moment that delivers a strong impact on the story.
What Doesn’t: Lots of story elements come together without any real explanation. Characters show up, and enemies get defeated in overly convenient ways, undercutting many of the plot’s key moments. There is also a tendency in the series’ humor to stray into the obnoxious, with much of it failing to land.
Odds of Success: Average
Tougen Anki
Animation Studio: Studio Hibari
Synopsis: An age-old feud plays out in secret as the Oni are mercilessly hunted by Momotaro. Thrust into the perilous conflict is Shiki Ichinose (Kazuki Ura, Zenshu). Now, he must learn quickly if he is to survive the dangers before him, especially when he learns he is a Child of Kishin; one the Oni look to for salvation.
What Works: A strong central concept gives the series a solid foundation. The variety and nature of the characters’ powers keep scenarios varied and fights interesting.
What Doesn’t: Annoying characters hamper the viewer’s ability to connect with the cast. Combined with heavy-handed storytelling and loads of cliched plot points, the series faces hard struggles. Even when it does manage to do something well, you can easily find other anime that do it better.
Odds of Success: Low
This Monster Wants to Eat Me
Animation Studio: Studio Lings
Synopsis: A suicidal girl agrees to be eaten by a mermaid, so the mermaid herself agrees to care for her and protect her till it’s time to eat.
What Works: It has some beautifully animated water set pieces. The best character is a side character. The messaging behind the protagonist’s struggles is clearly outlined. This is an easily digestible series, straightforward from the start and continuing to build on that initial premise.
What Doesn’t: Way too predictable, even for a romance story where you know the two leads will eventually fall in love. The dialogue is embarrassingly cheesy and borderline cringeworthy. The personalities of the two protagonists seem off, even though they are fictional characters.
Odds of Success: Low
Sanda
Animation Studio: Science SARU
Synopsis: Set in future Japan, where declining birth rates give children a higher social status than adults. Santa Claus has been cursed, leaving Christmas a legend. Sanda Kazushige realizes he has a connection to the mythical Santa.
What Works: Science SARU continues to make dynamic cinematography decisions in their anime. The story presents another abstract way to address everyday human issues, as in Paru Itagaki’s Beastars. The dialogue and humor are clever, and play with expectations—especially since this is a dystopian Japan.
What Doesn’t: The one-sided love could get boring, and the mystery behind the missing girl could fall flat if the truth comes out in a lame way.
Odd of Success: High
Let’s Play
Animation Studio: OLM
Synopsis: A game developer’s big break turns sour when a harsh review goes viral. Adding insult to injury, the critic moves in next door, sparking an unexpected journey through gaming culture, viral drama, and romance.
What Works: The enemies-to-lovers trope works well because it offers a unique scenario set in the gaming industry. The setting of this anime is also special because it takes place in the United States rather than Japan. The protagonist is lovable and relatable to many young adults in their twenties who are working towards their dreams. It features diverse side characters who are really endearing towards the main character.
What Doesn’t: The final romantic partner for the protagonist might take too long to flourish, especially with multiple suitors.
Odds of Success: High
May I Ask for One Final Thing?
Animation Studio: LIDENFILMS
Synopsis: After Scarlet’s fiancé suddenly ends their engagement and falsely accuses her of being a bully and villainess, she begins committing violent revenge against him and his allies.
What Works: The art style is elegant for this fantasy, European-inspired anime. It’s a very hilarious start to a series, and empowering to women trapped in marriages or other situations—still relatable to modern-day issues.
What Doesn’t: The animation uses many action lines to emphasize the flow of combat, which, at times, detracts from the characters’ actual movement. It’s unclear where this story goes, since the protagonist breaks free from her captivity at the beginning; while this could work, it could also fall apart sooner rather than later.
Odds of Success: Average
Gintama – Mr. Ginpachi’s Zany Class
Animation Studio: Bandai Namco Pictures
Synopsis: The spin-off anime to Gintama follows Ginpachi Sakata as a teacher in Gintama High School.
What Works: For fans of the main series Gintama, this spin-off feels right at home with the humor. The animation and art style remain great and unchanged. The voice acting is also consistently the same, bringing the same energy levels over from the main series. Those who’ve followed the series can expect meta jokes and the usual Japanese culture references as part of the running gags.
What Doesn’t: There isn’t much that doesn’t work in this anime, other than the fact that this is a spin-off that’s probably best for those who’ve watched at least the original Gintama series run.
Odds of Success: High
Wandance
Animation Studio: Madhouse, Cyclone Graphics
Synopsis: A student discovers a love for the art of dancing after an encounter with a pretty girl.
What Works: Whenever the characters are going about their day and not dancing, the art style and animation are visually striking. The overall messaging of the two lead characters is meaningful and touches on how dance expresses what words cannot. The chemistry between the protagonists playfully works off each other’s opposite vibes.
What Doesn’t: For an anime about dancing, the animation and art style should be amazing, but the 3D animation and art style switch-up is very jarring and disruptive. Based on the dance sequences alone from the first episode, the 3D animation may not hold up for general audiences throughout the season. Love Live is the best comparison, and they mostly used 2D animation in the first few seasons.
Odds of Success: Average
With the fall anime season well underway, here are our impressions of many of the current anime offerings. Hopefully, this list will help you find a gem to enjoy over the holiday season.
