It's a great time to be an anime fan. Every season is filled with fun, interesting series, and with the success of movies like Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, we're seeing studios put their best foot forward in a big way.
Every year, the biggest anime studios have at least one or two big projects come out. With 2026 already off to a strong start for some, this is a great time to look back at 2025 a nd see what every major studio's best anime was. In order to be considered, an anime must have begun airing in 2025, so series that premiered in 2024 and carried over to 2025 won't count for this one.
The Best Shonen Anime of Every Year of the 2020s (So Far)
It's been a great decade for anime, and these shonen series have really stuck out so far.
J.C.Staff - Honey Lemon Soda
2025 wasn't the best year for J.C.Staff. The studio put out a handful of solid projects, but the controversies surrounding season 3 of One-Punch Man and the various issues and shortcomings of the latest season greatly overshadowed their other efforts.
One of their high points this year was Honey Lemon Soda, a fun, albeit mostly formulaic, rom-com that should be right up the alley of shojo romance lovers. The visuals are solid, and the relationship between its two leads, Uka and Kai, makes for an interesting story that touches on themes of bullying and self-acceptance.
Madhouse - The Dinner Table Detective
Madhouse has been behind some of the biggest anime of the last couple of decades, having worked on titles like Hunter x Hunter (2011), Monster, Trigun, Black Lagoon, Perfect Blue, and Claymore, among many others. Of course, they're also the studio behind one of the biggest series right now: Frieren.
The Dinner Table Detective may not be the strongest series in their catalog, but it's still a fun watch that shows the kind of quality you'd expect out of a Madhouse production. It has some unique, stylish, and sometimes beautiful animation, a fun cast of characters, and some great mysteries that should appeal to fans of the genre.
A-1 Pictures - Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow
A-1 Pictures has put out some incredible anime over the years, with many of them earning a strong, dedicated fan base. But it's hard to think of any A-1 series that has hit the ground running quite like Solo Leveling has.
The adaptation of Chugong's web novel and manhwa has quickly become one of the most popular anime out there, rivaling series like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto in no time at all. Arise from the Shadow is a strong follow-up to season 1, and while there's been no official announcement yet, A-1 will have its hands full when it comes to living up to fans' expectations with season 3.
Bandai Namco Pictures - Rock Is a Lady's Modesty
Bandai Namco Pictures is probably best known for working on some of the later Gintama anime, though the studio has worked on other great anime over the years as well. Though 2025 saw them release the hilarious adaptation of the Gintama spin-off, Gintama: Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class, the studio released another series that really stood out.
Rock Is a Lady's Modesty has some amazing music and a great setup. The series follows Lilisa Suzunomiya, a common-born girl who attends a prestigious all-girls academy and forces herself to give up playing the guitar in an effort to meet the school's standard of what an ideal noble woman should be. But things change when she meets fellow student Otoha Kurogane, a drummer who reignites Lilisa's passion for the guitar and rock music.
Sunrise - Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Sunrise has put out some incredible anime over the years, from Code Geass to Cowboy Bebop, Gintama, and plenty more. But the studio is mainly known for its work on the Gundam franchise. The latest installment, GQuuuuuuX, is a collaboration between Sunrise and Khara, the studio founded by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
Given his resume, many fans were excited to see how Anno would approach the Gundam franchise. GQuuuuuuX is a great-looking series, with stylish animation and visuals that pop. Though at 12 episodes, it feels like a series that could've definitely benefited from a longer runtime. Still, it's an interesting alternate take on the original that serves as a bit of nostalgic fan service for some while also being perfectly approachable for newcomers.
Studio Pierrot - Kingdom Season 6
Studio Pierrot is going to have a busy 2026. With Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4, Black Clover Season 5, and four anticipated Naruto specials all in the works, the studio will have an even bigger year this year than they did last. That's not to say that they were slacking off in 2025, though.
Pierrot put out two solid series in 2025, the fourth season of Mr. Osomatsu, and the sixth season of Kingdom. While the former is still one of the best comedy anime out there, Kingdom remains an underrated gem. Season 6 had some incredible action and solid character development. If you haven't been following it, now is the perfect time to get into the series.
Bones - My Hero Academia Final Season
Bones have been behind some of the biggest anime of the last couple of decades, but their most successful series by far has to be My Hero Academia. The anime adaptation of Kohei Horikoshi's hit manga has always been well-regarded by fans, but Bones surprised everyone by putting out what many consider to be the anime's best episodes in the series' final season.
My Hero Academia Final Season is visually stunning, with amazing, fluid animation and fight sequences that elevate the source material in a way that not many studios manage to do with their adaptations. Season 2 of the spin-off, Vigilantes, is going strong, but that final season is going to be hard to top.
Kyoto Animation - Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved
Kyoto Animation's catalog is filled with incredible anime, each showing off the iconic studio's versatility and unique style. While many know the studio for series like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, Nichijou, or Clannad, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has become just as popular. It might even be Kyoto Animation's most well-known adaptation at this point.
A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved is a great follow-up to the anime series. Focusing on Kanna and her troubled relationship with her father. It's a visually stunning movie, which is exactly what you'd expect from Kyoto Animation. Just like the first two seasons of the anime, A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved really benefits from the great character relationships between Kobayashi and the rest of the main cast. It might not have had the international acclaim that the Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man movies got, but it was still one of the best anime film experiences of the year.
Toei Animation - Digimon Beatbreak
Toei has been the studio behind some of the biggest anime out there for years now. While most know the studio for its work on massive franchises like One Piece and Dragon Ball, there's more to Toei outside of its two largest properties.
Digimon Beatbreak is the latest addition to the Digimon franchise, and it's served as a great entry point to the franchise for newcomers while also being a fun watch for longtime fans. The anime is still airing, so it's hard to judge it completely, but reception has been great so far, and the interesting post-apocalyptic take on the Digimon world has helped it stand out from its predecessors in the best way.
Studio Trigger - New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Studio Trigger has put out some of the more unique anime of the last decade. The studio has a distinct style and visual flair, with many of its series having a certain charm that stands out from other anime. Though initially a Gainax production, Trigger purchased the rights to Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt back in 2023, and fans finally got the anticipated follow-up in 2025.
New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is a great sequel to the original, managing to be just as funny with some great visuals, but the decision to go with different English voice actors has been controversial for long-time fans. Still, it's a strong effort and worth a watch.