5 Winter 2025 anime that will be must-watch TV (& 5 you can safely skip)

In less than two months, the Winter 2025 anime season will kick off with TV anime belonging to diverse genres. Be it fantasy, action, mystery, or romance, viewers will have an option of their choice while they snuggle up to their bed in the cozy weather. Some of the announcements include new anime while others are continuing seasons of much-anticipated anime.

This list features five anime that manga readers or anime watchers have been looking forward to because of the intriguing plot, which has garnered fans over time. Conversely, the list also contains five anime of the Winter 2025 anime season, which they can safely skip watching.

Disclaimer: This list is not ranked and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

5 much-anticipated anime of the Winter 2025 anime season

1) Solo Leveling season 2: Arise from the Shadow

Jinwoo Sung as seen in season 2 PV (Image via Aniplex)

The novel and the manhwa of Solo Leveling have gained popularity and given rise to a large fandom over the past few years. The much-anticipated anime adaptation aired in Winter 2024, ending with the Job Change arc and Jinwoo taming Igris the Red. As one of the most-anticipated Winter 2025 anime, season 2 of Solo Leveling has acquired over 135,000 members, adding it to their list on MyAnimeList.

A special edition of season 1 and the first two episodes of season 2 are set for a limited 2-week screening in theatres, starting November 29, 2024. The sneak peek of Baruka and the great animation are a few factors that make season 2 a must-watch for fans of the manhwa.

2) Sakamoto Days

Taro Sakamoto as seen in the PV (Image via TMS Entertainment)

As one of the most popular ongoing manga, Sakamoto Days does not require a formal introduction. As a retired hitman, Taro Sakamoto now works as a clerk in a convenience store, where he must evade the persuasions of enemies. It is one of the Winter 2025 anime belonging to the genre of action shonen.

The PV has accumulated over 2.2M views on the official YouTube channel of TMS Entertainment. The official website has also revealed a visual of The Order, insinuating a possible adaptation of the Death Row Prisoners arc. The visuals and promo art ensure a faithful adaptation and help in gathering fans who have been anticipating the anime.

3) The Apothecary Diaries season 2

Maomao and Jinshi as seen in season 2 PV (Image via TOHO Animation)

The Apothecary Diaries season 2 will premiere on January 10, 2025. It is one of the mystery anime to be released during the Winter 2025 anime season. The journey of Maomao from being raised in a red-light district to being sold to the imperial palace as a maidservant has gained the attention of fans worldwide.

Season 2 will run for two consecutive cours and will be aired every Friday at 11 pm on Nippon Television's FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT. It will delve deeper into more mysteries of the Imperial Palace as Maomao and Jinshi work together to solve them. The PV presents viewers with beautiful animation that urges them to want to watch more.

4) My Happy Marriage season 2

Miyo Saimori and Kiyoka Kudou (Image via KADOKAWA Anime)

My Happy Marriage season 2 will be streamed exclusively on Netflix, starting January 2025. The blend of fantasy and romance makes it one of the most anticipated Winter 2025 anime releases. The basic premise of My Happy Marriage is comparable with Cinderella's plot, but the gifts possessed by each character make the anime unique.

Season 2 PV provides a preview of Miyo meeting Kiyoka's parents for the first time. The PV introduces new perils to Miyo that make viewers want to continue watching the love story unfold. The uniqueness of the plot and the hurdles experienced by the female lead make My Happy Marriage a much-anticipated anime for viewers who love angsty romance with a touch of supernatural elements.

5) Dr. Stone: Science Future

Senkuu Ishigami as seen in season 4 PV (Image via TOHO Animation)

The fourth season of Dr. Stone is scheduled to release in January 2025. Amongst the Winter 2025 anime releases, Dr. Stone: Science Future is the third most popular according to MyAnimeList, with over 84,000 members adding it to their list. The manga ended serialization in December 2023, including four extra chapters.

