Anime Nexus: the newest anime seasons, and where to watch them

Why follow the seasons

Anime is one of the few forms of entertainment that still arrives on a shared schedule. When a new season begins, fans around the world watch the first episodes of dozens of new shows within the same few days, compare notes and decide which series to follow for the next three months. That shared experience is part of the fun: favourite shows become talking points, surprise hits rise from nowhere, and every week brings a new episode to look forward to.

Following the seasons also means discovering new creators. Each season brings fresh work from famous studios such as Kyoto Animation, WIT Studio, Science SARU, Madhouse and Sunrise, alongside smaller studios with bold ideas. Adaptations of popular manga and light novels sit next to original stories, and genres from fantasy adventure to quiet drama all find their place.

Anime Nexus gathers the recent seasons in one place, so you can catch up on shows you missed, explore the current season as it airs and find the films that continue your favourite series on the big screen.

The Anime Nexus design

Anime Nexus follows the look of the archived animenexus.tv home page of January 2025, a clean modern web app built with the popular shadcn design system. The page is white, with a light grey sidebar fixed along the left edge. At the top of the sidebar sits the logo, a black rounded tile with a white arch, beside the name Anime Nexus and the word Platform. Below it are a search field with a small slash key, which on the reference opened search from the keyboard, and groups of links with small line icons, labelled General, Shelves and User, with the current page highlighted on a soft grey pill.

The main area opens with a rounded featured banner, a backdrop with a dark fade, small outlined badges, the title, a few lines of the story and a white Watch now button beside an outlined Details button. Below comes a two-column block, just like the reference. Latest Episodes has a large, light heading, a grey subtitle and a grid of episode cards, each with a picture, a small episode tag, the show's title, a thin rule and a footer line with a pill, the air date and a green dot. Popular Shows sits beside it, with a period selector and a list of poster cards with a rank, the year and genre chips.

Below that, Shows This Season and New Movies present poster grids, followed by the season, genre and year shelves, the help pages and this guide. The colours are the neutral zinc greys of the reference, with near-black text and a black primary colour, and the type is Inter throughout.

How to use Anime Nexus

The sidebar is the quickest way around. The search field at the top finds any title in English or Japanese, so you can type Love Through a Prism or プリズム輪舞曲 and land on the same page. You can also search for a single episode by adding a season and an episode number, as in Ishura S2E3. The links below take you to the home page, the series and movie lists, the season shelves, the A to Z page and My List. On a phone, the sidebar folds into a menu button at the top of the page.

The home page offers several doors into the collection. The featured banner presents a handful of highlights, Latest Episodes shows the shows with the most recent new episodes, Popular Shows lists the series viewers look at most, and Shows This Season gathers the current season. The shelves below group titles by season, by year and by genre.

Every title page gives the story, the year, the number of episodes or the running time, the studio and the voice cast. Series pages list every episode with its original air date, so you can see at a glance how far a show has progressed. At the top of each page, the Watch now button asks for your country and then opens JustWatch, which lists the subscription services, rental shops and free services that carry the title where you live. The Add to My List button saves a title in your browser, and My List keeps your place as you tick off episodes.

How the anime seasons work

Japanese television anime follows a calendar of four seasons. Winter shows begin in January, spring shows in April, summer shows in July and autumn shows in October. A typical series runs for one season of about twelve or thirteen episodes, known as a cour, and popular series often return for a second season a year or two later. Longer series run for two cours or more in one continuous run.

New episodes usually air late at night on Japanese television and reach international streaming services within hours or days, with English subtitles. This practice, known as simulcasting, means that fans around the world can follow a season as it happens. English dubs often follow a few weeks later for the most popular shows.

Films follow a different rhythm. Big franchise films, such as the yearly Detective Conan and Doraemon films, open in Japanese cinemas in spring, while other films arrive throughout the year. They usually reach international cinemas, digital shops and streaming services some months later. Anime Nexus lists every film with its release year and running time, and the Watch now button shows where it is available now.

Summer 2026

The Summer 2026 shelf gathers the shows and films that began between July and September 2026, the season airing as this guide was written. It is a lively mix of fantasy, romance, comedy and drama from studios large and small.

Two of the season's most anticipated shows come from celebrated studios. Sparks of Tomorrow, from Kyoto Animation, is set in an alternate past, where an unlikely duo searches for a missing catalogue that could bring electricity to the smoke-filled streets of Kyoto. Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, from Science SARU, follows Sitara, a girl who loses her mother and homeland and finds new strength in knowledge when a family of scholars takes her in. The Ogre's Bride is a romantic fantasy in which an overlooked schoolgirl is chosen as the bride of a supernatural being, and KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE is a comedy about a high school girl who turns into a giant kaiju whenever her emotions spike, which is inconvenient when she falls in love.

