Best Summer Anime 2025 (Debuts & Returning Shows)

Hope you got your watermelon, yukata, and fireworks ready because the Anime summer season of 2025 is looking very promising!

There are interesting new debuts, sequels of well-loved shows, and a few surprise hits that might be overlooked by the more casual watchers. According to MyAnimeList, there are 67 shows airing this summer without counting with ONAs, movies, or continuously airing Anime.

The season starts July 1st with the debut of Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show (Necronomico no Cosmic Horror Show) and Detectives These Days Are Crazy! (Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara), which look fun and are both on my watchlist.

I’ll be updating this list as we go, so I recommend bookmarking this page. There will be three main updates:

1. After I watch 3 episodes of each Anime that I’m following.
2. In the middle of the season.
3. At the end of the season.

So, grab a cold drink and let’s dive into the most promising summer Anime 2025!

Top 11 most promising summer Anime 2025 (debuts & returning shows)

The Summer Hikaru Died

There aren’t many trailers that got me hyped for an Anime show in the first second, but that’s what happened with The Summer Hikaru Died.

This kind of horror is one of my favorite Anime genres, so I’m really happy to have such a promising show this season. The unsettling visuals, suspenseful music, and beautiful character design from the second trailer just blew me away – I just know I’m up for a treat.

I can’t wait to go through this story, the main characters’ relationship, and the mystery around Hikaru’s death.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

The first thing I noticed when I watched the trailer of The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is that Rintaro is similar to Nobu – one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite Anime shows of all time – Nana.

That would be enough for me to give it a chance, but the more I read the synopsis, the more intrigued I became. I enjoy romance, but I’ve been interested in more adult shows lately, so we’ll see how much I enjoy this high school romance.

Nevertheless, it looks like a very decent option for anyone who enjoys watching some love happening on the screen and cries a bit when drama happens. I can’t wait to see if my heart will skip a beat while watching it.

Trailer

Gachiakuta

I don’t know why, but Gachiakuta reminds me of Attack on Titan. The plots are very different, but the MC being in a place surrounded by big walls where monsters are ready to attack him at any time just makes my brain think of Attack on Titan.

Look-a-like or not, the idea of a society that throws criminals into a pit full of monsters is an interesting premise. I’m expecting a lot of blood and gore, which is right up my alley. Plus, if there are a few deaths and devastating moments throughout Rudo’s path to vengeance, even better!

Trailer

There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless…

Girls love is usually not my cup of tea, but there’s something to There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… that caught my interest.

First of all, the Anime looks genuinely fun, and I think I’ll have a good time watching it. Secondly, I love the animation – especially the characters’ designs. Finally, the last plot twist in the trailer was able to reel me in, as it showed that the story might go deeper than your usual silly, ecchi Anime show.

So, I decided to give it a go and see if I like it. Even if I don’t, I still believe it’s a great Anime for those who enjoy this kind of genre, though.

Trailer

Lord of Mysteries

Donghua has become better and better in recent times.

This season, we get a very interesting premise of a story full of suspense and mystery, which, if done well, can end up on my favorite anime of all time list.

I love the dark fantasy vibe, and to be honest, the name and promo image were enough to give this show a try. I truly believe it has a lot of potential and can’t wait to see how things develop.

The animation sneak peek from the trailers also made me excited to watch, though I’m not sure about the 3D scenery I saw. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Trailer

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 Part 2

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is one of my favorite Anime of all time.

My boyfriend and I have been following it since it came out, and last season, the show ended with a great cliffhanger.

I’m excited to see what’s going to happen in the second part of the second season, and I hope that the Anime picks up the pace a little bit.

If you’ve never watched Hanako-kun, I highly recommend going back and binge-watching the full series before the new season comes out! The animation is quirky and unique, Hanako-kun’s voice actor is a delight to hear, and it’s one of those shows that has everything (comedy, drama, cuteness, and more).

Trailer

Dan da dan 2nd season

I’ll be honest! I started watching Dandadan because the second season was about to come out, and it’s sitting among the top summer season anime with the most members on MAL.

I watched the first episode – I fell in love! Easy as that.

The Anime is just very well made. It’s extremely unique, hilarious, and beautiful to look at.

I would say that it isn’t an Anime for everyone, and you might not like the show’s sense of humour. Still, I highly recommend giving it a try if you have never watched it.

If you watched season 1, then it’s a no-brainer! Let’s see Ken, Momo, and everyone else fighting off youkai and aliens who want to steal everyone’s bananas.

Trailer

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2

Kaiju no. 8 is another unique Anime that caught my interest a few months ago.

I wouldn’t say that it’s the best story ever created, but it’s one of those shows that you have fun with. The main character is funny and the action is quite good.

The premise of the show is also interesting – especially if you like big monsters roaming around the city, destroying everything in their path.

Another Anime that I highly recommend catching up with before the second season starts. If you’re into Attack on Titan, I would say it has its similarities.

Trailer

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4

As someone who’s reading the Rising of the Shield Hero light novels, it’s not surprising that I intend to watch the full series.

