How will the anime industry fare in 2025? Here’s what we’re waiting for

Next year will be an even more significant year for animation concerning the quantity and quality of shows and films slated for release.

The trend for 2024 was for acquisitions and mergers to continue being in vogue while workers fought for fair rights.

Netflix also looks to be continuing its foothold in the animation zeitgeist with the second season of Castlevania: Nocturne , Devil May Cry, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep starring Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle .

The animation industry’s ongoing unionization efforts, production delays, and layoffs will make 2025 another year where fans must unite to resist executives promoting AI as the ultimate solution to all the industry's problems.

Mappa is set to put itself back on the map as the anime studio of 2025 , if not by the quality of its output but by the sheer number of projects it’ll release in the calendar year .

Science Saru will see a continued rise in prominence with its murderers’ row of killer anime titles.

Netflix is ahead of Crunchyroll , and Hulu and Prime Video are catching up.

Non-shonen (boys) anime stepping back would expand viewers’ appreciation for storytelling that does not rely on power scaling and tournament arcs.

It’d also make room for more nuanced and mature stories of interpersonal relationships and navigating the world that anime fans would do well with exploring.