3 Great Anime of 2025 That Could Have Been Even Better

2025 was one of the best years for anime, offering a wide range of series tailored to every viewer’s taste. While many titles stood out for their strong narratives and unique elements, some shone even brighter and yet still fell short of their full potential. Their own mistakes hindered them from standing out as perfect anime.

We’re taking a look at three such anime from 2025 that delivered consistent quality throughout their stories. However, each had unrealized potential that, with a few changes to their narrative or format, could have elevated them into true masterpieces.

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3) Dragon Ball Daima

Though Dragon Ball Daima began airing in October 2024, its weekly episodes continued until February 2025, and with the series exploding in popularity during its final moments, it easily stands as one of the best anime of this year. Daima offered a strong sense of nostalgia, bringing back iconic elements from the franchise’s earlier eras. However, it ultimately fell short of fully embracing this theme through its handling of fusion.

This shortcoming stings even more because the series clearly set the stage early on for a major fusion near the end. With the possibility of even three characters fusing to form an incredibly powerful entity, Daima had the perfect opportunity to elevate one of the franchise’s most iconic concepts. But it never followed through, which unfortunately keeps it from standing out as a truly unique installment, one that could have delivered an unforgettable wave of nostalgia for longtime Dragon Ball fans.

2) Gachiakuta

Gachiakuta, from its very foundation, has proven itself to be a true new-gen shonen anime, showing how a revenge-driven protagonist can work exceptionally well in this genre. The series continuously subverts typical shonen tropes, but it’s Rudo, the protagonist, who stands out the most and makes the story feel genuinely refreshing. With revenge as Rudo’s core motivation, the moment he was given the chance to achieve his goal by joining the villain’s side felt like the series was preparing to fully commit to a bold direction.

It strongly implied that Rudo would break away from the traditional shonen mold. However, the story ultimately pulled back, restructuring him into a more typical shonen hero who chooses his friends over his objective. Since Gachiakuta was built around Rudo’s pursuit of revenge, leaning into his darker path and having him genuinely side with the villains would have made far more narrative sense. Had the series embraced this route, Gachiakuta could have emerged as an even more distinct and exceptional shonen title.

1) Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is the biggest project the anime industry has seen in years, and with its overwhelming success, it stands out as one of the greatest anime releases in recent memory, far beyond just 2025. However, there’s no denying that this Avengers-length movie was perfect. Its length and pacing are ultimately what hold it back.

To be frank, the Infinity Castle arc was never meant to be adapted into a single movie, as its narrative progresses gradually and is far better suited for a seasonal format. With Ufotable even cutting minor context from the manga to fit the constraints of a film, it becomes clear that Infinity Castle should have been a full season rather than a movie. A series format would have also given the studio room to expand the material and add anime-original scenes, just as they did with the Hashira Training arc.

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