The Fall season and the entire year of 2025 is drawing to a close. Most shows have drawn to a close or are about to. So, let’s talk about it! Did anything surprise you? disappoint you? exceed your expectations? Of course, more general topics are still welcome just like any week.
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).
Summer 2025 was a season for the ages. I doubt we’ll see something like this for a long time. The most recent prior to that was Winter 2018.
Takopi’s Original Sin: They maximized the heck out of the medium and delivered six episodes of a complex and emotional story. I may not watch it again, but this is my new #1 overall anime.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity: At the end of it all, this one delivered what I thought it could from the moment I saw the announcement poster (although the final episode carried it hard). This is where I also realized I like Kuroki Miyuki’s directional style. Cloverworks is one of the best studios out there, and within Cloverworks, Miuyki and her staff form the best team.
Other 10s in that season: Dandadan S2 (utterly consistent) and My Dress Up Darling S2 (a great step-up from S1)
The year as a whole? 15 animes watched, eight (!!) are rated a 10, five 9s, and two 8. An apples-to-apples comparison to 2024 gives me three 10/10s out of 16. It’s crazy that Summer 2025 alone has more masterpieces.
The numbers corroborated my hunch about Winter 2018. I had four 10/10s in that season and 2/3rds of all 2018, movies not counted.