Special Event: Winter 2025 Anime Season / Fall 2024 Wrap-Up
January 11, 2025 6:40 PM - Subscribe
Many winter 2025 shows have at least had their premiere episode, which makes it as good a time as any for the quarterly update post!
Initial impressions, reviews, and
Anticipation and recommendations:
In addition to what we've got on our watchlists for Winter 2025, we can also chat about our overall thoughts on Fall 2024 or just 2024 in general.
Anticipation and recommendations:
- Polygon: The must-watch anime to look out for in winter 2025
- Anitrendz: The Most Anticipated Anime of Winter 2025
- AnimeCorner: Winter 2025 Most Anticipated Anime Rankings
- Anime Feminist: 2025 Winter Premiere Reviews
- Anime News Network: The Winter 2025 Anime Preview Guide
In addition to what we've got on our watchlists for Winter 2025, we can also chat about our overall thoughts on Fall 2024 or just 2024 in general.
For Winter 2025, my list is currently the continuing adventures of Mao Mao in Apothecary Diaries S2, Sakamoto Days, and I'll also be trying out Zenshu once there are three episodes available for viewing.
For Fall 2024, I wound up finishing Dan Da Dan, the Ranma 1/2 remake, and Demon Lord 2099. Not much I can say about Dan Da Dan that hasn't been said somewhere else on the internet, but assuming you're okay with the content warnings it's the one show from fall that you should definitely watch if you haven't. Ranma 1/2 was a solid remake, and worth checking out if you're either a fan of the original or are curious about one of the most classic anime stories. Demon Lord 2099 did a good job of executing an interesting premise, and overall was also a solid watch for the season.
In terms of other anime I watched over the last few months, I watched all three seasons of Chihayafuru at a friend's recommendation, and it's an excellent show. I also watched a couple of anime movies that have been on my watchlist for a while, Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers during the holiday season and Liz and the Blue Bird. Both also very strong recommendations for anyone that also has them on their watchlist.
2024 overall felt like a very strong year if you're only looking at the top shows. Frieren remains one of the best fantasy stories I've seen in a very long time, with a bunch of scenes that now live rent-free in my head. Dan Da Dan also pushed the boundaries of weirdness, and somehow managed to be a show that could balance dick jokes with genuinely emotionally moving moments. Rounding out my top 5 for the year, I also enjoyed Too Many Losing Heroines as a slice of life with romantic elements, the second season of Oshi no Ko, and Apothecary Diaries was just an excellent show all around with a great female lead.
posted by C^3 at 6:55 AM on January 12
For Fall 2024, I wound up finishing Dan Da Dan, the Ranma 1/2 remake, and Demon Lord 2099. Not much I can say about Dan Da Dan that hasn't been said somewhere else on the internet, but assuming you're okay with the content warnings it's the one show from fall that you should definitely watch if you haven't. Ranma 1/2 was a solid remake, and worth checking out if you're either a fan of the original or are curious about one of the most classic anime stories. Demon Lord 2099 did a good job of executing an interesting premise, and overall was also a solid watch for the season.
In terms of other anime I watched over the last few months, I watched all three seasons of Chihayafuru at a friend's recommendation, and it's an excellent show. I also watched a couple of anime movies that have been on my watchlist for a while, Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers during the holiday season and Liz and the Blue Bird. Both also very strong recommendations for anyone that also has them on their watchlist.
2024 overall felt like a very strong year if you're only looking at the top shows. Frieren remains one of the best fantasy stories I've seen in a very long time, with a bunch of scenes that now live rent-free in my head. Dan Da Dan also pushed the boundaries of weirdness, and somehow managed to be a show that could balance dick jokes with genuinely emotionally moving moments. Rounding out my top 5 for the year, I also enjoyed Too Many Losing Heroines as a slice of life with romantic elements, the second season of Oshi no Ko, and Apothecary Diaries was just an excellent show all around with a great female lead.
posted by C^3 at 6:55 AM on January 12
Watched Sakamoto Days 1 & 2 and I'm hooked, it's very well drawn and funny, not to mention the action is just great.
I'm also hooked on Solo Leveling S2, but I have to rewatch S1 since I've forgotten the names and who's in what faction, for some reason Korean names all sound the same to me but I can differentiate Japanese names (yes I also have this problem with kdramas).
Apothecary Diaries is also highly anticipated, though after the first episode I also feel like I need a refresher on the concubines and who's on which side. I just can't keep all that straight in my head.
My watchlist so far this season (excluding the ones mentioned above, and some titles are shortened because they're godawfully long):
- Headhunted to Another World -- It has a Realist Hero Rebuilds Kingdom vibe, which is a good thing.
- Ubel Blatt -- Kinda gory, but the action is good and I heard good things about the manga.
- From Bureaucrat to Villainess -- This is a pretty funny Otome isekai, although it seems slow but it's a good reprieve from the others.
