It's a great time to be an anime fan. Every season is full of entertainment, interesting series and success of movies like Demon Slayer's Endless Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, we are witnessing studios giving their best in a big way.
Every year the biggest anime studios have at least one or two big projects. With 2026 well underway for some, it's a great time to look back at 2025 and see what the best anime from all the major studios was. To be considered, an anime must begin airing in 2025, so a series that premiered in 2024 and carried over to 2025 does not count.
The Best Shonen Anime of Every Year 2020 (So Far)
It's been a great decade for anime and these shonen series are really holding up so far.
JCStaff – Honey Lemon Soda
2025 was not the best year for JCStaff. The studio released some solid projects, but the controversy surrounding the 3rd season One-Punch Man and the various problems and shortcomings of the last season have greatly overshadowed their next efforts.
One of their highlights this year was Honey lemon sodaa fun if mostly formulaic rom-com that should be right up there with shojo romance lovers. The visuals are solid, and the relationship between its two leads, Uka and Kai, makes for an interesting story that touches on themes of bullying and self-acceptance.
Madman – Detective at dinner
Madhouse is behind some of the biggest anime of the past few decades and has worked on titles like Hunter x Hunter (2011), Monster, Trigun, Black Lagoon, Perfect Blue, and Claymoreamong many others. Of course, they're also the studio behind one of the biggest series out there today: Frieren.
Detective at dinner may not be the strongest series in their catalog, but it's still a fun watch that shows the quality you'd expect from a Madhouse production. It has some unique, stylish and sometimes beautiful animations, a fun cast of characters and some great mysteries that should appeal to fans of the genre.
A-1 Images – Solo Leveling: Rise from the Shadows
A-1 Pictures has released some incredible anime over the years, many of which have garnered a strong and dedicated fan base. But it's hard to think of any A-1 series that hit the ground running Solo leveling has.
Chugong's web novel and manhwa adaptation has quickly become one of the most popular anime, rivaling series such as One Piece, Dragon Ball,and Naruto in no time. Arise from the Shadow is a strong follow-up to Season 1, and although it hasn't been officially announced yet, A-1 will have their hands full when it comes to fulfilling fans' expectations with Season 3.
Bandai Namco Pictures – Rock is the modesty of a lady
Bandai Namco Pictures is probably best known for working on some of the later ones Gintama anime, although the studio has also worked on other great anime over the years. Although they released a hilarious adaptation in 2025 Gintama spin-off, Gintama: Mr. Ginpachi's Zany's Classthe studio released another series that really stood out.
Rock is the modesty of a lady it has amazing music and a great setting. The series follows Lilisa Suzunomiya, an ordinary-born girl who attends a prestigious girls' academy and forces herself to give up playing the guitar in an effort to meet the school's standard of what an ideal noble woman should be. But things change when she meets fellow student Otoha Kurogane, a drummer who reignites Lili's passion for the guitar and rock music.
Sunrise – Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Sunrise has released some incredible anime over the years Code Geass on Cowboy Bebop, Gintama, and a lot more. But the studio is best known for its work on Gundam franchise. latest episode, GQuuuuuuXis a collaboration between Sunrise and Khara, a studio based Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
Given his resume, many fans were excited to see how Anno would approach the Gundam franchise. GQuuuuuuX is a great looking series with stylish animations and visuals that pop. Despite being 12 episodes long, it feels like a series that would definitely benefit from a longer run. Still, it's an interesting alternative take on the original that serves as a bit of nostalgic fan service for some while also being perfectly accessible to newcomers.
Studio Pierrot – Kingdom Season 6
Studio Pierrot will have a busy 2026. With Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4, Black Clover Season 5 and four expected Naruto specials in the works, the studio will have an even bigger year this year than last. But that doesn't mean they've been slacking off in 2025.
Pierrot released two solid series in 2025, the fourth season Mr. Osomatsuand the sixth season Kingdom. While the former is still one of the best comedy anime, Kingdom remains an underappreciated gem. Season 6 had incredible action and solid character development. If you haven't watched it, now is the perfect time to get into the series.
Bones – My Hero Academia Final Season
Bones has been behind some of the greatest anime of the last few decades, but by far their most successful series has to be My Hero Academia. The anime adaptation of Kohei Horikoshi's hit manga has always been well-received by fans, but Bones surprised everyone by delivering what many consider to be the best anime episodes in the series' final season.
My Hero Academia Final Season is visually stunning, with stunning, fluid animation and fight sequences that elevate the source material in a way that many studios fail to do with their adaptations. season 2 spin-off, Vigilantesit's going well, but it's going to be hard to top it in this final season.
Kyoto Animation – Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved
Kyoto Animation's catalog is full of incredible anime, each showcasing the cult studio's versatility and unique style. While many know the studio for series like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, Nichijouor ClannadMiss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid became equally popular. It might even be Kyoto Animation's best-known adaptation at the moment.
A lonely dragon wants to be loved is a great sequel to the anime series. focusing on Kanna and her troubled relationship with her father. It's a visually stunning film, which is exactly what you'd expect from Kyoto Animation. Like the first two seasons of the anime, A lonely dragon wants to be loved it really benefits from the great relationships between Kobayashi and the rest of the main cast. Maybe it didn't have international recognition Demon Slayer and A man with a chainsaw movies got, but it was still one of the best anime movie experiences of the year.
Toei Animation – Digimon Beatbreak
Toei has been behind one of the biggest anime studios for years. While most know the studio for its work on massive franchises such as One piece and Dragon Ball, Beyond the two biggest properties, there's more to Toei.
Digimon Beatbreak is the latest addition to Digimon franchise and served as a great entry point into the franchise for newcomers while also being a fun watch for longtime fans. The anime is still airing so it's hard to fully judge, but the reception so far has been great and an interesting post-apocalyptic take on Digimon world helped it stand out from its predecessors in the best possible way.
Studio Trigger – New panties and stockings with garter belt
Studio Trigger has released some of the most unique anime of the last decade. The studio has a distinct style and visual flair, with many of its series having a certain charm that stands out from other anime. Although originally produced by Gainax, Trigger bought the rights Panty and stockings with garter belt in 2023 and fans finally got the long-awaited sequel in 2025.
New panties and stockings with garter belt is a great sequel to the original that manages to be just as funny with some great visuals, but the decision to use different English voice actors was controversial for longtime fans. Still, it's a strong effort and well worth a look.
