#166 - Best Anime of 2025

#166 - Best Anime of 2025

Author: Third Impact Anime Podcast March 16, 2026 Duration: 4:14:42

While other podcasts did their end of year retrospective two months ago, why rush when you can take 3 months? In this episode, Sarah, Austin, Tori, and Bill break down the "best" anime of 2025, and by "best" we mean "the stuff we got around to, whether we liked it, finished it, or not". We've got Kowloons, we've got Kaisens, and do you finally want to know what the deal with Solo Leveling is? Well, I can't promise we'll tell you, but maybe we do!

What were some of your favorite anime of 2025? Let us know by sending us an email at thirdimpactanime@gmail.com and we'll discuss it on the show.

Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 - Opening check in about how 2025 treated us despite everything and our aspirations for 2026
  • 00:20:41 - Sarah hosts a game where we guess what anime were at the top of the popularity lists on various websites
  • 00:55:28 - What anime did we just dabble in this year and not finish?
    • Titles include things like Anne Shirley, New Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Gachiakuta, Ranma 1/2, The Dinner Table Detective, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!, City, The Summer Hikaru Died, etc.
  • 1:39:53 - Sequels!~
    • My Dress Up Darling, The Apothecary Diaries, Solo Leveling, Dandadan, etc.
  • 02:10:19 - Lupin the IIRD: Zenigata and the Two Lupins & Lupin the IIIRD: Immortal Bloodline
  • 02:22:08 - Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc
  • 02:30:46 - Chainsaw Man: The Movie -Reze Arc-
  • 02:46:44 - Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise
  • 02:54:28 - Let's Play
  • 03:05:01 - May I Ask for One Final Thing?
  • 03:20:15 - 100 Meters
  • 03:38:16 - Kowloon Generic Romance
  • 03:53:23 - Apocalypse Hotel
  • 04:01:27 - What anime are we looking forward to for 2026?

Note that we talk a lot more about various other anime that were brought up in the lists/comments submitted to us from members of our Discord, so the timestamps above are not exhaustive (the list provided in the show notes on our website is exhaustive, though).

If you enjoy this or any other episode, leave us a Rating and Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or elsewhere!

Show notes are available on our website: www.thirdimpactanime.com

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Every other week, the conversation starts around a microphone with a group of longtime friends who have spent years hosting panels at anime conventions. Third Impact Anime Podcast is built from those late-night hotel lobby debates and packed conference room discussions, channeling that energy into a deep dive into the medium we love. This isn't just a review show; it's an exploration of the threads that connect classic series to today's trending hits, always with an eye on the artistic choices and cultural history that shape them. You'll hear us unpack new releases and revisit forgotten gems, share stories from the convention floor, and occasionally sit down with special guests from across the anime community. The result is a podcast that feels like hanging out with the most knowledgeable fans you know-the ones who can't help but talk a little too much about the details that make anime so compelling. Join us for a bi-weekly look at the artistry and passion that fuels this global phenomenon.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 188

Third Impact Anime Podcast
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