Expectations for this anime grow as it is nearing its end. However, the number of chapters left to be animated is concerning, given that there is no mention of the number of episodes the final season is going to have. Similar to the 2-cour release of season 3, the final season is expected to have at least 2 or 3 cours for the smooth adaptation of the rest of the manga. Nonetheless, it is a much anticipated Winter 2025 anime.

Aquarion: Myth of Emotions is one of the Winter 2025 anime which is skippable

1) Cardfight!! Vanguard: Divinez Deluxe-hen

Hikari Myodo and Akina Myodo (Image via Bushiroad)

Cardfight!! Vanguard is an ongoing anime, running since 2011. It is a multimedia franchise that has a manga, multiple series of anime, a card game, and a live-action movie. Cardfight!! Vanguard: Divinez Deluxe-hen is the eighth season of the D series of the anime. The information was released through the official X account on October 15, 2024.

This season will focus on Akina’s participation in Deluxe. It provides an interesting premise. However, the long-running anime is not as popular as its official card game counterpart. The upcoming anime does not have any PV released, which affects its viewership. Additionally, due to limited information, the anime can be skipped while the game can be played instead.

2) Mashin Souzouden Wataru

Mashin Souzouden Wataru is one of the Winter 2025 anime that has not accumulated a great number of fans worldwide. It is an upcoming project of the Mashin Hero Wataru series, which will be broadcast on six TV Tokyo-affiliated stations in January 2025.

The franchise celebrated its 35th anniversary on January 13, 2024. Despite it being a long-running series with various projects announced, it does not particularly catch the attention of the viewers. The PV portrays good animation and appealing voice acting. However, the project would be more compelling as a game rather than anime.

3) UniteUp! -Uni:Birth-

Akira Kiyose as seen in season 2 PV (Image via CloverWorks)

UiteUp! is an idol anime that aired during Winter 2023. UniteUp! -Uni:Birth- is the second season, set to release on January 11, 2025. It is one of the only two idol anime of the Winter 2025 anime season. So, fans of idol anime can look forward to watching UniteUp! -Uni:Birth-.

The PV of season 2 falls short when it comes to the perfect blending of CGI in 2D animation. The upbeat music might pull in viewers, but it does not portray revolutionary themes in an idol anime. It can be skipped, as viewers might want to try out BanG Dream! Ave Mujica instead.

4) Aquarion: Myth of Emotions

Sakko Ootori is one of the main characters of Aquarion: Myth of Emotions (Image via DMM Pictures)

Aquarion: Myth of Emotions is the fourth installment of the Aquarion franchise. It is yet another long-running series, which will be broadcast during the Winter 2025 anime season on tvk, Tokyo MX, TV Aichi, BS Asahi, and other platforms. Since its inception in 2005, the franchise has garnered popularity over the years.

The lack of information to date about Aquarion: Myth of Emotions has resulted in the anime being less anticipated. An official trailer is yet to be released for the mecha anime. However, a character PV was released on November 7. Furthermore, the moe-like characters were unexpected for an Aquarion anime. These factors make it one of the Winter 2025 anime that is skippable.

5) Tasokare Hotel

Neko Tsukahara as seen in the PV (Image via PRA)

Tasokare Hotel is a popular mobile game for which the anime will premiere in January 2025. It is one of the anime adapted from a game in the Winter 2025 anime season. The plot centers around Neko Tsukahara, who stumbles across the Tasokare Hotel and must remember her origin to return to her world.

There are many popular games that have been adapted into anime series. However, the success rate of such anime series is low compared to anime adapted from sources like manga or light novels, other than a few exceptions. Tasokare Hotel has a mysterious premise that makes players add it to their Winter 2025 anime watchlist. However, Tasokare Hotel is more enjoyable for playing than for watching.

Final Thoughts

The anticipated anime on the list are mostly continuing ones except for Sakamoto Days, which gained popularity because of the manga. On the other hand, most of the skippable anime on this list either belong to long-running franchises or are adapted from games. This mix of genre and ambivalence in the Winter 2025 anime season makes it notable amongst anime fans. Apart from the titles mentioned in the list, viewers will have a lot of adventure and romance anime to look forward to.