Not every anime that premieres is an instant favorite or even a cult classic. With the number of shows that premiere each season, it’s only fair that some just aren’t going to perform as well as others.
However, just because they aren’t all seasonal favorites, that doesn’t mean they’re all unwatchable. Plenty of shows have potential if only given the shot by the right audience. With that in mind, here are four Spring 2025 anime you should give a chance - or even a second chance - this season.
Witch Watch
Witch Watch is a fantasy series about a witch named Nico and her orge familiar, Morihito. She has recently returned home to continue her witch training with the help of her oblivious crush, Morihito, whose main goal is to keep her safe and clean up the fallout from her magical antics.
While this anime seemed to fly under the radar the first few weeks of the Spring 2025 season, its slowly been getting more attention and for good reason. Not only is this truly a fantasy series, devoid of any isekai elements, it still manages to take place in a modern setting without feeling incohesive.
This series relies on several classic romance tropes without feeling cheesy, thanks to its effortlessly natural laugh-out-loud comedy moments. Coming from a studio trying to make a name for itself, the quality and animation are quite good and help to elevate the series into one that deserves a legitimate chance from fantasy romance fans.
From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman
Based on a very popular light novel of the same name, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman is an action adventure series that follows a former sword instructor named Beryl Gardinant. Although he's rumored to be one of the best swordsmen by his famous students, he is far too humble to see himself as more than a simple teacher.
It's easy to understand why this series ranked so low at the beginning of the season, as the dub work and overall flow left a lot to be desired. However, with each passing week, the anime's quality and acting have greatly improved beyond its initial growing pains.
With plenty of action, fun character designs, and a main character who truly embodies what it means to be a hero and a teacher, this is easily becoming one of the sleeper hits of the Spring 2025 anime season. If you haven't started Country Bumpkin yet, try giving it two or three full episodes before making your final judgement.
The Beginning After the End
The Beginning After the End follows a former king named Grey, known for being incredibly brutal and ruthless. Unfortunately, this series had a decent amount of attention going into the new season, but has since fallen a bit flat. It’s understandable, given the shifty quality of the first few episodes. However, with each new episode, you can clearly see the quality improve, which is why it deserves a little bit more of your time.
While the fights have been slower than many expected, the animation is not so stunted that they do not flow at all. If you’re looking for a humorous fantasy isekai similar to Jobless but without the fan service, this has the potential to be a decent alternative as the season continues.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Considering the foundation the original My Hero Academia series laid for this spinoff, it's surprising to see My Hero Academia: Vigilantes performing as low as it has in some weeks. Instead of the main cast, this series follows a college student named Kouichi Haimawari on his journey to be a hero despite his limited quirk.
While change can be hard to get used to, this series brings a lot of familiar elements that fans of the main series should enjoy. The new characters mirror the mains of the original series while still making them unique enough to be different and compelling. The callbacks to My Hero Academia are also fun and provide a lot of great backstory to that series.
On its own, Vigilantes offers stunning animation and equally good acting. The action starts right from the beginning, immersing viewers into the story since there's really no need to explain the lore or world. While it has gone up in the charts recently, this series is still not on many viewers' watchlists, even though it deserves to be.
Although not every show in a season will be every fan's cup of tea, sometimes quality shows get overlooked in favor of big names and heavy-hitting sequels. If you're a viewer looking to add something new to your watch list, consider giving one of these Spring 2025 anime series a chance. The right one may surprise you and become one of the best anime you've ever seen.