Anime UK News Review of 2025 Part 1: Anime
It’s been a year in which new anime series proliferated, so fans have had plenty of titles to choose from. But has quantity meant quality? Scotland Loves Anime celebrated another successful season in Glasgow, London and Edinburgh and there have been more cinema screenings than in any other year of shonen-related films, with Demon Slayer packing them in all around the world.
However, in the year when I’ve praised Amazon Prime for bringing us some genuinely good anime series (especially CITY and SANDA) they had to go and spoil everything by introducing AI dubs for iconic titles like Banana Fish, No Game, No Life Zero and Pet. This seems like a deeply cynical money-saving move and a slap in the face for the many talented VAs – as well as the anime fans (not just English but Latin American Spanish) who don’t want to hear lines read by a machine. Is this a bad omen for the future? After a huge outcry online, those dubs have now been withdrawn. Will we look back on this time as the sunset years before the major players in the West that control what we get to see decide to save themselves money and hand it all over to AI?
Streaming/Simulcast
Anime on Home Video
Anime Film/Theatrical Screening
Live Action Adaptation
Looking Forward to 2026…
STREAMING/SIMULCAST
Demelza
Perhaps because of the sheer amount of anime being produced each season or the Japanese companies wanting to escape the monopoly that Crunchyroll has become, this year we’ve seen a lot more shows spread across platforms or not licensed at all. And difficult situations like The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, which Netflix started releasing once a week, long after beginning in Japan. These sets of issues have led to quite a few flying under the radar.
And my favourite show this year is ultimately one of those: The Dinner Table Detective. Stuck on Amazon Prime Video and a mystery series rather than the popular fantasy shows, this one really didn’t get the love it deserved. Being an adaptation of a beloved novel series with Madhouse at the helm and Yuki Kaji, Kana Hanazawa and Mamoru Miyano in the three leading roles, there is absolutely no reason this should have gone unnoticed. Despite airing all the way back in the Spring season, this is the show that has stuck with me this year as I found myself captivated by the adventures of the rich girl turned rookie detective with her dorky boss, who causes nothing but problems (but sometimes comes in handy anyway), and the insightful butler who can seemingly solve any crime. Certainly worth seeking out if you’re looking for something different to watch.
This year has also marked the return of several of my favourite shows, including My Dress-Up Darling, but perhaps what I was happiest to see was Lycoris Recoil, which was back with some mini shorts. These were only five minutes apiece, but they were absolutely packed with charm and love for the original series.
I can’t close this section out without talking about My Hero Academia, which is currently airing its final season. It’s a real end of an era to see that come to an end, and I’m really happy to see Studio BONES have given it so much love. This and the previous season have looked and sounded absolutely fantastic; it’s a labour of love. What will we do when HeroAca ends? Well, at least Mission! Yozakura Family will be back, which helps fill the hole for me…
Ian Wolf
If I were to sum up this year in a sentence, it would be that 2025 was a good year for anime, but chances are that the best anime are the ones that are going to be overlooked. In other words, I don’t suspect anything that I massively enjoyed to be in the running for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on the grounds that what I enjoyed the most wasn’t shonen fodder (not to be confused with schadenfreude, although if any of the shows I liked do win, I would probably experience schadenfreude).
As mentioned in the introduction, Amazon Prime produced some of the biggest hits of the year. At one point, they were streaming both the long-awaited new series of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt at the same time as the adaptation of Keiichi Arawi’s surreal comedy CITY. While it was nice to see Panty & Stocking back with its mix of adult humour, western-inspired art style and peculiar references, it was CITY that truly stood out. It was widely tipped before it went out, and indeed it went on to prove its worth. The characters were a delight, the comedy was wonderful and the mixture of animation styles made it stand out from the rest. From wacky foot races to musical moments, it’s a series that deserves its place in anime history.
Elsewhere, there were some other anime streamed on Crunchyroll that were interesting in other ways. For example, there was Turkey! Time to Strike, a series that when it was originally advertised came across as a simple “cute girls doing cute things” show following a high school ten-pin bowling club, only for the rug to be pulled from everyone’s feet when at the end of the first episode the characters end up travelling back in time. It was a fun take on both sports series and time travel stories.
