2025 is now almost reaching its end, with less than two months left to go. Throughout the year, fans have seen the rise of many popular anime series, some of which built upon already existing success, while others made a massive name for themselves this very year. Some would even say 2025 has been one of the best years for anime. Nevertheless, while anime series like Solo Leveling and the Apothecary Diaries stood out in early 2025, and series like MHA are shining right now, the big hits for Summer 2025 weren't to be underestimated. Summer was definitely the weakest season of the anime year, but Dandadan Season 2 dominated when it came to streaming. Other series like The Summer Hikaru Died and Sakamoto Days also stood out.
Dandadan is Japan’s Most Streamed Summer Anime
Summer 2025 might now have been the strongest season of the year as far as anime is concerned, but fans did see some high-quality anime series air. As the year moved along, the most-streamed anime series of the summer season were revealed via ABEMA's "view count ranking.”
To the surprise of no one, Summer’s biggest anime has been revealed to be Dandadan Season 2. Dandadan became an instant hit with its first anime season in 2024, and the hype has carried on this year with the second season. The quality of the anime has remained consistent, and the story is only getting more interesting, especially as more side characters get introduced to play bigger roles in the overarching story.
Dandadan: What to Expect From Season 3 (According to Manga)
Momo and Okarun are set to face their biggest challenge yet in Dandadan season 3.
Dandadan season 2 was definitely one of the strongest releases of this year in general, and fans are already excited for what else the story has to offer. After all, Dandadan Season 2 did end on quite an intense cliffhanger.
The Top 5 Included The Summer Hikaru Died And Sakamoto Days
While Dandadan season 2 was the biggest winner when it comes to summer anime, a few other series did pretty well for themselves. The Summer Hikaru Died was the second most-streamed anime series of summer 2025, and fans can see why. The Summer Hikaru Died is a newcomer series, yet the psychological horror and romance elements of the series have left the fans absolutely stunned, especially in Japan.
After The Summer Hikaru Died, Sakamoto Days rises as the third highest streamed series of the summer season. Undeniably, Sakamoto Days has a great story, but it has suffered from a below-average adaptation. Despite all that, it’s still doing well for itself. The Water Magician is the 4th highest-streamed anime, as a new hit Isekai series, while the 5th spot is taken up by Kaiju No.8 Season 2.
Takopi’s Original Sin Didn’t Make The Top 5
While the top 5 for the most-streamed summer anime is certainly solid, fans have definitely noticed the absence of Takopi’s Original Sin. Many expected it to make the Top 5, being one of 2025’s highest-rated anime. While Takopi’s Original Sin is definitely popular, it’s far from being the most-streamed. That said, this is largely due to it only having 6 episodes.
All things considered, 2025 has been a strong year for anime, but the summer season was definitely the weakest link. While a few series stand out, like Dandadan Season 2, nothing groundbreaking dropped in the summer of this year, especially when compared to the other seasons of 2025. At the beginning of the year, fans saw the release of Solo Leveling Season 2, which shook the internet with its high-octane battles. Fans also enjoyed The Apothecary Diaries in this season, which was a highly anticipated return. Other big anime hits of the year included Dr. Stone, Fire Force, Wind Breaker, MHA Vigilantes, and from the fall season, One Punch Man, My Hero Academia, and of course, Spy x Family, among others.
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
Cast
-
Natsuki HanaeKen Okarun Takakura -
Shion WakayamaMomo Ayase
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Yukinobu Tatsu's popular manga that debuted in 2021 on Shonen Jump+, Dandadan blends action, comedy, romance, and supernatural thrills to create a unique and satisfying adventure. Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura believe in the extraordinary, although the former believes in ghosts and the latter believes in aliens. Determined to confirm their side's existence, they set out to find their proof.
- Studio
- Science Saru
- Creator
- Yukinobu Tatsu
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
