Japanese streaming platform Abema has revealed the top five most-watched anime of the Summer 2025 season, giving a clear look at what resonated most with domestic viewers. The list includes several major sequels along with a few newer titles that managed to break through.
Here are the top five anime in Japan for Summer 2025, according to Abema:
- Dandadan Season 2
- The Summer When Hikaru Died
- Sakamoto Days
- The Water Magician
- Kaiju No. 8 Season 2
At the top is Dandadan Season 2, which has continued to build on the buzz from its first season. Adapted from Yukinobu Tatsu’s hit manga, the anime has sci-fi, horror, and comedy as two high schoolers deal with aliens and ghosts. Studio Science SARU’s energetic animation and faithful adaptation have helped it become one of the standout hits of 2025, both in Japan and abroad.
The Summer When Hikaru Died landing in second place might surprise international fans. Based on Mokumokuren’s psychological horror manga, it follows Yoshiki, a boy who suspects his childhood friend has been replaced by something not quite human. The anime’s slow-burn tension and atmospheric storytelling seem to have struck a chord with Japanese audiences.
In third is Sakamoto Days, the long-awaited anime adaptation of Yuto Suzuki’s popular action-comedy manga about a former hitman turned convenience store owner. Balancing sharp fight choreography with goofy humour, the series has kept fans entertained since its premiere.
Fourth on the list is The Water Magician, an isekai fantasy story where a man named Ryo Mihara gets reincarnated into a world as a water magician. In this world monsters exist, and he decides to live off of them until he meets a shipwrecked adventurer named Abel. While the series flew under the radar internationally, Japanese fans have clearly liked it a lot.
Finally, Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 rounds out the top five. The anime, based on Naoya Matsumoto’s manga, continues Kafka Hibino’s story as a man who gains the ability to transform into a kaiju while fighting against giant monsters as part of Japan’s Defense Force. It remains one of the biggest ongoing action titles.
When compared with MyAnimeList’s global data for Summer 2025, the contrast is striking. Internationally, the top five were:
- Dandadan
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
- Gachiakuta
- Kaiju No. 8 Season 2
While Dandadan and Kaiju No. 8 are common favourites, the rest of the lineup shows how viewing preferences differ. Japanese audiences seem to lean more toward down-to-earth stories, nostalgia, and strong local emotional and relatable content, whereas international fans favour character-driven romances and newer shonen adaptations. The gap between domestic and global trends just goes to show how varied anime fandom has become worldwide.
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