- Middle Aged Online Shopper in Another World -- Seems like a standard isekai but I'm curious to see how far they go with deus ex machina-ing his survival with this online shop (at least it was consistent with modern japan that he couldn't just buy a gun to use)
- I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students -- Feels similar to Banished from the Hero's Party, but what I like so far is it delves into specifics of dungeon crawling, like when to rest, when to check for traps, etc. Plus a magical "live stream" ability feels weirdly funny.
- Noble on the Brink of Ruin Masters Magic -- The mechanics of the magic system in this one is interesting, although the characters feel one-dimensional and predictable, but the "familiar" system feels icky, especially with the female characters (no idea how old they are) are head-over-heels signing up for this "contract" for more power from a 12 y/o MC.
- Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! -- Interesting on the surface, I'm waiting for the next couple of episodes to see if I'll keep this up, it's got potential since Ms. Elf isn't just some naive fantasy-world-elf fawning over the modern MC.
- Elf-girl's Cat is secretly an S-Rank Monster -- Ok don't judge me <>
- Guild Receptionist will Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time -- Pretty fun first episode, and I'm interested in finding out how her power is so much stronger than even the strongest party (not a spoiler, you find this out pretty quickly).
I still need to start these:
- Red Ranger in Another World
- Zenshu
- My Happy Marriage S2
These so far I do not recommend, but I'll give them another episode to improve:
- Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World -- It's pretty slow and boring. Same vibes as Noble Masters Magic but it's just not hooking me.
- Bogus Skill "Fruitmaster" -- Immediately makes me yell at the screen: You find out can eat more than one of these poisonous "skill fruits" and not die because you're a Fruitmaster and you're just not immediately gobbling them up for more skills?? Why??
- Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time -- Sounded promising but it feels veeery derivative and like a hundred other Isekais.
- Worthless "Appraiser" Class Actually is the Strongest -- Torture porn but not as good as Re:Zero, but also it seems like nothing about his class is actually making him "strongest". So far he lucked into something that will give him power, pretty misleading title.>
posted by numaner at 6:54 AM on January 14 [1 favorite]
I'm also hooked on Solo Leveling S2, but I have to rewatch S1 since I've forgotten the names and who's in what faction, for some reason Korean names all sound the same to me but I can differentiate Japanese names (yes I also have this problem with kdramas).
Apothecary Diaries is also highly anticipated, though after the first episode I also feel like I need a refresher on the concubines and who's on which side. I just can't keep all that straight in my head.
My watchlist so far this season (excluding the ones mentioned above, and some titles are shortened because they're godawfully long):
- Headhunted to Another World -- It has a Realist Hero Rebuilds Kingdom vibe, which is a good thing.
- Ubel Blatt -- Kinda gory, but the action is good and I heard good things about the manga.
- From Bureaucrat to Villainess -- This is a pretty funny Otome isekai, although it seems slow but it's a good reprieve from the others.
- Middle Aged Online Shopper in Another World -- Seems like a standard isekai but I'm curious to see how far they go with deus ex machina-ing his survival with this online shop (at least it was consistent with modern japan that he couldn't just buy a gun to use)
- I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students -- Feels similar to Banished from the Hero's Party, but what I like so far is it delves into specifics of dungeon crawling, like when to rest, when to check for traps, etc. Plus a magical "live stream" ability feels weirdly funny.
- Noble on the Brink of Ruin Masters Magic -- The mechanics of the magic system in this one is interesting, although the characters feel one-dimensional and predictable, but the "familiar" system feels icky, especially with the female characters (no idea how old they are) are head-over-heels signing up for this "contract" for more power from a 12 y/o MC.
- Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! -- Interesting on the surface, I'm waiting for the next couple of episodes to see if I'll keep this up, it's got potential since Ms. Elf isn't just some naive fantasy-world-elf fawning over the modern MC.
- Elf-girl's Cat is secretly an S-Rank Monster -- Ok don't judge me <>
- Guild Receptionist will Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time -- Pretty fun first episode, and I'm interested in finding out how her power is so much stronger than even the strongest party (not a spoiler, you find this out pretty quickly).
I still need to start these:
- Red Ranger in Another World
- Zenshu
- My Happy Marriage S2
These so far I do not recommend, but I'll give them another episode to improve:
- Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World -- It's pretty slow and boring. Same vibes as Noble Masters Magic but it's just not hooking me.
- Bogus Skill "Fruitmaster" -- Immediately makes me yell at the screen: You find out can eat more than one of these poisonous "skill fruits" and not die because you're a Fruitmaster and you're just not immediately gobbling them up for more skills?? Why??
- Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time -- Sounded promising but it feels veeery derivative and like a hundred other Isekais.
