2025 Anime Hits and Misses

Hits

1. Your Name

   This anime romance movie gave me that magical feeling that many movies by Hayao Miyazaki have. The first time I watched it, I felt like it was maybe one of the best films I've ever seen. The animation is beautiful, the music is good, and the storyline is captivating. The director, Makoto Shinkai, did a fabulous job with this film, which is a definite tearjerker. I've seen it multiple times. There are some spoilers in this, but here's my favorite scene from the movie:

2. Weathering with You This is another Shinkai film and another romance movie. I loved the main characters; they both have interesting, adventurous, and slightly fantastical lives. It's a great movie to come back to, which is why I think feel-good movies are the winners of this list. I particularly enjoyed the storyline about the hidden and mysterious sky-world full of dragons and fish that help to control the weather.
   

3. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

   Kyohei Ishiguro used some of the brightest, uplifting colors I've seen in an animated movie to make this one. This movie combines the best anime has to offer, like humor, adventure, whimsy, and relatability. I keep searching for more films like this one.
   

4. A Whisker Away

   Cat lovers will love this movie. I enjoyed the storyline of this movie quite a bit, which involved a girl transforming into a cat. There's also plenty magical, escapist value in it as well, especially for those who are Miyazaki fans and enjoy fantasy. Overall, a great watch.
   

5. The Secret World of Arietty

   The first time I watched this film by Hayao Miyazaki, I thought it was fine. But I rewatched it this year, and fell completely in love! I truly enjoyed the details in this movie about the tiny people; it almost made me feel like I'm a tiny person myself upon a second watch. This film is brilliant and good for wide audiences.

For the fans of Your Name

Misses

1. Dan Da Dan

   I was immediately drawn to watching this anime series after watching the introduction online. The animation seemed unique, and the characters were adorable. When I started watching, I thought it was cute and clever to have a show about ghosts VS aliens, my hopes were high. However, when I watched it, I was completely let down. There were many stereotypes and tropes, pretty unnecessary scenes, and it was often creepy.

   
   

2. Komi Can't Communicate

   I couldn't keep watching this drama-romance anime series, as sweet as the main female character is, as the romance wasn't moving fast enough, if at all. Like From Me to You, which is also on this list, the relationships seemed a little immature and young for me. I appreciate a more compelling love story, but this show is ok for casual viewing (and people who are ok with the main couple hardly having moments of any identifiable chemistry), I suppose.

   
   

3. Suzume

   After loving Your Name and Weathering, I had high hopes for Suzume, but ultimately couldn't finish it. I thought it was a bit predictable and cheesy. Also, the supporting main character becomes a chair, I couldn't get past it, and watch two hours of a chair talking. The main female is supposed to be in love with a chair, somehow also? Finally, the main villain is a cat, and I'm too much of a cat lover to cheer against a cat, ever.

   
   

4. From Me to You

   I'll say I enjoyed the first handful of episodes quite a bit, and there are nice positive and uplifting moments in the show. I couldn't get past some of the intense, heavy high school drama moments, though, with some seeming hardly believable. The main couple is sweet, and the romance is pretty compelling, but it didn't move quite fast enough to "Wow" me.