Winter 2025 Anime Season Kickoff and General Discussion Thread

New year, new season of anime! It is Winter 2025 time! So, it's time to talk about what we are looking forward to in the coming season. I will be monitoring this thread and enabling any shows people mention in the upcoming season so that rikka will make discussion posts for them. Like always, discussion about any other anime topic is also welcome!

Link to a list of Winter 2025 shows for reference

As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).

40 comments

Apart from continuations like Solo Leveling and Apothecary Diaries I'm looking forward to Welcome to Japan Ms Elf the most. I really enjoy the light novel of that series. As for new (to me) series I'm interested in Bureaucrat to Villainess. Just seeing an MC that's closer to my own age and occupation is enough to be hopeful about the series.
That being said, as always, I try to find the time to check out every first episode.
- I liked the manga for Welcome to Japan as well. I haven't read too much of it, but I remember liking what I read.
  I try to find the time to check out every first episode
  Just the thought of trying to do this gives me anxiety. I salute those of you that manage to do this every season.
  
  I try to find the time to check out every first episode
  Just the thought of trying to do this gives me anxiety. I salute those of you that manage to do this every season.
  Watching Mother's Basement's "Worst of 2024" video made me realize that there are far worse things that could be on my screen during the work day than meetings. Props to him for not only watching the start of each of these shows, but also paying enough attention to have something to say about them.
  
  Over the years there were a lot of shows that sometimes even turned into my absolute favorites that I wouldn't have touched based on the synopsis alone. March Comes In Like a Lion, Ore Monagatari!!, Non Non Biyori, Akebi's Sailor Uniform, Welcome to the N.H.K., Silver Spoon, etc... I might have picked up a few of them anyway based on word of mouth afterwards, but if I were to just go by synapsis I would just skip everything that isn't fantasy.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.

As for the new season, I don't think I will be able to watch too many shows due to work, so I am trying to limit myself. Here are the ones I have on my radar:
Orb - Continuing from last season.
Apothecary Diaries Season 2 - No brainer here. Expecting great things again.
100 Girlfriends Season 2 - More crazy please! Looking forward to this one.
My Happy Marriage Season 2 - The first season had its ups and downs, but it was good enough I am going to give this season a chance.
Guild Receptionist - This one sounds silly enough to be right up my alley.
Welcome to Japan Ms. Elf - I read a good portion of this manga and enjoyed it. Willing to see how the adaptation ends up.
Bureaucrat Villainess - The obligatory Villainess anime this season seems suitably ridiculous.
If I have time:
Ameku M.D. - This story is a medical mystery drama written by an actual doctor. Willing to see how it turns out.
Red Ranger Isekai - Such a ridiculous premise. If I hear good things about it, I might try to check it out.
Sakamoto Days - I really want to watch this one, maybe if I drop one of the ones above I could fit it in.

I managed to catch up with a lot of shows this past week:
Dan Da Dan - what a way to end the season, in a not great way. I think the only reason people aren't more upset about it is that they immediately announced a season two this summer. If that was further out, then there would have been more pushback I think.
Villainess Goes Down in History - I liked the finale and I am actually curious about where the story goes from here. I might have to pick up the manga though since no season 2 announcement came.
Appraisal Aristocrat Isekai - A season 3 announcement after a pretty mediocre second season. However, Licia in the finale was a huge bright spot.
Negative Positive Angler - One of my favorites of the season. It ended on a great note and ended up a really satisfying time.
365 Days to the Wedding - A finale that kinda came out of nowhere and felt unearned. The first half of this show was stronger than the second.
Tower of God (up through E25) - The animation got better and we got some actually nice fights, but the story has just become even more convoluted. Endorsi and Rak are the bright spots in this show for me right now, so more scenes with them please!
Still need to catch up on Orb. Hoping to get up to speed with that show this week.
- Only two that I've watched in your list here are Dan Da Dan and Tower of God, but I completely agree on everything you said. I was really confused with there not being another Dan Da Dan episode to kind of tie up that plotline. And I've been really confused with Tower of God this entire season. What a disappointing follow up to that amazing first season.
  
  The last 3 or 4 episodes of ToG are somewhat more comprehensible, particularly the last episode 26 but the slog up to that point...
- Dan Da Dan - what a way to end the season, in a not great way.
  If it was Oshi no Ko S3 adapting Chapter 123, that would be a great way to end, on the other hand

Continuing
Re:Zero Season 3 - The first half was pretty much all a built-up of the crisis that Subaru and team have to overcome. Hopefully the second half delivers on the climax.
Hyped for
Sakamoto Days - Heard a lot of good things about the manga. Also, the premise sounds interesting and reminds me of Mr Nobody.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 - Will probably try to binge it; can't stand waiting for mysteries to be resolved.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You Season 2 - I'd reckon majority of source readers are probably most hyped to see the panel (panels? it's a two-page spread) adapted. Personally, I'm excited to see the adaption of Meme's zing chapter.

