ask DNA's Top 5 Anime of 2025
Welcome to the first annual (?) ask DNA Anime Top 5 List!
This is just a quick write-up of shows I enjoyed this year.
The criteria is pretty simple:
- Must be good (obvs)
- Must be current (completed a season during present calendar year)
- Can be series, movie, OVA, short, basically anything animated from Japan
Personally, I tend to be into grittier, psychologically f'd up shows than these (although there is a hint of that in this list), but since I wanted to focus specifically on current shows, and I didn't finish all that many, these are the ones I just liked the best. Enjoy!
Warning: there are likely spoilers past this point.
Five
Tojima Wants To Be A Kamen Rider
This is just good, silly fun! A 40-year-old construction worker has spent his entire life obsessed with an Ultramanesque TV series from his youth. His daily physical training and weird obsession has kept him in excellent shape and has ensured that he remains a single loser. Just as he considers giving up the dream of being the real-life Kamen Rider, he gets his chance to fight crime at a local matsuri - donning a cheap children's mask of Kamen Rider, no less.
From there, he meets up with other unlikely heroes and fights a growing surge of villains who also take their identity from this old TV series. Because of course he does.
The show is campy, predictable, and gets a little cringey, frankly. But I still really like it. It doesn't take itself too seriously, making fun of the stereotypical anime tropes that it clearly relies on. The characters are fun and have quirky background stories. Yep! It's a good, light watch.
Four
Gachiakuta
Plenty of anime relies on the "other world" gimmick. I'll admit I didn't go into this expecting to be wowed (I'd seen the name come up a few times online and Crunchyroll kept suggesting it, so I figured I'd give it a go), but this show pulled me into its dark, twisted world pretty quickly.
There's some grittines and some twisted stuff going on in the backstories of some of these characters. Was it necessary to give a character who was present in only two episodes a super abusive adoptive father? Probably not. But generally, I like that the characters have a bit of depth to them and aren't just "that super strong guy." I also appreciate the idea that these people are all basically to be perceived the trash tossed away by the "Sphere". I wish Rudo's weird garbage obsession persisted more once he's on the "surface."
Perhaps more than any other aspect, I really love the animation in this series. The character design is super cool, and I quite like the minimal/maximal thing they do in action sequences. It's jarring and not too many shows do it that way.
I fear the series may get too same-y, as so many shows do, but I'll stick it out for now. I'm invested. :)
Three
Takopi's Original Sin
Trigger warning: bullying, suicide, abuse
Quality and originality-wise, this might technically be the best thing I've seen this year, but I was reluctant to include it in this list at all for no other reason than it made me feel bad. I've never seen an anime (and seldom any other medium) tackle severe topics like bullying, child and spousal abuse, and suicide in such a relentless and realistic way. The fantastical elements of this series only seemed to reinforce just how real and inescapable these situations felt - no matter how Takopi tried, he just couldn't overwrite horrible realities. I wished I could reach out to these kids (and adults) and tell them help is available. Things can be better. They don't have to suffer alone.
Ooof! Even writing this is tough. I hope the makers of this series (and the manga upon which is it based) found some catharsis in its release.
Generally, I like watching anime for the bit of escape it provides. If I wanted to feel bad about the world, I'd watch a documentary on the water crisis. But something about Takopi felt too urgent and wrong to ignore.
I still recommend it because the quality of the show and its content is so high, but I'll add a huge proverbial astrisk: this show could be extremely triggering and will make you feel bad.
Two
Apothecary Diaries, Season Two
This popular series has been an easy one to get into. The setting is unique, the story is fun, the style is so good, and above all, the main character is just adorable! Season two gives a little more depth to Maomao and Jinshi, to their relationship, and to many of the supporting characters. We also get a better glimpse at the politics around their Tang Dynasty-esque world, the brothel which is Maomao's origin, the broader world at the time, etc.
I like that we get multiple sides of Maomao: the intellectual, the sneak, the servant, the confidant, the teacher. It's nice to have a strong female main character who whose sole purpose isn't fan service. The series does dip its toes into the whole love interest thing, and I know the love/hate thing between her and Jinshi is sort of central to the story, but they could honestly do without it - or at least tone it down. I'm content to follow along the exploits of Maomao.
That said, I'm definitely rooting for these two to reach a consensual... umm... climax? Maybe understanding in their relationship. :D
Yep. I'm hooked.
One
Dan Da Dan, Season Two
I've always been a fan of series that go full-tilt and just assume you'll suspend disbelief, no matter what happens. These characters find themselves in one wild situation after another and despite the fact that it makes for some fairly predictable watching, I just don't care. I can't wait to see more.
In this show, I find the relationship between Momo and Okarun endearing. He's always looking out for her and she's always bailing him out. Yeah yeah, anime stuff, but I'm here for it.
I wish Turbo Granny had a bigger role in this season. Like, she's there, but I wish she was causing more ruckus or like actively flip flopping between helping and harming them in more significant ways. Maybe next season. Or maybe they're saving that for the end.
Other than that, like I said, I'm just enjoying the chaos. Anything goes!