Fantasy fans have plenty to choose from. The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System follows a disowned swordsman's son who remembers a past life as a gamer, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects gives a war hero a barren, empty frontier to build into a home, and The Forsaken Saintess and Her Foodie Road Trip in Another World sends a summoned saint on a cooking tour in her magical motor home. Red River carries a modern Japanese teenager back to the Hittite Empire, Goodbye, Lara retells the little mermaid's story, and The Cat and the Dragon follows a dragon raised by a family of magic-wielding cats.

The season also brings Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi from Production I.G, Victoria of Many Faces, a comedy about a former spy trying to live a quiet life, Iron Wok Jan, a fiery cooking battle, Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky, a tender romance between a quiet student and a blind girl who dreams of seeing fireworks, and the new films THE RIBBON HERO and Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island.

Spring 2026

The Spring 2026 shelf gathers the shows that began between April and June 2026, along with the spring films. Spring is traditionally one of the strongest seasons of the year, and 2026 kept that tradition alive.

MAO, from Sunrise, follows Nanoka Kiba, a girl who survived a fatal accident at a shopping centre eight years earlier and is drawn back to its abandoned passage of shops, where a mysterious world awaits. LIAR GAME, from Madhouse, adapts the famous psychological thriller in which an honest young woman receives a suitcase containing one hundred million yen and is drawn into a game of lies and deception. The Drops of God follows the heirs of a world-famous wine critic who must identify twelve great wines to claim his estate.

Romance and comedy are strong this season. Go for It, Nakamura-kun!! follows a shy boy who falls for a classmate at first sight and tries to work up the courage to say hello, I Want to End This Love Game follows two childhood friends locked in a game of saying I love you, and I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class follows a class outcast who finds an unlikely friend. A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA, also from Madhouse, follows young women training at an opera school, and Eren the Southpaw follows a high school student whose plans for art school are shaken by a mysterious graffiti artist.

The spring shelf also includes KILL BLUE, in which a legendary hitman wakes up in the body of a thirteen-year-old and must go back to middle school, SNOWBALL EARTH, in which a hero returns to a frozen Earth with his robot friend, Kusunoki's Garden of Gods, a gentle countryside fantasy, and the films Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway and Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent.

Winter 2026

The Winter 2026 shelf gathers the shows that began between January and March 2026 and the many films released in the first months of the year.

Love Through a Prism, from WIT Studio, is one of the most admired series of the year: in early 1900s London, a young Japanese woman enrolls at a famous art school, where a rivalry with a gifted classmate slowly becomes a romance. In the Clear Moonlit Dusk pairs two high school students who are both admired as a Prince, and Hana-Kimi brings back the classic story of a girl who disguises herself as a boy to attend a boys' boarding school. Agents of the Four Seasons Dance of Spring, also from WIT Studio, is a fantasy about a guard searching for the vanished Agent of Spring.

The winter shelf also holds The Darwin Incident, about a half-human, half-chimpanzee teenager at the centre of a storm, Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers, a revival of the classic armoured heroes, Wash It All Away, a gentle drama set in a laundry in the hot springs town of Atami, and the comedy High School! Kimengumi, a new version of a much-loved 1980s school comedy. Fantasy fans can enjoy Kunon the Sorcerer Can See, about a blind young sorcerer who hopes to create new eyes with water magic, and A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, about a chancellor who takes a new life in another world entirely in his stride.

The winter films include Gintama the Movie 2026: Yoshiwara in Flames, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, Assassination Classroom the Movie: Our Time, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL from Studio 4°C, The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie, Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express - the Movie and Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil.

The best of 2025

The 2025 shelf gathers series and films from the previous year. Moonrise, from WIT Studio, is a science-fiction drama in which a carefree heir joins a special military unit after rebels attack Earth, and his search for the mastermind leads to the Moon. Leviathan sets an adventure in an alternate steampunk past, where a fugitive Austrian prince and a Scottish airman in disguise try to prevent a world war. Bullet Bullet is a stylish action series set in a collapsed near future, and GUILTY GEAR STRIVE: DUAL RULERS adapts the famous fighting game.