Familiar with manga / novel
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time - I like the protagonist a lot. Too bad the manga doesn't get updated frequently.
I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! - It's your typical expelled-from-party-and-gain-harem wish-fulfillment fantasy. I enjoyed it anyway.
The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World - It's a battle shounen, but the story is fun enough to keep me engaged.
Giving it a shot
These anime have premises that sound interesting enough, or trailers that sold me on at least one episode.
I'm Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class
Zenshu
Make a Girl
I’m Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?
Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!
Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective
Momentary Lily
Winter 2025 is shaping up to be a good season of anime for me, with at least 2 very-likely 10/10s.
- Threads for these shows/movie have been enabled. For Make a Girl specifically, the thread will likely be created when the movie comes out in Japan rather than internationally. I don't know what the international release schedule looks like, but if you need a new thread created when it becomes available to watch at a later date, let me (wjs018) know.
- I was really impressed with how they adapted the meta-jokes in 100GF last season, so I am really looking forward to how they do them again this season. That bit behind your spoiler tag was a great moment that can only happen in manga, so I anticipate they are going to adapt it into something that can only happen in animation.

I just watched Bogus Skill «Fruitmaster» and it's soooo god awful. That's my first anime of the year?! How can someone greenlight this trash?
- Haha, yeah. That one was pretty easy to spot for what it was from a mile away. Looking at the release schedule, I think the first new show of the season I am going to try to check out is Ameku M.D.

Must watch:
Apothecary diaries s2
Dr stone
Interested:
Guild receptionist: fun idea. Also CloverWorks
Zenshuu
I have a crush at work: read the 1st manga volume. It's fun.
Welcome to japan, ms elf: read few chapters of the manga. Seems fun
Flower and asura
Bureaucrat to Villainess: read some of the manga too. Fun concept.
Ameku M.D.: I'm down for some mystery
Sakamoto days
I'll have a look:
Honey lemon soda
Kuroiwa is impervious to my charms
Unnamed memory s2: s1 sucked ass, but retconned the entire thing at the end, so I am kind of curious.
Grisaia: Phantom Trigger: Grisaia.. That's a while ago. I enjoyed it at the time, but don't know if I still would.
Red Ranger Isekai: could be fun, could also be very gimmicky and become stale quick.
Tasokare hotel
NEET kunoichi
Maybe I'll also finally pick up Orb.
Hopefully this season is better than the last.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.
- I didn't realize that Guild Receptionist was CloverWorks, now I am really looking forward to it.

Looks like I have things to watch this season.
I will probably binge S2 of Solo Leveling when it ends or even wait for the bluray.
Dr.Stone is a must for me, I just love it, I can't explain why, I just do.
I need to start watching Apothecary Diaries, I heard it was good so I will probably binge watch it till S2 comes out.
Sakamoto Days, I have faith but it's TMS we're talking about so it's either gonna be a good adaptation or a "read the manga,ignore the anime moment"(Something that I have done with series like Index,yikes that S3 was bad).
- Apothecary Diaries is really good. I like to compare it to Sherlock Holmes, but with an Imperial China twist and all the courtly drama that entails.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.

Apart from Apothecary Diaries the ones I'm looking forward to most are Medalist and Zenshuu. Haven't read Medalist, but I've heard it's good. As for Zenshuu, I just like the premise. I'm always a sucker for anime about anime, and having a main character who's an adult is also a plus.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.

I don't know when it's going to actually air (the first 3 eps are hitting Japanese theaters next month), but I'm down for Gundam GQuuuuuuX. 🦆
- Given how little we've heard I'm starting to worry that we'll have to wait until Spring.
- It doesn't have a broadcast release date yet that I can find unfortunately. I can manually create a discussion thread for the movie if there are people that made the journey to Japanese theaters to see it and there is interest.

I've been very unimpressed with this season's offerings so far, but there's plenty of returning shows I'm excited for: Hanako-kun, which my friends and I just finished a rewatch of (since it's been so long), Apothecary Diaries, and My Happy Marriage. While I enjoyed the first season of 100 Girlfriends, I took a peak at the new girls for the next season and have decided that it's time for me to cut my losses and dip before the age gap stuff sours it for me. I also noticed that there was a very late addition: a single episode of Tamagawa-kun Wants to Be A Cat, which is a manga I follow and adore, though I can't find much info on the adaptation. Hopefully it doesn't end up a trainwreck.
- Yeah, for whatever reason, most of the more highly anticipated shows are starting in the next week. So, this week has felt like a bit of a lackluster start to the season. Here's hoping that things pick up. This past fall was a kind of down season with just a couple exceptions, so it would be a shame if this season didn't pick things back up.

Must watch:
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
I will check out:
Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World
Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
Flower and Asura
Dr. Stone: Science Future
Zenshu
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!
I need to see what it's about for silly reasons:
Promise of Wizard (MOON BIG)
Momentary Lily (WTF is that art style!?)
- Promise of Wizard
  Looking this one up, I didn't realize that this one is a video game adaptation. There is an existing manga adaptation of the game already, and it is published in a josei magazine. I will be interested to see what the reception of this one is like.
  Momentary Lily (WTF is that art style!?)
  Welcome to Studio GoHands. I don't really like their art style, but I will at least give them credit for committing really hard to it. It's one of those things where I respect them for their conviction even if I don't agree with it.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.