The series however which was my personal favourite from 2025 was Apocalypse Hotel. Introduced with little fanfare, what unfolded was a charming story of a robot trying to keep the last hotel in the world going on an Earth abandoned by humanity. It introduces manager Yachiyo who ends up housing mostly alien visitors to Earth, including a family of tanuki-like aliens who work alongside her to promote the hotel far and wide over a period of centuries. There are not that many shows which feature the construction of hot springs baths, whisky distilleries and space programmes – and even if there are one or two, I doubt any of them also feature a combined wedding and funeral. While the big Amazon series are most likely to get attention, I, for one, hope for a physical release of Apocalypse Hotel.
The BBC is also continuing to show anime. At the beginning of December they started streaming Digimon Ghost Game, and they have continued to commit to Pokémon Horizons. The latest bunch of episodes has witnessed the first time jump in the Pokémon anime, with the series moving forward a year and Liko and her friends continuing on their adventures which see the Rising Volt Tacklers breaking up and reforming. Once again, we are getting the episodes before the US, which certainly feels like a win for us Brits.
Onosume
These days with work and adulting I have a lot less time to just sit down and watch all the streaming anime series like I used to, so I tend to gravitate towards sequels or specific genres of things I like. If a music or idol show crops up, then I’ll most likely prioritise that and I’ve been rewarded with two excellent shows this year.
BanG Dream! Ave Mujica was undoubtedly my favourite, giving us a macabre psychological thriller on top of the music and drama the BanG Dream! franchise has excelled at previously. Seeing that play out week upon week and not knowing how far down it would pull the girls into the pits of infighting and despair kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The band fit well with my music tastes too, falling into a more gothic/operatic/story-driven style. I don’t necessarily play the mobile game, but I am very excited to see how things play out when the sequel comes around.
Then we also had the fantastic Rock is a Lady’s Modesty, which brilliantly juxtaposes a prim and posh school for elites against the raw (and sometimes very horny!) energy of rock music. Both the concept and the way the characters are portrayed just gives you that thrill and rush of rebelling against the established order and seeing Lilisa really embrace who she is at the end rather than abandon her father’s rock music is quite an emotional and relevant thing for me personally. People shouldn’t be put in neat little boxes and conform to society’s rules and it’s important to be free as yourself. And I think this show conveys that perfectly.
Other highlights for me this year were the second season of Solo Leveling, which is probably the most thrilling action and power fantasy show I’ve managed to get into for quite a while; the second season of My Dress-Up Darling, which again has that positive ‘just be yourself’ message but pairs it with a very endearing romance between Marin and Wakana. Also, the costumes in the show are absolutely freaking amazing! I also really enjoyed Secrets of the Silent Witch, which really scratched my itch for witchy activities and showcasing the wonders of magic.
So overall while I maybe didn’t get round to all the shows I wanted to see, I think what I have seen has been the best of the bunch.
Sarah
I have several contenders for my best series this year…and yet there’s also been far too much anodyne cookie cutter material on offer, especially on the isekai side. My top choice has to be The Summer Hikaru Died (Netflix) which dominated social media in the summer as viewers became hooked on the faithful and disturbing animated version of Mokumokuren’s ongoing manga. The theme of a remote village that falls prey to Something Else lurking in the mountains is a potent one and it’s especially well handled here. Arguments raged as to whether it could or should be called a Boys’ Love and to what extent Yoshiki’s feelings for his schoolfriend Hikaru (who died on the mountain but whose body has been possessed by…Something Else to fulfil his dying wish, so no one suspects) could indeed be called a metaphor for fear of the ‘other’ etc… but it’s much more subtle than that facile interpretation suggests. The mangaka has been involved in the adaptation from the start which bodes well for the second season due out in 2026. (I hope they don’t replace Vaundy’s striking and chilling OP which, matched with appropriate imagery, sets the scene so effectively.)
And my runner-ups? Medalist on Disney+ which brings to vivid life the young skaters and the excitement and heartache involved in competitive ice skating (again, the second cour is due out in 2026). Inori is an adorable and relatable main character to root for, on and off the ice. And Kowloon Generic Romance (Crunchyroll) which caught much of the nostalgic atmosphere of Old Kowloon Walled City (does it really still exist?) the enigmatic Gene Terra high in the skies overhead and Reiko Kujirai who has no memories of any life before Kowloon. It was never going to be easy to compress all of Jun Mayuzuki’s ongoing and as yet unfinished manga into thirteen episodes, but the studio made a really good try and it’s highly recommended as it captures much of the manga’s mystery and charm.