The year's gentler shows include The Shiunji Family Children, a comedy about a family of seven siblings in Tokyo, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, a haunting story about a lonely girl and the mermaid who has promised to eat her one day, Maebashi Witches, about high school girls who become witches in Gunma Prefecture, and Captivated, by You, an anthology about four teenage boys finding their place at school. May I Ask for One Final Thing? is a fierce and funny villainess story in which a wrongly accused noblewoman fights back with her fists.

The 2025 films include a cinema edition of the Entertainment District arc of Demon Slayer, Pokémon: Dragonite and the Special Delivery, a charming short from CoMix Wave Films about a girl who dreams of becoming a mail carrier, Shinsei Galverse, a science-fiction adventure on a war-torn planet, The Last Blossom, a moving story about an elderly prisoner and a talking flower, and Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood-, about two young people searching for a place to belong.

The best of 2024

The 2024 shelf holds a varied crop. Bye Bye, Earth follows Belle Lablac, the only human in a world of animal people, on a journey to discover where she came from. Tokyo Override follows a lonely hacker who teams up with underground couriers in a near-future Tokyo, and BUCCHIGIRI?!, from MAPPA, is a wild action comedy about delinquents and a magical genie. Ishura is an epic fantasy in which demigods battle to become the mightiest after the fall of the Demon King.

Comedy and drama include MAYONAKA PUNCH, from P.A.WORKS, about a video creator who teams up with a vampire, The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, about two voice actresses whose on-air friendship hides a rivalry, and Acro Trip, a magical-girl parody. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! is a warm office romance in which a shy man discovers that he can read the thoughts of his handsome colleague.

The 2024 films include both parts of Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 1 and Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2, a thoughtful science-fiction story about two schoolgirls living under a giant alien ship, Kuramerukagari, about a young mapmaker in a maze-like town, and Fureru, a film about three childhood friends and a mysterious creature.

The best of 2023

The 2023 shelf holds series and films that deserve a second look. Kaina of the Great Snow Sea and its film Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: Star Sage follow a boy who lives in the branches of a giant tree above a world buried under a sea of snow. Phoenix: Eden17, from Studio 4°C, adapts Osamu Tezuka's science-fiction story about a couple who flee a devastated Earth. GAMERA -Rebirth- follows four children in 1989 Tokyo who witness the rise of the giant turtle hero, and Pokémon: Paldean Winds follows academy students as they grow.

The 2023 films include City Hunter the Movie: Angel Dust, in which Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura take what seems a simple case about a missing cat, Psycho-Pass: Providence, a new mystery for Inspector Akane Tsunemori, and Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-, a prologue to a new Holy Grail War.

Fantasy adventures

The Fantasy adventures shelf is one of the largest in the collection, reflecting the enormous popularity of stories set in other worlds. Many of these series begin with a hero who is reborn or transported into a world of swords and magic, often with the memories of a previous life or the knowledge of a video game, and set out to make the most of a second chance.

The genre has grown wonderfully varied. Some series are grand adventures, such as The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing and From Overshadowed to Overpowered: Second Reincarnation of a Talentless Sage, in which heroes use their knowledge to rise from humble beginnings. Others are gentle and cosy: Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord follows a young lord who builds a thriving village with a supposedly useless kind of magic, An Adventurer's Daily Grind at Age 29 follows a quiet adventurer in a peaceful village, and Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter follows an accountant who brings order to a fantasy kingdom's finances.

Comedy is always close at hand. My Ribdiculous Reincarnation follows a man who keeps being reborn as ever stranger things, from a hermit crab to a vegetable, Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling begins its hero's new life as an egg, and Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life reunites a former Demon King with the hero who defeated him, now a high school girl. The Demon King's Daughter Is Too Kind!! is a sweet comedy about a demon princess too gentle for conquest.

Villainesses and nobles

The Villainesses and nobles shelf follows one of the most popular story types of recent years. In many of these series, a young woman discovers that she has been reborn as the villainess of a romance game, destined for a bad end, and sets out to change her fate with wit and courage. Others follow noblewomen who are betrayed by their fiancés and fight back, or plain daughters who turn out to be far stronger than anyone thought.

Though I Am an Inept Villainess, from Doga Kobo, is a body-swap story set in an imperial court, in which a beloved noble girl and her jealous rival exchange bodies and destinies. The Holy Grail of Eris follows an honest viscount's daughter who is saved from execution by a mysterious voice, A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: How I Crushed My Homeland with My Mighty Grimoires follows a betrayed noblewoman armed with seven legendary books of magic, and An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess tells the story from the point of view of the amused prince.

