Winter 2025 has been a great season for anime lovers of all kinds, from Shonen Jump buffs to mystery fans and even hopeless romantics. Recently, a popular Japanese news site unveiled nationwide survey results showcasing which new and returning IPs are garnering the most love this season.
From Feb. 3 to Feb. 17, Animate Times asked its readers to choose the Winter 2025 series that they wanted “everyone to watch” until the end. The newly-released top 10 list includes a number of works that have gained notoriety and acclaim outside Japan, including Dr. Stone, Sakamoto Days and My Happy Marriage, to name a few. The site’s #1 pick is The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2 of which debuted on Jan. 10. In second and third place are Medalist and From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!, respectively. The full top 10 list, listed from highest to lowest ranking, can be seen below.
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Japan’s Best Anime of Winter 2025 According to Animate Times
- The Apothecary Diaries
- Medalist
- From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
- Sakamoto Days
- My Happy MarriageΒ Season 2
- Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective
- Dr. Stone: Science FutureΒ (Dr. StoneΒ Season 4)
- I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
- Toilet-Bound Hanako-kunΒ Season 2
- Promise of Wizard
The Apothecary Diaries has been a hit with viewers since Season 1, which earned the #1 spot on ABEMA’s Top 10 “Television of the Future” list. In a world inspired by Imperial China, an apothecary named Maomao spends her days healing patients and concocting bizarre experiments with poison herbs. After being kidnapped by bandits, she begins working as a nameless servant for the Emperor. However, her knowledge of medicinal and toxic substances soon earns the attention of Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who works as an attendant for the royal concubines. After being elevated to the position of poison taster, Maomao uses her expertise to help Jinshi foil assassination plots and maintain peace in the rear palace. The anime is a unique blend of mystery, comedy, romance and political drama.
The success of Medalist and From Bureaucrat to Villainess indicates Japan’s continued interest in both the sports and isekai genres. Produced by Studio ENGI, the former series chronicles the figure skating career of 11-year-old Inori Yuitsuka, who dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal. Her coach is Tsukasa Akeuraji, a retired professional skater who hopes to make peace with his own past by helping Inori rise to the top. In contrast, From Bureaucrat to Villainess is an irreverent fantasy about a 52-year-old civil servant who dies and is reborn into the world of an otome video game. While trapped in the body of an elegant villainess, the protagonist’s fatherly wisdom makes a profound impression on those around him, ultimately causing him to gain both allies and enemies.
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Fourth-place winner Sakamoto Days is Shonen Jump‘s latest high-profile anime IP. Based on Yuto Suzuki’s titular manga, the series follows retired hitman Taro Sakamoto, who abandons the JAA (Japanese Association of Assassins) to get married and become the owner of a local convenience store. With a large bounty now on his head, Sakamoto must confront hordes of eccentric killers in order to protect himself and his wife and daughter. Like many Shonen Jump works, the series combines thrilling action with laugh-out-loud comedy, allowing it to fit right in with classics such as Naruto and One Piece. Notably, Weekly Shonen Jump has promoted Sakamoto Days as one of nine manga series that comprise the “New Power Generation” — a collection of works anticipated to become the new faces of the Shonen Jump brand.
Many of the aforementioned works, including The Apothecary Diaries, My Happy Marriage, Dr. Stone and Sakamoto Days, are available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu or Netflix.