HWR
Another year, another series of big titles and continuations, and yet sometimes these franchises can bear fresh fruit, and in the realm of spin-offs, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray has been a standout for 2025 across both parts.
The Uma Musume franchise has gradually grown and grown since the first mainline season aired in 2018, and with three seasons and a popular mobile game launching globally as of Summer 2025, it shows no signs of slowing down. Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray was a standout title from Spring 2025 as, though its story beats were rather familiar, Oguri Cap (Tomoyo Takayanagi) made for a surprisingly engaging lead and underdog to root for, with a supporting cast of friends and rivals which has gradually grown across both parts of the anime, with bullies becoming fangirls and competitors forming mutual respects and vendettas respectively.
Of course, the series also knocks poor Oguri down into a lull at times with intense races like the G1 Fall Tenno Sho which closed out Part 1, and further races pushing her to the very limit, likewise for the supporting cast who get some focus in Part 2 early on like Fujimasa March (Maroya Ise) and Yamano Southern (Mutsumi Tamura), plus Oguri’s close friend Belno Light (Momoko Seto) who does everything she can to help and aid her training.
Like my 2024 choice for this feature, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is an Amazon Prime Video title, so can be easily overlooked due to not being on Crunchyroll, but is well worth seeking out for fans of the UM franchise, though I’d say it works decently well as its own series, and stands out amongst some strong anime titles this year.
ANIME on HOME VIDEO
Darkstorm
This year has been one of my busiest in terms of releases, which is a great thing as we had a wide selection of new titles to enjoy on home media. But my top pick goes to Dark Gathering; a very dark horror series that never dropped the ball when it came to terror or atmosphere. I found myself enjoying every episode and the on-going mysteries of each spectre encountered, and I’ll be interested to know what they’ll do when it returns for another season next year.
Onosume
There have been some really nice home video releases this year, and after not picking up much last year, some of these have got me buying more anime again and it’s a shame I haven’t had the time to review a lot of these, as I would have loved to get stuck into them more.
Anime Limited’s collector’s edition of The Colors Within is an absolutely beautifully packaged set, and I feel like they’ve done such a great movie justice with meaningful extras, in particular including the film’s soundtrack (Born Slippy Nux on repeat yes please!). Meanwhile we also got Carole & Tuesday busting out of Netflix jail in another fantastic looking Anime Limited collector’s edition. I’ve yet to sit down and watch this, but this was what I was waiting for to actually watch the series in its best presentation. While things have improved over the years, I still find the non-anime focused platforms not the best for watching anime. The approach they took with DAN DA DAN was also interesting, doing differently themed editions focused around different members of the cast.
I was a bit lighter on picking up MVM and Crunchyroll releases, but the Christmas sales have come around and I’m getting things I missed out on earlier in the year, such as the new Urusei Yatsura collections, and, a personal favourite, the Kamisama Kiss boxset. I’ve also finally ordered Bocchi the Rock which, despite being a massive music fan, I still haven’t seen!
Overall I think there’s been a lot of variety and good releases from all three UK distributors this year, and I think despite Sony’s near-monopoly on the industry, it isn’t affecting the home video market as badly as I feared.
HWR
2025 has been another great year for physical media in general with some superb standout releases from a variety of boutique labels, celebrating a wide variety of classic films – the world of anime has also been fairly solid, and I certainly haven’t had a shortage of titles to add to my collection from the year’s releases.
I always champion Discotek Media in this section and of course will do so again as when the other US-focused labels appear to be putting in the minimum, Discotek has continued to blaze a trail,. And even if it does seem as if focus is being put more on Toku Time and US cartoons this year, who else would dare to give us an extensive collection of not just Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend, but its various sequels as well! We also got solid releases for City Hunter spin-off Angel Heart, plus the upcoming Digimon Movies 4-6 collection and Project A-Ko in 4K to look forward to, and I’m excited to see what 2026 has to offer. The same applies to AnimeEigo, whose takeover by MediaOCD (Justin Sevakis) has also provided us with some great titles this year, including Nobody’s Boy Remi and Romeo Blue Skies, plus the upcoming Black Jack Complete OVA collection providing some great releases for older titles, something other labels rarely do nowadays.