Lighter series include The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom, in which a reborn villainess finds a much kinder prince, I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons, about a duke's daughter who would rather do anything than train to be queen, and Always a Catch!, about a martial prodigy ordered into a marriage of prestige.

Romance

The Romance shelf gathers the love stories of the recent seasons, from school romances to period dramas. Anime romance has a special charm: it lingers on small moments, such as a shared umbrella, an unspoken glance or a first conversation, and lets feelings grow slowly over a whole season.

Love Through a Prism and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk are two of the most beautiful romances of 2026, and Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky is a tender story about a quiet university student and a blind girl who faces the world with brightness. The Ogre's Bride brings supernatural romance to the summer season, and Hana-Kimi revives a classic of school romance.

Romantic comedies include Go for It, Nakamura-kun!!, I Want to End This Love Game, I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, Rich Girl Caretaker: I'm Secretly the Caregiver of the Most Popular Girl in This Rich Kid School, in which an ordinary student becomes the secret helper of a seemingly perfect heiress, and Oh Boy, Was I Wrong About Her, in which a boy is reunited with his tomboyish childhood friend. The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife pairs an invisible detective with a blind woman who can always find him, and Even a Replica Can Fall in Love follows a girl created as a double who falls in love for herself.

Action and science fiction

The Action and science fiction shelf gathers mecha, space adventures, superheroes and near-future thrillers. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe continues the story of Hathaway Noa, a young man haunted by the past, in the long-running Gundam saga, and Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers revives the heroes of the classic armour series. SHY follows a shy teenage superhero, SI-VIS: The Sound of Heroes follows a music group who are secretly heroes, and Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi brings a Japanese touch to the galaxy far away.

Science-fiction highlights include Moonrise, Tokyo Override, Bullet Bullet, Leviathan, SNOWBALL EARTH, The Darwin Incident and the films ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and Shinsei Galverse. Giant Beasts of ARS and Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune explore harsh worlds with courage and heart.

Comedy

The Comedy shelf is the largest genre shelf in the collection. Recent seasons have produced some wonderfully odd premises: Kirio Fan Club, Please Excuse My Younger Brothers, Pardon the Intrusion, I'm Home! and Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! all turn everyday situations into chaos. Dara-san of Reiwa follows two siblings who befriend a fearsome serpent god, and Dandelion follows two angels who help lingering souls find peace.

School comedies include High School! Kimengumi, Haibara's Teenage New Game+, about a young man who gets a second chance at high school, and The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess, about a shy vampire promoted to army commander. BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA follows a new virtual band learning to perform together, and Kujima: Why Sing, When You Can Warble? follows a boy and a strange talking creature.

Mystery

The Mystery shelf gathers detectives, games of wits and secrets. LIAR GAME is the standout, a battle of lies and deduction, and The Drops of God turns a wine-tasting contest into a mystery about family and inheritance. The Case Book of Arne follows a boy who loses his detective father to a string of murders and joins forces with a mysterious figure, Killed Again, Mr. Detective. follows a detective's son with a strange secret, and Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent brings back the mysterious Medicine Seller of the celebrated Mononoke series.

New anime films

The Movies shelf gathers the new anime films of 2023 to 2026. Films let studios work on a grander scale than television, with richer animation, longer stories and big-screen sound, and many of the year's most memorable anime arrive in cinemas.

Franchise films continue beloved series. Gintama the Movie 2026: Yoshiwara in Flames brings Gintoki and friends back for a story about a young pickpocket searching for his mother, Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway sends Conan after a conspiracy behind a string of highway incidents, and Assassination Classroom the Movie: Our Time reunites Class 3-E with their extraordinary teacher Koro-sensei. Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil takes Nobita and friends to a secret underwater castle, and Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island brings the tiny heroes of the hit comic to the big screen.

Original and literary films are just as exciting. Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express - the Movie follows six delinquents doing community service on a train that suddenly takes off into space, A New Dawn is a drama set at a fireworks factory on the eve of its closure, and ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, from Studio 4°C, is a new animated version of the famous time-loop story. THE RIBBON HERO is a fantasy about a princess who reawakens as a hero, and The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie continues the popular school romance.

Studios to know

Following a studio is a great way to find new favourites. Kyoto Animation, famous for its detailed, luminous animation, made Sparks of Tomorrow. WIT Studio, known for its striking action and design, made Love Through a Prism, Moonrise and Agents of the Four Seasons Dance of Spring. Science SARU, founded by the director Masaaki Yuasa, made Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, and Madhouse made LIAR GAME and A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA.