Planning to watch Okitsura (I watched Hokkaido Gals last year, so it just makes a lot of sense for me to watch something similar this time, but set in Okinawa) and Zenshu.
- Threads for these shows have been enabled.

Nothing in this coming season catches my attention.
So, first up last week was the KonoSuba movie, Legend of Crimson. And it was every bit as awesome as wjs18 led me to expect it to be.
Lots of great moments, but my favorite had to be Komekko completely stealing Kazuma's spotlight, then unveiling her own Crimson Demon chuuni-style intro. I'm even laughing right now, remembering it.
Next up was an oddity: VTuber Nandaga Haishin Kiri Wasuretara Densetsu ni Natteta (aka VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral after Forgetting to Turn Off My Stream). My little brother's a bit of a weeb too, so we spend much of holidays sharing interesting things we've seen/played since the last time we talked, and that was one of the ones he mentioned. It was better than it seems like it should have any reason to be - not high art by any means, but not a cynical cash grab either, which is what I would've expected. I know nothing at all about vtuber culture, so that was all lost on me, but it was enjoyable enough anyway.
Followed that up with another he mentioned Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (The Unwanted Undead Adventurer). It was really quite good all in all, and then completely fell apart in the end when it was revealed that it wasn't really an anime season in any meaningful sense, but was pretty much just a 12 episode prologue. Nothing at all was resolved - it spent all of that time, and all it managed to do was establish the setting and what presumably is meant to be the main cast and some of the background, and it was cynically obviously done just to serve as a foundation for a hoped-for franchise. There's apparently a season 2 coming, but I'm not sure if I'll watch it. I liked it well enough, but to be honest, the cynicism of so blatantly trying to create a franchise with the only possible payoff relegated to the future rather than telling a story with its own payoff pisses me off.
And at the moment, I'm finally watching the second season of Non Non Biyori - Non Non Biyori Repeat.
I have a complex history with NNB. At the time the first series came out, the manga was my absolute favorite, no competition, and it still ranks as one of my all-time favorites. And the anime was certainly gorgeous, and it has a couple of stellar episodes (the New Years episode with Candy Store and Renge is on the short list for my all-time favorite anime episodes period), but I was still disappointed all in all - it just never quite caught the magic of the manga. So when the second season came out, I was interested, but I just couldn't quite get myself to watch it - I didn't want to be disappointed again. But it is NNB, and its reputation is even better than the first season's so... I was going to end up watching it sooner or later. And now's the time.
And so far, so good. It's sort of odd that it's essentially a reboot, but I'm hoping that that'll be to its advantage, since a lot of what disappointed me with the first season was seeing inferior versions of great gags from the manga, and this one has only touched on a couple of those moments in passing and is mostly telling other parts of the story. We'll see.
- Followed that up with another he mentioned Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (The Unwanted Undead Adventurer). It was really quite good all in all, and then completely fell apart in the end when it was revealed that it wasn’t really an anime season in any meaningful sense, but was pretty much just a 12 episode prologue.
  It's partly an issue of the structure of the source material (I was entertained enough to seek it out, despite the lackluster ending), which the anime follows fairly closely. The novels don't partition out well into cours- or volume-length chunks—the author was obviously writing a continuous webnovel-type narrative without taking stopping points into consideration. The first real climax in the story corresponds to the end of volume 8, which, given a typical LN-to-episode conversion ratio, would land around episode 32. Given that they were only doing a single cours, I think the animators they picked the best stopping point they could, even if it wasn't great. If they'd adapted the last chapter of the 3rd novel instead of stopping with the next-to-last, the result would have been worse, because it ends in a somewhat random place.
  
  Ah.
  Well, at least it wasn't the cynical attempt to establish a franchise that I took it to be. It really felt to me like the entire point of that season in the long run was simply to create a demand for season 2.
  I might have to look into the LN, because I liked the story well enough until I figured out that we weren't getting any sort of resolution of anything, and the petty contrarian in me kicked in.
- Glad you liked the movie! Season 3 is fine imo. At this point you kinda know what to expect from Konosuba and it delivers roughly that. Alternatively, there is the spinoff series about Megumin and Yunyun that focuses on the Crimson Demons almost exclusively. I liked the spinoff, but it doesn't quite feel the same without the chemistry of the main group. With just Megumin and Yunyun (and supporting Crimson Demons), everything is a bit more dramatic (lots of capes) with fewer opportunities to relieve that tension with silly antics.

Weekly ranking roundup:
Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Bleach: TYBW
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.
Limited week due to the inter-season pause on most things. So, no AC chart this week. Instead, Bleach gets a win on the reddit chart.

40 comments

Continuing

Hyped for

Familiar with manga / novel

Giving it a shot