The new year is already bringing a torrent of exciting anime and manga releases to North America. From highly anticipated sequels to brand new series, January 2025 is proving to be a fantastic month for fans of Japanese animation and comics. This week, January 12-18, continues the trend with several notable releases across various platforms and in physical formats.
Anime Streaming Highlights
The streaming landscape is buzzing with new and returning anime series. Crunchyroll, Netflix, and other platforms are delivering a wide range of content to satisfy every taste.
Crunchyroll’s Winter Lineup
Crunchyroll is leading the charge with a robust winter 2025 lineup. The highly anticipated Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- continues to dominate, with new episodes available every Saturday. This series follows Jinwoo as he battles formidable foes, mastering his new abilities to protect humanity. Also joining the lineup is Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Season 2, a supernatural series that airs on Sundays. Fans can also enjoy the English dub stream for the latest Dragon Ball series, Dragon Ball Daima, every Friday. Continuing series such as Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 and Re:ZERO Season 3 are also keeping fans engaged.
Netflix’s New Anime
Netflix has also made waves with the release of two new anime series on January 11: Baban Baban Ban Vampire and Sakamoto Days. Baban Baban Ban Vampire follows Mori Ranmaru, a 450-year-old vampire working at a bathhouse. He is tasked with protecting the virginity of the bathhouse owner’s son, Rihito Tatsuno, in order to fulfill his quest to savor virgin blood. Sakamoto Days focuses on Taro Sakamoto, a retired assassin turned convenience store owner who is drawn back into his old life. This series is produced by TMS Entertainment, the studio behind “Detective Conan.” New episodes are released weekly and Sakamoto Days will be split into two parts with the second part airing in July 2025.
Other Notable Streaming Releases
Additional anime series to watch out for include Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective, which premiered on January 2nd, Blue Box cour 2, which is ongoing from January 2nd, and Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga, ongoing from January 4th. Other ongoing series include Zenshu from January 5, Dr. Stone season 4 from January 9th and The Apothecary Diaries season 2 from January 10th, and Sakamoto Days from January 11th.
Manga Mania: Physical Releases
For those who prefer to hold their stories in their hands, the manga scene is equally vibrant, with numerous new volumes hitting store shelves this week.
January 14th Manga Deluge
January 14th saw a massive wave of manga releases, including:
- A Suitable Fetish Volume 2
- Beyblade X Volume 1
- Case Closed Volume 93
- Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga Volume 2
- Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Manga – Anthology Volume 2
- Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Manga) Volume 9
- Firefly Wedding Volume 1
- Glasses with a Chance of Delinquent Volume 1
- I Abandoned My Engagement Because My Sister is a Tragic Heroine, but Somehow I Became Entangled with a Righteous Prince (Light Novel) Volume 2
- I Can’t Refuse S Volume 5
- I Quit My Apprenticeship as a Royal Court Wizard to Become a Magic Item Craftswoman (Manga) Volume 2
- Komi Can’t Communicate Volume 32
- Mao Volume 19
- My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer Volume 7
- My New Life as a Cat Volume 8
- Mysterious Disappearances Volume 4
- Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! (Manga) Volume 8
- Soara and the House of Monsters Volume 4
- Spy x Family Volume 13
- Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang (Novel) Volume 5
- The Barbarian’s Bride Volume 2
- The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan (Manga) Volume 8
- The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary (Manga) Volume 4
- The Titan’s Bride Volume 6
- The White Mage Doesn’t Want to Raise the Hero’s Level Volume 4
- Tiger and Dragon Volume 2
- True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends (Manga) Volume 3
- Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Volume 6
This extensive list offers a variety of genres, ensuring there is something for every reader.
Other Notable Manga Releases
In addition to the above, several other notable manga and light novel releases are making their way to shelves this month. On January 21st, Monster Marriage Shop Vol. 2, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man (Light Novel) Vol. 12, Run Wild: Sa Ye (Novel) Vol. 1, and Ayakashi Triangle Vol. 13 will be released. Furthermore, Black Clover Vol. 36, Chainsaw Man Vol. 17, Dark Gathering Vol. 11, Last Quarter Vol. 2, and Like a Butterfly Vol. 10 are among the titles being released this month.
Yen Press has also announced several new manga and light novel licenses set for release in January 2025 including:
- The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse
- I’m Here, Beside You
- Takahashi from the Bike Shop
These releases highlight the diverse and exciting content available to North American fans in January 2025.
Anime Films
For the film enthusiasts, several anime movies are also scheduled for release in January 2025:
- Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing on January 17th
- Cute High Earth Defense Club Eternal Love! on January 24th
- Make a Girl on January 31st
These films offer a cinematic experience for anime lovers.
Anticipated Anime for 2025
Beyond the January releases, several anime series are highly anticipated throughout 2025. These include Fire Force Season 3, Yaiba: Samurai Legend, and an unnamed original series from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe. Other series such as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (April 2025), My Hero Academia: Season 8 (Fall 2025) and Leviathan Season 1 (2025) are also highly anticipated.
Conclusion
The period of January 12-18 is a busy week for North American anime and manga enthusiasts. With exciting new streaming series, a plethora of manga releases, and several new films, there’s no shortage of content to enjoy. Whether you prefer the convenience of streaming or the tangible experience of reading a physical copy, January 2025 is a month filled with entertainment for fans of all kinds. Keep an eye on official sources and retailers for the latest updates and release dates, and be prepared for a thrilling start to the new year in anime and manga.