Sunrise, the home of Gundam, made MAO and the new Gundam Hathaway film, Production I.G made Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi and Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc, Doga Kobo made Though I Am an Inept Villainess and The Shiunji Family Children, and Studio 4°C made ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and Phoenix: Eden17. The title pages list the studio of every title, so you can follow a favourite studio through the collection.

Routes through the collection

If you are new to recent anime, start with three series that show the range of the seasons: Love Through a Prism for romance and art, Sparks of Tomorrow for invention and atmosphere, and LIAR GAME for suspense. Then follow the genre that appeals most.

If you love fantasy, begin with the gentle adventures, such as The Forsaken Saintess and Her Foodie Road Trip in Another World and Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord, then try the grander quests. If you love romance, watch In the Clear Moonlit Dusk and Go for It, Nakamura-kun!!. If you love science fiction, try Moonrise, MAO and The Darwin Incident. If you prefer films, the Movies shelf offers an evening's entertainment in every genre.

If you want to follow a season as it airs, pick three or four shows from the Summer 2026 shelf, watch the first episode of each and keep the ones you enjoy most. Latest Episodes on the home page shows which series have new episodes, and My List keeps your place.

Tips for following a season

With dozens of new series every season, choosing what to watch can feel overwhelming. Many fans follow a simple habit known as the three-episode rule: watch the first three episodes of any show that looks interesting, then keep the ones that have won you over. Three episodes are usually enough for a series to establish its characters, its tone and its story, and the rule leaves room for slow starters that blossom after a quiet opening.

Another good habit is to mix genres. A season is more fun with a variety of moods: an adventure for the weekend, a comedy for a tired weekday evening, a romance to look forward to and a mystery to discuss with friends. The genre shelves on Anime Nexus make that easy, and each title page lists the genres of every show.

Finally, keep a list. My List on Anime Nexus lets you save every show you want to follow and tick off episodes as you watch, so you always know where you left off. It stays in your browser, works at once and can be exported to a small file for another device.

Catching up on earlier seasons

Some of the best viewing comes from looking back. Shows that aired a year or two ago are often complete, with every episode available at once, which makes them perfect for a weekend of watching. The year shelves for 2023, 2024 and 2025 gather series and films that are easy to enjoy from start to finish, and many of them have sequels on the way.

Catching up is also the best way to prepare for a new season. When a series announces a second season, the first is usually easy to find on official services, and the title pages on Anime Nexus show how many episodes each season holds. Films that continue a television series, such as the Gintama and Assassination Classroom films, are especially rewarding when you know the characters.

The anime year

The anime year is marked by more than the four television seasons. In March, the AnimeJapan convention in Tokyo brings a flood of announcements for the coming year. In spring, the big family franchises release their yearly films in Japanese cinemas. In summer, conventions such as Anime Expo in Los Angeles bring premieres and guests to fans around the world, and in December, the Jump Festa event in Japan celebrates the manga and anime of the famous Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

Each of these events brings news of sequels, adaptations and films, and the shelves of Anime Nexus grow as the new titles arrive. Following the calendar is part of the pleasure of being an anime fan, and Anime Nexus is built to help you keep up.

Watching with friends

New anime is a social pleasure. Because a season airs week by week, friends can watch together, trade theories about what happens next and share favourite moments. Some groups meet every week to watch a new episode of a favourite show, while others keep a shared list of what each person is following and compare notes at the end of the season.

The films on Anime Nexus make good choices for a group evening, especially the franchise films, which are designed as big, self-contained events. For a mixed group, a comedy such as The Shiunji Family Children or a gentle fantasy such as The Cat and the Dragon makes an easy start, while fans of suspense can challenge each other with LIAR GAME.

New anime for families

Many titles in the collection suit younger viewers. The Doraemon, Pokémon and Chiikawa films are made for children and families, Pokémon: Paldean Winds follows young academy students, and Dream Animals the Movie is a colourful adventure with a cast of animal friends. Gentle comedies such as Dara-san of Reiwa and The Demon King's Daughter Is Too Kind!! are also good choices.

Other titles, especially the thrillers and some fantasy adventures, are made for teenagers and adults. The title pages give the story and genres, and the official services show an age rating for each title in your country, so you can choose what suits your household.

Why a guide helps

With so many new titles every season, a guide saves time. Instead of searching through several services to find out where a show is streaming, you can find the title on Anime Nexus, read a short summary, check the studio and the number of episodes, and press Watch now to see every official option in your country at once. The season shelves make it easy to see what is new, and the genre shelves make it easy to find more of what you enjoy.

