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Hello there.
Is everyone excited for the upcoming Anime in Summer 2025? I know I am. Spring 2025 was not my cup of tea, and I only watched the Apothecary Diaries. Don't get me wrong, there were good and popular ones, but I guess most of them were new to me, and I think I already have a large list of anime that I watch. Fire Force was anticipated by many, but I already finished the manga, and I wasn't too impressed. I heard great things about the story of TBATE, and how it is better than Mushoku Tensei [which I am watching], but the lackluster animation prevented me from getting into it. MHA Vigilantes was the one I was most interested in, but from my understanding it is just a spinoff of the main MHA. I'll probably wait for it to have more seasons so I can binge watch it.
The Anime of Summer 2025 on the other hand has a lot of Anime that I watch and follow. My top three are the ones I used in the first image. My Dress Up Darling, Dandadan, and Kaiju 8. I'll go over them and a few others below.
My Dress Up Darling Season 2
My Dress Up Darling is a story about Marin [Cosplayer] and Gojo [Hina Doll Maker]. Marin is a cosplayer but can't sew and make clothes of the characters she likes. She eventually meets Gojo who was sewing in school and asks him to help her make her dream come true by making clothes for her. Their story revolves around Marin's hobby as a cosplayer, and Gojo's improvement as a Hina Doll Maker. I think this has good character development and the story is light but fun.
I'll be honest. I only watched season 1 of this anime last year, a good two years after its original release. I heard it was popular when it released, with Marin Kitagawa [the female lead] frequently being praised as a character. I saw it last year in Netflix, and wanted a short anime to binge and decided to try it out. I was surprised at how the story was, and got hooked. I wanted more of the story so I started reading the manga. To my horror, the manga wasn't finished back then[the manga just recently finished]. I was able to catch up to the latest and had to wait constantly for the updates. Now that the manga is finished, I can just enjoy the story again.
This is actually one of the reasons why I don't like watching anime that is not yet completed. If the story is too good, I might be tempted to read the manga of it just to know what happens next, and to not be spoiled. My favorite arc in the story is the Mandate of Heaven arc, but I don't think it will be in Season 2. Even though that is the case, I am still looking forward to this anime and I hope the animation is still well made.
Dandadan Season 2
Dandadan is a story about aliens and ghosts/occult. Momo is a girl who believes in the occult but not in aliens. Ken [Okarun] is a boy who believes in aliens, but not in ghosts. They had an argument about their belief being true and the other's false, and they dared each other to investigate a location to prove they are right. Okarun checks out a famous occult place, and Momo at a place with alien sightings. Their world turns upside down when they are both proven right and now have to deal with both. This is a very fun anime full of action, comedy, easter eggs [Slam Dunk song was the best], and drama.
Remember when I said above that I don't like watching anime that isn't finished, well this was an exception. Dandadan was highly anticipated when it came out. A lot of people I know/follow have very high praises for the manga. The only reason I haven't read the manga is because it is already a bit long, and I was looking forward to the anime. After watching season 1, I have to say that it lived up to the hype. I really enjoyed the story and the characters.
I was tempted to read the manga because I really liked it, but when I caught up to where the anime stopped, I found myself liking the anime more. The animation and sound really brought the story to life. Hearing the contrast between regular and transformed Okarun is nice, and the wacky shenanigans hit differently when it's in motion. I was surprised at how fast season 2 is releasing, and I guess that shows how popular its first season was.
Kaiju no. 8
Kaiju 8 is about Kafka Hibino. In a world where Monsters regularly attack the world, he works as a cleanup crew. He wanted to be one of the soldiers that fight these monsters, but he was never able to pass the tests. His life changed when a monster enters his body and grants him monster powers. He now has a chance to make his dream come true, but he has to keep his powers secret or risk getting put down as one of the monsters he fights. The story is more of the typical shonen anime, but I really like how they did it. There is a lot of action, comedy, and character development.
This one is the complete opposite of the two above, where I watched the anime first. I have been reading the manga of Kaiju 8 since it started, and has been one of my favorites. So I was very excited when the anime came out and even encouraged people I know who watch anime to check it out. I am happy to say that everyone who did, enjoyed it. What caught my attention when it first came out was the protagonist. Kafka Hibino was a middle aged man out of his prime; not your typical anime protagonist. I'm not projecting myself to him, but it is certainly a breath of fresh air from the usual Young/High School protagonists common in anime.
I really like their execution of the story, and the characters are lovable. The action sequence are really good and the comedy hits right. The manga is ending soon, so this isn't going to be a long anime. I think this is one of the good entry level anime to get non watchers hooked.
Special Mentions
Apart from these three there are other popular anime coming this season.
Shield Hero Season 4
I've heard mixed reviews on this one, but getting a season 4 means it is popular enough to continue.
Sakamoto Days Season 2
I've seen season 1, and it was okay. It was a bit too episodic for my tastes, but the premise and animation is good enough for me to dive back in if I want something to watch.
Dr. Stone: Science Future Part 2
I've finished the manga and I think the story is great. Unfortunately, the story is a bit long and not as exciting for me to rewatch the whole anime.
How about you? Which upcoming anime are you excited about?