For the UK it might be a very basic pair of franchises to highlight for such a feature but nevertheless All the Anime have done a great job in 2025 bringing Naruto to Blu-ray in the UK across four swanky Collector’s Editions, even unveiling their plans for Shippuden in 2026 and beyond in the last few weeks. Bleach has also seen a fairly solid release schedule (the most recent Part 9 notwithstanding) this year with some very nice bigger boxes to hold the standalone parts. In terms of 2026 I just hope we can finally see a similar treatment for InuYasha in the shonen department (and more consistent release dates overall as well…)
ANIME FILM/THEATRICAL SCREENING
Demelza
Despite there being more anime than ever making it into cinemas, up until Scotland Loves Anime, I hadn’t bothered to see many. Mostly because they’re largely Crunchyroll titles that will end up on streaming down the road, or recap films/special compilations. But like many anime fans this year, I did, of course, see the new Demon Slayer movie. And despite what you might think of that franchise and the way they’ve chosen to adapt the end, it really was a spectacular release. Much like My Hero Academia, you can easily feel how much passion all involved have put into it, and I’m certainly eager to see the next instalment.
Darkstorm
I didn’t get to enjoy any new releases in cinema, but luckily there was enough going on digitally to make up for it. Rose of Versailles was a lovely surprise acquisition for Netflix and got me interested in the manga with it’s unique musical movie twist on the material. But I also have to give the upmost respect and credit to Baan, a YouTube exclusive short film by none other than Gigguk; the movie is clearly made with love for the isekai genre, and years of dedication to the anime craft he makes videos about. The moment that twist hit in the middle section, revealing how the two stories interconnected, I knew it was something special. Well done Gigguk!
Onosume
We’ve had a good few anime films hit the big screen this year, and as big events it is Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man that really pulled in the crowds.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was a fun time as the series always is with some really pivotal and well-executed fight scenes, however I couldn’t shake the feeling that a broken-down TV anime version would have gave certain moments more time to breathe. Going from one fight to the next was a bit gruelling in such a marathon setting.
However, as a raw action film, I thought Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc was a better deal. I liked the pacing a lot more and the film had a lot more time to play with in building up the relationship between Reze and Denji, which we of course literally see explode in some great action scenes. Chainsaw Man might not be for everyone with Denji being a very idiotic protagonist who’s quite hard to really support, but I think this film had enough to enjoy to counteract that.
Other films that came out this year also included Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, which felt like it kind of fell by the wayside in the face of two shonen titans. That shouldn’t be a surprise as it’s a very flawed film, but it is one I’d like to personally watch again as, despite its flaws, it did have some decent music and an intriguing twist on Miku as a character. And there was Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback, which is CineAsia’s second Detective Conan release, but felt a step back from Million Dollar Pentagram as I think the core mystery in the film wasn’t as engaging.
LIVE ACTION ADAPTATION
Demelza
It has been a reasonably good year when it comes to live-action adaptations, especially with more coming to the West than previously. This year, we saw Ameku Takao’s Detective Karte (hot off the heels of the anime airing), Cinderella Closet, and, although it aired in Japan last year, Usotoki Rhetoric’s drama finally made it to the West!
However, the unforgettable series for me is Glass Heart. Based on a novel series by Mio Wakagi, this Netflix adaptation starred Takeru Satoh (whom readers will recognise if you watch many of Netflix’s J-Dramas, as he’s regularly the lead) and with screenwriting by Akutsu Tomoko and Mari Okada (who I’m sure many will recognise for the anime she’s worked on!). This tells the story of Akane Saijo, a drummer who always found herself being ousted from bands for being a woman. She crosses paths with Naoki Fujiani, a reclusive and genius musician who invites her to join the new band he’s forming: Tenblank.
The band have their ups and downs, and there’s plenty of the kind of drama you would expect from a work with Okada involved. It’s a compelling story filled with love for music, backed by an absolutely stunning production. All four of the main cast members learnt to play their instruments themselves, which meant they could show a lot of performances without having to cut away or substitute in professionals. The music was composed by Yojiro Noda of Radwimps, and it’s easy to believe within the context of the drama that these are songs that would make Tenblank a big hit. The ability to play live means Tenblank has become a real band, too. Satoh and the group have been performing live together and putting out music videos since the drama aired earlier in the year. Personally, I’m hoping we might see another season of Glass Heart in the future since there’s still more books to adapt from, but even if that doesn’t happen, this will be a series that I think about for a long time to come.
