We have talked about and hyped up some of the best shows 2025 had to offer; now it is time to look at the most underrated anime of the year. These shows span across all kinds of popular genres such as rom-com, isekai, and sports as well.
In the list below, we will be discussing and recommending some of these shows to watch before the year ends.
Top Underrated Anime of 2025
Clevatess
Clevatess is definitely one of the most underrated anime of 2025, and it’s a damn shame more people don’t know about it. If you are someone who was on the lookout for a really well-made dark fantasy anime, then there’s still time to pick this one up.
Viewers are treated to a fantasy setting where the heroes don’t win. But what happens when the very dark beast that sought to crush humanity starts to challenge his line of thinking? He decides to revive one of the fallen heroes and takes an orphaned child under his care, embarking on an unlikely journey.
Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective
The niche fanbase, which keeps up with every minute seasonal anime, had a label for Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective when it came out this year. They called it ‘House but anime’, referring to the titular show starring Hugh Laurie.
He plays the role of a brilliant investigative doctor, and as you might have guessed it already, Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective also centers around a brilliant doctor who can solve cases by deduction and medical science knowledge.
The meme quickly caught the attention of the internet, but that’s all the popularity this anime got. This is why Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective has stayed as one of the most underrated shows of 2025.
Secrets of the Silent Witch
We are living in an era where a lot of the well-known shows are of the fantasy genre. This came forth with the explosion of popularity in isekai anime. But the spotlight can only have space for so many; such is the case with Secrets of the Silent Witch.
Although not an isekai it is still one of the most underrated fantasy shows that was released in 2025. The story follows a timid mage who is a silent genius at spell casting and is tasked with the protection of royalty.
Anne Shirley
Anime based on classic works of literature used to be a popular thing once upon a time. Most notable works include an adaptation of Heidi. A project with which the legendary Isao Takahata was involved.
But most viewers of the medium won’t know about it since we don’t generally get to see it anymore. That is why we were surprised when we found out that an adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables was released in 2025.
The sad part is that no one talked about it. So it has now found its place on our list as one of the most underrated shows from this year.
Sanda
Beasters was one of the biggest surprises from recent years in the anime/manga sphere. Because it did not rely on basic human designs, we actually got an anime with anthropomorphic animals.
Why are we bringing this up? Well, the creator of Beasters, Paru Itagaki, actually made another series named Sanda, and it has been airing this year. But unfortunately, it has stayed largely underrated for the whole of 2025.
The plot, although following regular humans, is quite bizarre. We get to see the creator’s personal take on the concept of Santa Claus and a story revolving around his successor, who is a regular high schooler.
City The Animation
Once in a while, it is fun to pick shows that bank their whole appeal on absolutely mindless humor. Series such as Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh are generationally popular examples of this. Both anime are always referenced on the internet with out-of-context clips and images.
So it was surprising to see that City The Animation did not turn out to be as popular as most people thought it would be. The original manga was created by Keiichi Arawi, who is the legendary mind behind Nichijou.
Kyoto Animation has done an absolutely amazing job in recapturing the slapstick and absurd humor of Keiichi Arawi’s style, so it would be a shame to sleep on this show.
Medalist
It may seem like 2025 was not really a year that had releases from the sports anime genre. But that is not true; there have been a few, and one of them is most definitely the underrated sports anime this year.
We are, of course, talking about Medalist. If you were a fan of Yuri on Ice, then you will be happy to know that this anime brings back figure skating to the forefront. Medalist follows the 11-year-old Inori Yuitsuka on the path to her dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater.
Don’t let the fact that this show centers around child characters sway you away from some well-written emotional drama in the skating world. From the mind of Tsurumaikada, Medalist should be on your watch list for anime you missed out on this year.
From Bureaucrat to Villainess
We just realized that something important was missing from this list, and we have figured that out; it’s an isekai anime. Well, it is no shocker because it is the most popular anime genre of the current century, so most isekai shows are top of the shelf in popularity.
But there is one that got sidelined over the year, and it deserves your attention because it just might become the most underrated show from 2025. We are, of course, talking about From Bureaucrat to Villainess.
This is a bizarre anime that follows a bureaucrat in the real world who meets his end while trying to save someone; the culprit is once again, truck-kun. But it gets better, because this same person gets reborn in a new otome game world as a villainess.
Apocalypse Hotel
It’s a shame that wonderful and bizarre works of art such as Apocalypse Hotel go unchecked by many. If you are someone reading this and want to give underrated anime this year a chance, then this show should be at the top of your watchlist.
Apocalypse Hotel is set in a decaying Earth, which the whole of humanity has left. The only sort of signs of life that can be found is in Gingarou Hotel at Ginza, Tokyo. Filled with automatons and robot staff who still wait for guests.
Their wishes are fulfilled when new people start coming into the hotel after centuries, but these are not humans; the guests at this apocalyptic hotel are extraterrestrial creatures.
Yano-kun’s Ordinary Days
Watching a good romance comedy anime is always a warm time well spent, but there are so many releases every year that you might miss out on some hidden gems. That’s exactly why we are going to talk about Yano-kun’s Ordinary Days, which is a sleeper hit this year.
The story follows a simple high school setting surrounding class president, Kiyoko Yoshida, who is always worried about the titular character, Tsuyoshi Yano, getting himself hurt for being clumsy.
Kiyoko makes it her life’s mission to make sure Yano kun stays out of danger, leading to some absolutely hilarious plot points. She even starts carrying a first aid kit with her at all times.