- Worthless "Appraiser" Class Actually is the Strongest -- Torture porn but not as good as Re:Zero, but also it seems like nothing about his class is actually making him "strongest". So far he lucked into something that will give him power, pretty misleading title.>
posted by numaner at 6:54 AM on January 14 [1 favorite]
Oh I should add that Shangri-La Frontier S2 is still going since it's a 25(!) eps season. This season has been a blast and the second half is starting off with a fantastic battle!
posted by numaner at 7:51 AM on January 14
posted by numaner at 7:51 AM on January 14
In classic anime, Disney has just released a number of Macross titles for streaming on Hulu, after decades in licensing hell - most notably Plus (though it doesn't seem they have the classic dub), 7, and Frontier.
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:19 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:19 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]
I haven't been super impressed by 'Sakamoto Days' - I think I preferred 'Diary of a Househusband' for that type of yakuza story (and that seems to have had a pretty minimal budget). Still, its early days, I'll see how it develops.
Started watching second season of 'Oshi No Ko' and gave up half-way - too slow even though there was interesting stuff in there.
Just wrapping up 'Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction' - chipped away at it slowly and got there in the end. Unique style and story that doesn't rely on too many tropes but it felt overlong for what it was (& the end was a bit of a cop-out).
I got on the 'Delicious in Dungeon' bandwagon quite late - its fun but leaves it pretty late to develop its mystery/twist. Will see if it can deliver in season two or if its more of the same.
I tried going back for some classic stuff... 'Fruits Basket' had promise but I got lost in the family tree and gave up.
'Natsumes Book Of Friends' latest season was good... definitely more of the same comfort watching but thats not all band. Same with the latest 'Sound Euphonium', they definitely wring a lot of mileage out of the orchestra comps but its pretty nice watching.
Hopefully theres some good stuff on the way... I should see when the next 'Chainsaw Man' season starts...
posted by phigmov at 11:27 PM on January 15
Started watching second season of 'Oshi No Ko' and gave up half-way - too slow even though there was interesting stuff in there.
Just wrapping up 'Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction' - chipped away at it slowly and got there in the end. Unique style and story that doesn't rely on too many tropes but it felt overlong for what it was (& the end was a bit of a cop-out).
I got on the 'Delicious in Dungeon' bandwagon quite late - its fun but leaves it pretty late to develop its mystery/twist. Will see if it can deliver in season two or if its more of the same.
I tried going back for some classic stuff... 'Fruits Basket' had promise but I got lost in the family tree and gave up.
'Natsumes Book Of Friends' latest season was good... definitely more of the same comfort watching but thats not all band. Same with the latest 'Sound Euphonium', they definitely wring a lot of mileage out of the orchestra comps but its pretty nice watching.
Hopefully theres some good stuff on the way... I should see when the next 'Chainsaw Man' season starts...
posted by phigmov at 11:27 PM on January 15
Sakamoto Daya really isn't a yakuza story as it's an assassin story - there's a reason why it gets compared to John Wick.
Delicious in Dungeon is fully into the point where it's actively exploring the mysteries it set up, with them now dealing with the Canaries and the Winged Lion.
The next step for Chainsaw Man is a movie covering the Reze Arc.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:39 AM on January 16 [1 favorite]
Delicious in Dungeon is fully into the point where it's actively exploring the mysteries it set up, with them now dealing with the Canaries and the Winged Lion.
The next step for Chainsaw Man is a movie covering the Reze Arc.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:39 AM on January 16 [1 favorite]
ok after watching the second episode, "Worthless Appraisal Skill" has vastly improved, the tone is totally different than the first episode and the "development" of the MC might be interesting.
"Greatest Alchemist" is also picking up, it's gotten funnier which is always good
"Magic Maker" is still kinda bland, but I... just wanna know what happens...
"Fruitmaster" is duuuumb and I'm dropping it.
I started Zenshu, I do recommend it, the animation is amazing, and even though the main guy is a jerk, he seems redeemable.
Red Ranger in the World is RIDICULOUS and CORNY and I want to keep watching for some reason.
posted by numaner at 7:39 AM on January 17
"Greatest Alchemist" is also picking up, it's gotten funnier which is always good
"Magic Maker" is still kinda bland, but I... just wanna know what happens...
"Fruitmaster" is duuuumb and I'm dropping it.
I started Zenshu, I do recommend it, the animation is amazing, and even though the main guy is a jerk, he seems redeemable.
Red Ranger in the World is RIDICULOUS and CORNY and I want to keep watching for some reason.
posted by numaner at 7:39 AM on January 17
Enjoying 'Honey Lemon Soda' - the art style is pretty good too.
I'm wondering if there will be a through line in 'Apothecary Diaries'? Maybe too early in the season. Struggling to keep up with the Concubines. Pleased to see the cat in episode 3 but no sign of her new friend from ep 2 (thought they might bump into each other in the north garden).
posted by phigmov at 12:12 AM on January 26
I'm wondering if there will be a through line in 'Apothecary Diaries'? Maybe too early in the season. Struggling to keep up with the Concubines. Pleased to see the cat in episode 3 but no sign of her new friend from ep 2 (thought they might bump into each other in the north garden).
posted by phigmov at 12:12 AM on January 26
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posted by phigmov at 10:08 PM on January 11 [1 favorite]