A Year Full of Anime Encounters
2025 was a year filled with many encounters with TV anime. From original works that surprised viewers with unexpected developments to the final chapters of long-running popular series, memorable anime appeared one after another. Which work caught your attention?
As per year-end tradition, Anime! Anime! conducted its annual anime popularity poll. The survey titled “What was your favorite TV anime of the year?” received 360 responses from December 3rd to December 12th. The gender ratio was 75% male, 21% female, and 4% no answer. The age demographic was roughly 23.6% aged 20-24, 19.2% aged 25-29, and 11.7% aged 19 and under.
Original Anime Make a Splash!
1st Place
Taking first place was Momentari Ririi (which can be translated as *Montgomery Lily*), with a support rate of approximately 6.4%.
This was an original anime that aired from January to March 2025. Set in a ruined, uninhabited city, it depicted the battles and daily lives of a group of girls.
The gap between the dynamic, powerful battle scenes and the comical slice-of-life moments was a key charm. With many cooking scenes, the protagonist Renge’s catchphrase, “Kappo~!” became ubiquitous in video streaming site comments. Some fans may have even tried to recreate the “Haikyo 3-Bun Ryori” (Ruins 3-Part Cooking) technique of adding a personal touch to preserved foods to draw out their deliciousness.
2nd Place
Second place went to Hibi wa Suguredo Meshi Umashi (which can be translated as *The Days Pass, But the Food is Delicious*), with a support rate of about 6.1%.
This original anime depicted the daily lives of female university students belonging to a club called the “Food Culture Research Club.” As expected from P.A.WORKS—the studio behind anime like Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin—going all out to tackle “food,” this work became a potent form of “food terrorism” (making viewers very hungry).
One fan commented, “Watching the college girls happily cook, eat, and go out to various places together was wonderful. Their ordinary daily lives shone so brightly. This is the anime I felt the most post-series emptiness from this year.”
3rd Place (Tie)
Third place was a tie between Baddoga-ru (Bad Girl) and Fuudo Kooto de, Mata Ashita. (See You Tomorrow at the Food Court), each with a support rate of roughly 5.3%.
The protagonist of Baddoga-ru is first-year high school student Yuuya Yutani, a self-proclaimed delinquent. To get the attention of the disciplined council president she admires, she pretends to be a “bad girl.” This involves clever tricks like wearing clips on her ears to mimic piercings and DIY-ing platform sneakers with giant erasers—all without technically breaking school rules. Many viewers were undoubtedly soothed by her endearing efforts.
Fuudo Kooto de, Mata Ashita. charms with the relaxed conversations of high school girls who gather at a shopping mall food court. One fan shared this reason for voting: “Even though the cast is basically just two people and the story is simply about their casual conversations over the day’s events in the food court, it was incredibly interesting. Since I had zero expectations going in, it left a strong impression.”
A Look at Other Fan Comments
Coming in at 12th place was Boku no Hero Academia FINAL SEASON. The TV anime, which had been airing for nearly a decade, finally reached its conclusion.
Fans shared many comments mixing sadness with deep emotion: “It’s sad that it’s ending, but with characters making reappearances and movie characters showing up in the TV anime, it was thrilling and made me happy,” “It felt like the culmination of everything so far, and every episode moved me to tears,” and “With the final battle, there were so many scenes overflowing with powerful emotions.”
Ranking 14th was Kidou Senshi Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX). This work has deep connections to the first series, Mobile Suit Gundam, and also received votes from longtime fans. Every week, social media buzzed with live reactions and analysis, making it a series with the special thrill of watching in real-time.
Voters expressed, “Among most anime I watch later on streaming, this one had developments that made my heart race. I found myself recording it for the first time in ages, and by the end, I was watching live, completely hooked,” and “It managed to draw in both new and old fans while still possessing the profound depth characteristic of Gundam works.”
Even series that narrowly missed the Top 20 received passionate comments.
For Apokaripusu Hoteru (Apocalypse Hotel), one respondent said: “You’d think it would unfold an emotional story on a ruined Earth, but the flavor of the story changes completely with each episode. Precisely because there are no humans, unique values explode onto the scene. With episodes that have almost no dialogue, the unpredictability you can only get from an original work was a lot of fun.”
Regarding Kimi to Idol Purikyua (You and Idol Pretty Cure), a fan noted, “Not just battles, but idol activities and ‘oshi’ activities—the theme of ‘idol’ for this year’s Precure was depicted carefully,” praising how well it incorporated current trends.
The TV anime category was full of close races this year, even at the top. It seems every reader found their own favorite work. Let’s look forward to more encounters with TV anime that suit our tastes in 2026!
Revealing the Top 10 Ranking
[What was your favorite TV anime of 2025?]
1. Momentari Ririi
2. Hibi wa Suguredo Meshi Umashi
3. Baddoga-ru
3. Fuudo Kooto de, Mata Ashita.
5. Aru Majo ga Shinu made (Until a Certain Witch Dies)
5. Gildo no Uketsukejou desu ga, Zangyou wa Iya nanode Bosu o Solo Toubatsu shiyou to Omoimasu (I’m the Guild Receptionist, But I Hate Overtime, So I Think I’ll Solo the Boss)
5. Zatsutaba -That’s Journey-
5. Booru Paaku de Tsukamaete! (Catch it at the Ballpark!)
5. Egao no Taenai Shokuba desu. (It’s a Workplace Where Smiles Never Fade)
10. Kanpeki Sugite Kawaiige ga Nai to Kon’yaku Haki sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru (The Saint Who Was Too Perfect and Lacked Cuteness Had Her Engagement Broken Off and Was Sold to a Neighboring Country)
—Hasibirokou
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