Although season 2 wasn’t that great, season 3 was much better. So, I’m excited to see how season 4 will look like.

As isekai goes, I genuinely like how the story has its unique points regarding the MC. Even though most of it is resolved by now, it’s that part of the Anime when it feels really good to see the underdog showing everyone else how weak and stupid they are.

I’m also extremely curious to know more about the other worlds and how everything will come together (I’m late on the books, so everything will be new for me).

Trailer

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2

I don’t have much to say about My Dress-Up Darling.

I saw that it’s the Anime with the more MAL members for this summer season.

I saw that it’s from CloverWorks.

I saw that it’s about romance and otaku culture.

I instantly went to Crunchyroll and added the show to my watchlist. However, that does mean that I’m still at the beginning of the show and will need time to have a full idea of how good it is.

Still, it looks VERY promising.

Trailer

Call of the Night Season 2

Call of the Night is another Anime that I just added to my watchlist and am going to binge-watch until the new season comes.

It looks promising, and the guy is kinda cute – I usually don’t need more to try something out.

Honestly, though – what made a click with me was the dark animation and vibe. I’m just a sucker for those and need to watch anything that looks just a little bit scary.

If you’re into vampires, the Anime has good reviews, and there are a lot of people thinking of watching the second season. So, I would recommend giving it a try, cause I sure will.

Trailer

Possible hidden gems of the 2025 Anime summer season

I always try to go beyond the most popular Anime of the season and see if the community overlooked any great Anime shows. That’s how I got to know Hanako-kun before it was the phenomenon it is today.

Usually, there are more misses than hits, but it’s always a fun activity to do. Plus, I may help smaller creators/studios by giving the show a good review or featuring them in one of my best listings.

So far, the following Anime look promising:

Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze

Looks like fun! A bit of an overdone plot, but fun!

It likely won’t be the Anime for everyone, but if it’s a good addition for the genre lovers, it’s a win in my books.

The thing that caught my attention was the chaos of the trailer, which is usually the type of setting I find most fun. So, fingers crossed that it delivers what it promises.

Trailer

With You and the Rain

With You and the Rain looks like the perfect cutesy, chill Anime to watch this summer season.

I know it won’t be the most-watched Anime of all time. But it might end up being a cult favorite.

For some reason, the trailer made me go back to How to Keep a Mummy, which was an Anime that my boyfriend and I loved to watch. In fact, I actually gave him a Mii-kun plushy a few years back – that’s how much we loved it.

So, I’m expecting the same kind of vibe. Just chill and cutesy for a 20-minute relaxing session.

Trailer

See You Tomorrow at the Food Court

Another chill, slice-of-life Anime.

See You Tomorrow at the Food Court has an interesting premise about making friendships that I usually adore.

I love these human stories that could actually happen on a day-to-day basis. Even though we’re more disconnected than ever due to technology, I still believe random connections can be made – for example at the food court.

I do think about this a bit – how arbitrary the people around you can be. A lot of the time, you were in the right place at the right time. You met and you made a connection. However, there are thousands of things that could have changed that first encounter.

Some people call it fate. I dunno, but I do think it’s magical!

Japanese creators and authors are excellent at telling these kinds of stories, so I’m curious to see how good See You Tomorrow at the Food Court will be.

Trailer

Hotel Inhumans

Have you ever watched John Wick? In the movie(s), you have these hotels where all these criminals pay to stay at due to various reasons – that’s what Hotel Inhumans reminded me of right away.

It might be a big flop, but the idea of what the day-to-day of a Hotel for criminals would look like fascinates me (on a fictional level, of course).

Let’s see if the show is able to deliver what it seems to promise. More than being a hidden gem, Hotel Inhumans has the potential to become my favorite of the season.

Trailer

Captivated, By You

As a gay guy, it’s normal that I try to watch most of the boys love Anime that come out.

I don’t really care much for Yaoi and its Seme and Uke tropes – it’s just not my reality. But I’m a sucker for boys love stories that actually portray how most gay men/teenagers fall in love, like Doukyuusei or Given, for example.

In addition to the manga, Captivated, By You already has a TV show. Still, the Anime doesn’t seem to have gotten a lot of traction yet. I’m not sure whether it’s because it’s very niche or because it’s bad – I guess I’ll find out!

The story looks good enough, though. And even if it’s not going to be a groundbreaker moment in the shounen-ai world, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it nevertheless.

Teaser

The temperature’s rising, and so is the hype

The Anime summer season of 2025 promises a lot of good shows.

Even though it’s a season of many returning shows, the ones debuting also look quite fun and interesting to watch.

Like I mentioned at the beginning, I’ll be updating this list as we go. So, make sure to bookmark this page to keep yourself posted.

I will also be writing posts regarding the Anime I’ve been watching, creating lists by genre, and other fun stuff. If you’re interested, make sure to stay around.

What about you? What’s the Anime you’re looking forward to the most this season?

Anime summer season 2025 FAQ