As I noted yesterday, these last two spots in the Top 10 are among the toughest calls I’ve had to make in over a decade of writing these lists. It’s not just that there are five shows effectively tied in my esteem, it’s that they’re all good enough to be top 10 entries in many a year. And which I chose simply came down to what I prioritized. I’ll say this much – it wound up being two shows I didn’t initially pick, and only changed to on long reflection (yes, I do take this seriously). And two of the ones in that dogpile are Fall series (maybe you can guess the other), so it would have been nice to wait until they both finished to decide if they were in. But given we’re looking at #9-10, that wasn’t an option.
I went into some detail yesterday about why Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite got one spot (after not being chosen originally). So why Gachiakuta? I think because in looking at this pool of series I mentioned, it struck me as an all-rounder – it’s really good in every aspect (though it may not be the most original of the bunch). It’s a great example of an absolute pillar of the animanga world, the battle shounen. It reveres the titans that came before it, and forges an interesting new path. And in anime form, it’s another example of why Bones is pound for pound the best studio in the anime TV business.
I have a soft spot for Gachi, having picked it out as a rocket ship right from the first few chapters. The launch has been slower than I expected – more Lear jet than Apollo 11. But it’s starting to come together, with a big spike in manga sales, a second season, and stuff like stage plays and game adaptations. I could have taken the easy way out and said Gachiakuta was ineligible because it got that sequel announcement, but that would be cheating. We have no idea when the second season will air, and given that Bones would just barely have enough chapters for two cours if they started it soon, I suspect it’s going to be Fall 2026 or Winter 2027 at the very earliest. So, eligible it is.
I just wrote the series review post on Gachiakuta, and as you know I don’t like to rehash those shows at too much length in the Top 10. Everything I said there applies here – both the manga and the anime are superb. Bones doesn’t do a great job producing series – they do a great job choosing what to produce. I can’t think of any studio I’d rather have adapting a manga I cared about, and I can’t think of any battle shounen I’d rather see in their hands than Gachiakuta.
Not gonna lie – this was one of the tougher decisions I’ve had to make on these lists. Every year has tiers, and of course it’s rare that they break down conveniently for me (“like “10” or “20”). This year the first cutoff was was eight – that group of shows was ironclad top 10. The next was thirteen – meaning, in effect, I have five series vying for two spots. And they’re all basically tied, and extremely varied.
At that point it comes down to prioritizing what qualities I wanted to reward. I often default to which shows(s) I have the most personal affection for, but to be honest if that were my criteria Orb wouldn’t have made the cut. So what else – originality? Execution? Ambition, or production values? Consistency? Everything was pretty much coming out a five-way draw. So why Chi.: Chikyuu? I guess in the end because it’s so different from typical anime, because it asks incredibly complex and important questions, and because at its best it was truly great. Of course at its worst it’d be outside the top 20 altogether, but that’s something I just had to weigh up.
There’s precedent here – shows which started out great, maybe legit #1 contenders, then kind of fell apart. Fumetsu no Anata e Season 1 barely sneaked into the 2021 Top 10 (in a bad, COVID-decimated anime year), Ousama Ranking just missed in 2022. Chi: Chikyuu just makes it in 2025 (which was better when reckoning up than I expected). I don’t want to understate just how badly it slipped in the last few arcs – it was pretty rough. Basically everything after Badeni and Oczy left the story ranged from mixed to baffling. And the whole ending with Rafal still, to this day, strikes me as a write-off.
Yet here it is. When I finally forced myself to choose it was actually the first of the five contenders that I cut, but the more I ground the gears the harder it was to leave it out. Simply put the first half or so of Orb is transcendent, and the serious way it took on no less than the very nature of existence was truly admirable. Almost every episode contained epistemological debate of the highest caliber. It ventured where fiction, never mind anime, rarely goes and did so sure-footedly and thoughtfully (for most of its run, at least). It then tripped over its own feet and face-planted in a manure pile, yes. But the fact that Uoto was basically a kid when he wrote it mitigates my irritation. In the end there was just too much that was great here for me to leave this series out, no matter how much detritus it bought with it.
Yes, it’s another Netflix series in the Honorable Mention slot. That’s not a conscious decision on my part, but Netflix shows do seem to fit my mental image of what this category is. They’re (the batch released ones) rarely part of my blogging calendar, but I often enjoy them very much. Plus, they tend to fly under the radar for hard-core anime fans so it’s always nice to call attention to them.
As for Leviathan specifically, I did a series review post on it but to sum it up, it’s just really damn good. A textbook example of YA fiction at its most charming. It’s full CGI but Orange is the studio, which means it’s going to be about as good as CGI gets. It also features an OP and ED by the great Joe Hisaishi. Leviathan is actually based on a trilogy of books by Scott Westerfield, of which Leviathan is only the first, and because it adapts all three in 12 episodes it leaves out some fantastic material from the novels (which the anime inspired me to read). Nevertheless, it’s wholly engaging from start to finish.
This series is a sort of alternative take on the events leading up to World War I, with a cast comprised of a mix of real historical figures and Westerfield originals. Westerfield is American of course but Leviathan has a clear anime (especially Ghibli) influence. The aesthetic is steampunk, basically, but spun in an inventive and original way. It also features an absolutely adorable protagonist pair in Alek and Deryn. By all means read the books for the full experience, but the anime is an excellent production and a very winning take on the story.
It’s that time of year again – no, not Kentucky Fried Chicken or strawberry shortcake, but the LiA Top 10 list. 2025 was another anime year that looked quite a bit different in retrospect than in did as I was covering it. As always there are some tough decisions to be made, both for this list and the #11-20 one to follow. And while there are some definite tiers, it’s (spoiler) not one of those years where the order at the top of the list is clear cut.
A reminder – once more I’ll be revealing the #1 series via an “Anime of the Year” video on the LiA YouTube channel (a video which I will of course link here).
A Refresher on Eligibility:
I’m going by the same eligibility standard I used for the 2012-2024 lists – that is, shows that finished airing during the year or split-cours that finished in 2025 are eligible. Split-cour series which finish in 2026 are not eligible for this list, but series that ended this year and weren’t officially confirmed as split cour when they did are eligible. Shows that aired for the entire year (there weren’t any in consideration for me this year) are also eligible.
This means that in effect, the only shows not eligible for this list are the multi-cour series that began airing from Spring 2025 onwards and are still airing into Winter 2026, or true split cours that will finish in 2026.
As you know I always like to do a little contest, so here we go… The winner will be anyone that guesses my Top 10, in order. If no one does that, I’ll go with the closest guess. Guesses made by 2200 JST 12/22/25 will be eligible. Here’s the prize: same as last year, I’ll do a “Top 5” list or haiku on any anime theme or topic you choose. Dealer’s choice – you make the call. Please post your guesses in the comments below!
As LiA regulars know I like to start these lists off with an “Honorable Mention”, so without further ado…
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