2025 is here. Anime predictions are necessary.
With the whole year ahead of us and only beginning, let’s talk about:
- What’s expected to happen.
- What’s coming potentially.
- What is likely.
And what the future of anime in 2025 may look like from this day forward,
Here’s a list.
1. VR and AR Anime Experiences
Virtual Reality isn’t here yet the way people want it. The same is true for Augmented reality. But it’s coming, and it’s getting better.
The SAO experience (Sword Art Online) may be attempted in 2025 and a similar augmented reality (AR) experience may happen in 2025 similar to Pokemon Go, but as an anime series.
RPG anime shows would fit the experience of VR, especially Isekai, but it would also work for augmented reality as well.
2. A higher number of hentai shows
In 2024 there were 58 hentai shows produced. In 2023 there were 39 hentai shows produced.
In 2025 I predict even more shows will be produced based on the numbers. It could be as high as 70 or 80 hentai shows, but if it hits 100 shows that would be a milestone.
The main problem with hentai is you can’t find it on too many streaming platforms, especially those that are legal, but if they fix this issue, there will be more incentive to produce hentai since more money will be on the table for it like with anime.
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3. Focus on Adult-Oriented Anime
Adult, meaning mature anime series have always been produced a lot. But as of recently, more of these shows are being produced again to a certain degree and standard.
Shows that feature more violence, brutality, are more gritty, touch on more complex topics, and more thought provoking topics that make you think a lot rather than just “brainless entertainment”.
The latter has its place.
4. Localized Anime Productions
For too long anime has been dominating in the West and Japan. Or I should say America and Japan. That is where most of the money is made and produced in the global anime market.
This may shift from 2025 onwards with more anime being produced in East Europe, Africa, India, and other markets that either struggle to watch anime because of copyright laws, or countries where anime is famous but they don’t produce much.
South America can be added to that list as well.
5. Anime reboots of classics being announced and released
We’ve seen a lot of anime shows in the past few years that are focusing on classics. Whether that be completely new series similar to the old ones, or complete remakes of the same shows.
- Uruei Yatsura.
- Rurouni Kenshin.
- Ranma 1/2.
- Trigun.
And plenty of others are being produced.
Maybe anime like Slayers, Magic Knight Rayearth, Gunsmith Cats, You’re Under Arrest, Scrapped Princess and others anime will be rebooted next in 2025 and beyond?
6. Focus on Mental Health or Emotional Depth
In recent years have shown anime shows like Wonder Egg Priority, which became one of the best anime shows for mental health despite its strangely written ending episode.
The depression, the emotions, the introspection, thoughts, feelings, and day to day lives of the many girls in Wonder Egg Priority is some of the best produced in anime.
2025 will lean more into this with a potential trend likely to happen continuing into 2026 onwards.
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7. Continued Growth in Female-Centered Stories
Ascendance Of A Bookworm is one of many anime shows focused on female stories. It’s also one of the best-rated Isekai and is a cut above most shows for its storytelling and quality.
Shadows House is another female centered story despite the fact it features male characters. Apochary Diaries is another, which has become one of the best selling light novels of all-time as of 2024.
Villainess Level 99 in 2024 is another one, and 2025 will continue this trend with more quality shows.
8. Focus on Social Commentary
In recent years Anime has focused on shows that highlight the times we’re in with YouTube, social media, comments, virality, and so on.
Mayonaka Punch did this in 2024 with its lead MC Masaki who started a new YouTube channel with the goal to reach 1M subscribers in a matter of months. This happens after she is kicked out of a group and gets depressed.
In 2025, social commentary related to let’s say, what’s going on in the world, big events, or even politics depending on how daring the creators are, could be a prediction to come true in 2025 for anime.
9. AI Integration in Production
AI isn’t going anywhere if 2024 didn’t make that obvious already with CHATGPT and even Netflix making an anime intro with AI.
This kind of thing will become normal in the future, and 2025 will kick start this trend as this prediction comes into fuller force throughout the year. Crunchyroll, Netflix, and other platforms will take it more seriously.
It won’t just be for opening scenes or ending scenes, AI will also help with subtitles, captions, and dubbing eventually as well (if relevant).
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10. Webtoon and Manhwa Adaptations
Webtoons during the pandemic were hyped up by various publishers to be “the next anime” but that fell flat on its face.
Same thing for Manhwa.
That being said, it has steadily been produced and adapted into anime over the years, especially recently with Solo Levelling, and similar adaptations.
2025 should see more of these in production being pumped out, even if it’s not tons of them being adapted since it doesn’t have the capacity of anime or manga.
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In the end, the most likely anime predictions come down to technology, trends, changes happening in tech in general, and the things that re likely to benefit the anime industry the most.
AI and VR happen to be two of them, alongside recent successful reboots like Urusei Yatsura.
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