Anime Nexus is an independent guide. It keeps My List in your browser, draws its posters and production details from The Movie Database, and sends you to the official services through JustWatch, so that every view supports the studios and creators who make the anime you love.

Where new anime comes from

Most new anime series are adaptations. Manga, the Japanese comics published weekly and monthly in magazines, provide many of the biggest hits, from action epics to romantic comedies. Light novels, short illustrated novels aimed at young adults, provide many of the fantasy and villainess stories, and web novels published online have become a major source in recent years. Video games, visual novels and even mobile games inspire series too, such as GUILTY GEAR STRIVE: DUAL RULERS and Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout the Animation.

Original anime, created directly for the screen, are rarer and often especially adventurous. MAO, Sparks of Tomorrow and Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express - the Movie show how much freedom an original story can bring. Classic series are also returning in new versions, such as High School! Kimengumi, Hana-Kimi and Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers, introducing favourites from past decades to a new generation.

Knowing where a series comes from can help you choose. If you enjoy a show, the original manga or novel often continues the story well beyond the anime, and many series return for further seasons when they find an audience.

Trends of the recent seasons

Several trends run through the recent seasons. Fantasy stories set in other worlds remain hugely popular, but they have become more varied, with cooking journeys, village building, office work and even accounting alongside the classic quests. Villainess stories, once a small niche, now fill several slots every season, with heroines who outwit the fate their stories have planned for them.

Romance has flourished too, with a new wave of gentle, character-driven love stories and a growing number of boys' love and girls' love series. Mystery and suspense have returned with titles such as LIAR GAME and The Drops of God, and there is a clear appetite for revivals of classic manga. Animation technology has advanced as well, with more studios blending hand-drawn characters with digital backgrounds and effects.

Anime Nexus follows these trends through its shelves, and the collection is refreshed as new seasons arrive.

Watching today

Most of the titles on Anime Nexus stream on official services with English subtitles, many within days of their Japanese broadcast. Anime subscription services carry most new series, general streaming services carry many exclusives and films, and digital shops rent and sell many of the films. The Watch now button on each title page shows where a title is available in your country, with labels for subscription, rental, purchase and free viewing.

Availability changes from country to country and from week to week during a season, which is why Watch now asks for your country first. JustWatch then lists every official option in one place, so you can pick the one that suits you.

Subtitles, dubs and titles

Titles on Anime Nexus are listed under their official English names, with the Japanese title on each page. Many series are known by several names, including a romanised Japanese title, and the search box understands every version. The Subtitles and dubs guide explains how to switch languages in the player, and the Finding a title guide explains searching by original title and by episode.

How the collection is chosen

Every title on Anime Nexus was chosen by hand. The editors began with the anime series and films released in Japan from 2023 to 2026 in The Movie Database, then read the story of each candidate. Fan-service comedies, erotic titles, death-game thrillers and gore-led horror were set aside, so the collection stays focused on stories with broad appeal: adventure, romance, comedy, science fiction, drama and mystery.

Because many of these titles are new, some have only a few audience scores so far. The Top rated shelf gathers those with the strongest scores, and the title pages give the story and studio of every title so you can judge for yourself. Posters, stories and production details come from The Movie Database. The About page explains more.

All the shelves

The full list of shelves lives on the collections page. Everything holds every title, Series gathers the television series and Movies gathers the films. The season shelves are Summer 2026, Spring 2026 and Winter 2026, and the year shelves are 2025, 2024 and 2023. The genre shelves are Fantasy adventures, Villainesses and nobles, Romance, Action and science fiction, Comedy and Mystery, and Top rated lists the titles with the highest audience scores.

The help pages

Short help pages answer everyday questions. The how to watch guide walks through the steps from a title to the screen, and How anime seasons work explains the seasonal calendar. Summer 2026 on Anime Nexus, Fantasy adventures, Romance on Anime Nexus and New anime films suggest first titles on the main shelves.

For practical questions, Subtitles and dubs covers languages, Finding a title covers search, My List covers saving titles and Apps and devices covers phones, tablets and televisions. Free new anime explains legal ways to watch at zero cost, Where Anime Nexus titles stream describes the official services behind the guide and Streaming safely offers a short checklist. The official Anime Nexus site describes how to recognise Anime Nexus, and Is Anime Nexus working? offers quick fixes when a page misbehaves.

Questions