LOOKING FORWARD to 2026…
Darkstorm
I was very disappointed that despite a tease in 2024 that we’ll get a release in 2025, that we have yet to see Sailor Moon make a physical release this year. I’m crossing my fingers for a 2026 release! But outside Sailor Moon, I’m also excited for the release of more Black Butler. The Public School arc Blu-ray release next year is a nice surprise release, but I would love to see the Book of Murder and Book of Atlantic also make their way over to the UK too.
Demelza
Next year I’m looking forward to the return of [Oshi no Ko] for Season 3 and Wistoria: Wand and Sword for Season 2. Now free of My Hero Academia, BONES also promise to deliver with adaptations of Marriagetoxin and Hiromu Arakawa’s Daemons of the Shadow Realm, which should both be fantastic. And MVM are bringing Lycoris Recoil to home video at last, so I might finally end my streak of having not bought any anime…
Ian Wolf
When writing my anime review last year, one of the series I mentioned is a show that ended up not being aired in 2025 and thus I’m still waiting for it. That was the new adaptation of CLAMP’s Magic Knight Rayearth. It was the group’s first major manga hit, and it will be interesting to see how this work which inspired the first wave of isekai will be reviewed by fans of a now-massive genre.
Regarding films, there is Studio 4°C’s adaptation of All You Need Is Kill. When this series was adapted into a manga by Death Note artist Takeshi Obata over a decade ago, I considered it a perfect short work. Hopefully the adaptation will keep the same quality.
Meanwhile, debuting on Netflix in January is Love Through a Prism, from the creator of hit shojo manga Boys Over Flowers Yoko Kamio. Set in Edwardian London, it follows Lili, a Japanese transfer student to an art school, who promises her parents that she will return home if she does not become the top student within half-a-year. Most period manga set in Britain seem to feature the Victorian period, so moving slightly forward to the early 20th century will hopefully make for a nice change of pace.
Onosume
Another year rolls around and it’s another year that I’m waiting for the next Madoka Magica film. This time however it feels like we’re nearly there. The film is set to release in Japan in February and pre-order tickets are on sale, so the producers at Shaft must be feeling a lot more confident about it now. And let’s hope so, because the trailers that have been coming out this year have been painting a very interesting picture of how the story might move forward in Homura’s new world with fate threatening to repeat itself. Let’s hope this finally delivers because it’s the thing I’ve been most excited about for the past few years!
Meanwhile, in Love Live land, Bandai Namco have just announced the first anime adaptation for the Link Live! project, Love Live! School Idol Project: Hasunosora Jougakuin School Idol Club – Bloom Garden Party. As this is set to hit Japanese cinemas in May, it’ll be a while before we see this in the west, although like with the Nijigasaki films I expect Crunchyroll to pick it up for streaming. With the animated idol scene now dominated by the VTuber model, Love Live! has become increasingly hard to follow for people outside of Japan, so I hope with the animation side picking up again, they can bring us back on board a bit. There’s also a third and final film in Nijigasaki to finish their story off, and if they keep up the yearly cadence, I’d expect this to hit in the autumn.
Finally for TV anime, I’m probably most looking forward to the continuation of [Oshi no Ko], which moves from Sentai’s unpopular HIDIVE platform to Crunchyroll for its third season, as well as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, with David Production continuing their work on their successful adaptation of Hirohiko Araki’s popular series, now moving here into its second continuity, due to stream on Netflix next year.
Sarah
2026 is looking really promising, with the long-awaited anime of Witch Hat Atelier confirmed (and with a new trailer) at last. But I’m especially looking forward to Ikoku Nikki, based on Tomoko Yamashita’s poignant yet thought-provoking josei manga (still not available in English!!) about Makio, a novelist, who takes in her estranged sister’s only child (Asa, a teenage girl) after a fatal road accident leaves her orphaned.
And how unusual to have not one but two Boys’ Love anime series to start the year: the humorous one with the delightfully retro art style Go For It, Nakamura! and, of course, the fan favourite isekai The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter. And, while we’re talking of Boys’ Love, Netflix has secured the rights to the sizzling dance-themed live-action film based on Inouesatoh’s manga 10 Dance which is available from December 18th.
HWR
Looking ahead to 2026, the obvious continuations that stand out as must-watches include Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, and Medalist Season 2, which both drop in Winter 2026, whilst Spring 2026 sees the continuation of Ascendance of a Bookworm and Re: ZERO, so those will be definitive watches. For new titles though, it’s usually me going in blind and most of the time this pays off, so 2026 will be no different in that regard!
