Today we bid farewell to 2025 and this year has seen the
Gundam Anime Corner take on some interesting challenges and titles eh? This summer we revisited a library of Mecha
classics (some worthy of being called such and others make me question plenty
of tastes). We got super raunchy with
Shimoneta, down with the funk with Ya Boi Kongming and had three megahit
animation titles get their time in the review spotlight. The question I ask as always ask after
looking back on all of these highs and lows: which ones made the End of the
Year cut? Well that’s what we’re
tackling with todays Top 5 Wednesday, which just so happens to be the last one
of 2025 as I reveal my Top 5 Best Titles I’ve Reviewed in 2025.
#5-Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Given my tendency to avoid full CG Anime titles, I was
skeptical about Requiem for Vengeance when it was announced.
After a pretty damn good 5 minute preview, I
was convinced otherwise and the rest of this incredible 6 episode series
delivered and then some.
The first
reveal of the Gundam to the Zeon’s on Earth is played like an 80s slasher film
with the Gundam being used like an unstoppable Jason Vorhees/Michael Myers
type.
We also got some great characters
on the Zeon side and got to revisit one of the most important battles of the
classic One Year War.
The ending
might’ve fumbled a little but this still another win for Gundam along with The
Witch from Mercury and Seed Freedom.
#4-Naussica of the Valley of the Wind/Kiki's Delivery
Service
Revisiting the Miyazaki library for the first time in
over a decade (for the blog at least), I’m letting these two share the
spotlight for a couple of reasons.
For
Kiki, it’s as close to a perfect Anime as you can get with nary a flaw in its
story, visuals and ever so loveable lead heroine.
For Naussica, it truly earns its reputation
as the film that gave birth to one of the greatest Anime Studios of all time.
Naussica is bold, beautiful, at times bad ass
and a remarkable piece of animation that few modern day Anime can even
match.
Nausicca laid Ghibli’s foundation
while Kiki is still one of its strongest cornerstones.
#3-Chainsaw Man: The Movie-Reze Arc
While Demon Slayer’s first chapter of the Infinity Castle
ran away with all the money Chainsaw Man’s first feature film might just be the
better movie.
The Reze Arc acts as both
a stand alone story and continuation of the TV Series, making it more easily
accessible to newbies and returnees alike.
Reze is as charming as she is dangerous and her doomed love story with
Denji hits all the right emotional beats.
This is Chainsaw Man after all so the animation is on ridiculous
overdrive with visuals that are the equivalent of splashing paint everywhere
and seeing it all collide, a visual feast of insanity and awesomeness.
#2-Kpop Demon Hunters
Ah yes, was this end of the year Top 5 going to be
complete without this one?
Kpop Demon
Hunters certainly earned its impressive rep as one of the biggest phenomenon’s
of 2025.
Animation, stellar.
Characters, gorgeous and well crafted.
The Music, what hasn’t been said about it
yet?
I cant believe it’s taken the world
this long to give us a trio of beautiful and bad ass Kpop Superheroines and,
like the rest of the world, I’m waiting with baited breath for their inevitable
return.
Now if you’ll excuse me, its
time to cue up Golden again and do some head bopping.
#1-Slayers Gorgeous
Finally getting to check out the very hard to find
Slayers OVAs and Films was real treat this past month and the best of the bunch
might top anything I’ve seen from the entire franchise, even Slayers Next.
Slayers Gorgeous improves on every facet of
its predecessors from scope to action to humor to supporting cast to even some
of the best animation in the series.
It’s the perfect Slayers experience that’s as laugh out loud funny as it
is incredibly exciting and action packed.
I mean it’s Lina vs. Dragons, you don’t really get that setup that
often.
As Lina and Naga’s final bow as
co leads in the film series, Slayers Gorgeous took the series to new heights
that haven’t been topped since.
Seriously, WE NEED SLAYERS SEASON ZERO!!!!
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