The anime world continues to evolve at a breathtaking pace with box office-shattering releases, new seasons, emerging titles, and creative experiments. Here’s what’s currently defining the scene as of late September 2025.
🎬 Blockbusters & Box Office Domination
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle is breaking records. The film has achieved massive global revenue, surpassing many past anime giants. In Japan, it even overtook Spirited Away to become the second-highest-grossing film of all time there (behind Mugen Train). Indiatimes+4Indiatimes+4GamesRadar++4
- In the U.S., Infinity Castle opened to ~$70 million — making it the biggest anime opening weekend ever in that market. AP News+2GamesRadar++2
📺 Upcoming Seasons & Big Titles
- Fall 2025 looks strong. Titles to watch include:
- My Hero Academia Season 8 GamesRadar+
- Spy x Family Season 3 GamesRadar+
- One-Punch Man Season 3 GamesRadar+
- Also, newly premiered or about to:
⭐ Critical & Fan Favorites
- Takopi’s Original Sin has become notable for its consistent high ratings: every episode has an IMDb score over 9. GamesRadar+
- Among streaming picks, some top anime to binge this month include The Apothecary Diaries, The God of High School, Grimgar: Ashes & Illusions, Hell’s Paradise, Clevatess, etc. ComicBook.com+1
🆕 New Projects & Short Films
- Bâan: The Boundary of Adulthood is a short fantasy film co-produced by Studio Daisy & GeeXPlus, written in part by Gigguk, with music by Kevin Penkin. It plays with isekai tropes, identity, and the contrast of two worlds. Wikipedia
- Also keep an eye on Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show, which wrapped its run mid-September. It combines virtual reality, mythology (Great Old Ones), influencer culture, and cosmic horror in a stylized way. Wikipedia
🔭 Trends & Themes
- Franchise Power: The Demon Slayer series continues its dominance, both in films and anticipation for what comes next. Venerable long-running franchises like My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, etc., are holding strong in fall lineups.
- Hybrid Genres & Boundaries: Anime is increasingly merging genres — horror, supernatural, psychological, virtual-reality, post-apocalypse — with slice-of-life and romance. Shows like Takopi’s Original Sin pull emotional weight; Necronomico blends horror and gaming/influencer culture.
- Short Form & Side Projects: Short films (like Bâan) and mixed-media or experimental works are gaining more visibility. These allow creators to explore themes without committing to a full series.
- Streaming & Global Reach: Platforms like Netflix, Crunchyroll, etc., continue to shape what reaches global audiences. The availability of anime across multiple platforms, dubbed/subbed, is pushing more shows to international prominence.
✅ What To Watch / What’s Next
- Watch: Infinity Castle, because of its visual spectacle and what it signals for large-scale anime cinema.
- Follow: My Hero Academia S8 / Spy x Family S3 / One-Punch Man S3, to see how long-standing series continue evolving.
- Try: Takopi’s Original Sin if you want emotionally grounded sci-fi. Bâan for something shorter and introspective.
- Anticipate: How the fall 2025 season plays out — new series premieres, critical reception, and whether any surprises arise from unexpected sources.
Resources
📺 Anime News & Updates
- Anime News Network (ANN) – https://www.animenewsnetwork.com
Daily news, reviews, and release schedules. - Crunchyroll News – https://www.crunchyroll.com/news
Official updates on streaming titles, events, and premieres. - MyAnimeList (MAL) News & Forums – https://myanimelist.net/news
Great for community discussions, seasonal charts, and ratings.
🎬 Streaming & Watching
- Crunchyroll – Largest legal streaming library.
- Netflix Anime – Exclusive originals (Blue Eye Samurai, Baki Hanma, Beastars).
- HIDIVE – Focuses on niche and unique anime titles.
- Disney+ (Star & Hulu in some regions) – Expanding anime catalog.
🖼️ Visual & Creative Resources
- Canva – Quick cover/poster design with anime-style fonts & templates.
- Pixiv – For fan art inspiration (credit artists if shared).
- Unsplash / Pexels (Free Images) – Backgrounds for layouts.
- DALL·E / Stable Diffusion – AI-generated anime visuals (like your covers).
✍️ Writing & Reference
- Wikipedia Anime Pages – Release dates, staff info, production background.
- Anime Trending – https://anitrendz.com
Popularity polls and community-driven rankings. - ANN Encyclopaedia – Production details, cast info, studios.
