Summer 2025 Anime Season Preview: From Cosmic Horror to Romantic Mayhem
As summer 2025 approaches, anime fans are in for a wildly diverse and packed season. From long-awaited sequels to surreal newcomers, this lineup spans the bizarre, the beautiful, and the downright outrageous. Here’s your guide to the biggest upcoming series to watch this summer:
New Titles
Necronomico no Cosmic Horror Show
One of the most anticipated originals of the season, this psychological horror-anthology channels Lovecraftian dread with modern flair. Each episode dives into standalone stories tied to a fictional variety show airing from beyond the stars. Expect mind-melting visuals, unreliable narrators, and the kind of existential terror only cosmic horror can deliver. Studio Ichiyou is behind the animation, with Mononoke’s Kenji Nakamura directing.
Hitozuma no Kuchibiru wa Kan Chuuhai no Aji ga Shite
(“A Married Woman’s Lips Taste Like Canned Chuuhai”)
This provocative romance-drama is already turning heads. Set in a sleepy suburban town, the story follows a lonely college student who begins a dangerous emotional affair with a married woman at his part-time job. Based on a cult-favorite josei web manga, expect emotional depth, mature themes, and a bittersweet tone reminiscent of After the Rain.
Kamitsubaki-shi Kensetsuchuu
A rare worldbuilding-centric anime, this urban fantasy follows the bureaucrats, engineers, and occult architects building a metaphysical city between realities. Created in collaboration with Kamitsubaki Studio (of virtual singer fame), the art is surreal, full of symbolic architecture and shifting dimensions. Think SimCity meets Made in Abyss with bureaucratic flair.
City: The Animation
Adapted from Keiichi Arawi’s (Nichijou) chaotic gag manga, City is finally getting the anime treatment. The story follows the absurd, often slapstick lives of a group of students and weirdos in a city where logic is a distant memory. Expect deadpan humor, bizarre one-liners, and stylish, surreal direction.
Turkey!
In the “oddest title of the season” category, Turkey! is a sports-comedy anime about a ragtag team of competitive bowlers trying to qualify for an international championship… in Turkey. With character designs by the Grand Blue team and writing from the staff behind Sk8 the Infinity, expect absurd hijinks and over-the-top rivalries. Yes, the mascot is a literal talking turkey.
Returning Favorites
Yofukashi no Uta Season 2
The nocturnal mood-piece returns, continuing Kou’s descent into vampiric temptation alongside the mysterious Nazuna. Season 2 adapts some of the manga’s darkest and most emotional arcs, balancing philosophical musing with eerie, neon-drenched atmosphere.
Kanojo, Okarishimasu 4th Season
Still going strong, this rom-com rollercoaster returns with more misunderstandings, awkward date scenes, and emotional moments from Kazuya and his ever-expanding harem. Expect new character development for Mizuhara—and yes, even more tears and yelling.
Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru Season 2
Marin and Gojo are back! Season 2 of the beloved cosplay romance dives into more elaborate costume builds, the challenges of balancing hobbies and love, and deeper emotional moments between the leads. The animation remains top-tier, courtesy of CloverWorks.
Tsuyokute New Saga
After delays, this fantasy-action series finally gets its due. A time-loop twist on the classic hero’s journey, the protagonist returns to the past to fix the tragedies of a failed war against demonkind. Expect dark fantasy themes, strong character drama, and political intrigue.
Ruri no Houseki
Based on a gorgeously drawn manga, this quiet fantasy follows Ruri, a girl who can commune with living gemstones. A poetic story about memory, emotion, and natural magic, it’s set to be the season’s sleeper hit for fans of Mushishi and Natsume Yuujinchou.
Puniru wa Kawaii Slime 2nd Season
The gag comedy about a delinquent girl and the world's most over-the-top sentient slime continues with even more meme-fueled chaos. Expect colorful battles, dumb puns, and the series’ signature “3D meets 2D” animation style.
Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Haikara!
Yes, the Cute High Earth Defense Club is back, this time with a retro twist. “Haikara!” sends the magical boys to an alternate Taisho-era timeline, complete with steampunk aesthetics, vintage school uniforms, and flower-powered transformations.
Kakkou no Iinazuke Season 2
The tangled romance between Nagi, Erika, and their swapped-up family drama picks up steam. Season 2 leans further into romantic rivalries and slice-of-life antics, continuing its rom-com chaos with high-energy animation and heartfelt moments.
Legend Returns
New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
A decade-long wish comes true—Panty & Stocking is back, with Studio Trigger unleashing a new season that picks up from the original’s hellish cliffhanger. Fans can expect irreverent humor, wildly experimental animation, and the return of our favorite profanity-slinging angels. With Hiroyuki Imaishi back at the helm, it's guaranteed to be explosive.
Final Thoughts
Summer 2025 is shaping up to be a standout season for anime. Whether you’re into cosmic terror, romantic misadventures, surreal cities, or angelic chaos, there’s something for every taste. Keep your watchlist ready, and prepare for a season that promises both artistic experimentation and fan-favorite returns.
What are you most excited to watch?
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