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Every year, the relentless onslaught of new anime makes my job as an anime journalist nearly impossible. I’ve already picked out the shows I’m most excited to watch for 2025, but that is just scratching the surface of what is coming this year. It doesn’t include the shows that I will need to watch just to keep up with the anime zeitgeist, like Solo Leveling season two or Kaiju No. 8. It is honestly a bit overwhelming, which is why, for my New Year’s resolution this year, I’ve resolved to watch less – not more – anime in 2025.

That might seem counterproductive for someone whose job involves talking about anime every week (Welcome to Popverse Jump, by the way), but it is something that has been playing on my mind for the past two years. On average, I watch five new anime series every season, which equates to sitting down to watch a new episode Monday to Friday every week. This is on top of my perpetual catch-up with the One Piece manga and keeping on top of my other ongoing manga. Plus all the other stuff I have to do like have a family and job and pesky social obligations. It is a lot, even for someone who loves anime as much as I do.

The result has been me consuming more anime than I know what to do with. Rather than let the shows linger in my mind, percolating and allowing me to form an opinion about it, I’m almost immediately moving on to something new. I never let any show seep into my brain and infect my soul the same way I used to. I never let a show change me, and I miss that feeling.

Beyond my personal desire to watch less anime this year, I just don’t think we were meant to consume media the way we do. There is just so much on our screens at any given moment, with streamers constantly vying for our attention and, with it, our subscription fees. Crunchyroll alone has over 30 shows with new episodes airing during the current season. Trying to keep up is a fool’s errand, a Sisyphean task that will drive anyone who attempts it mad.

So, my resolution isn’t to try to watch more anime. Rather than my usual five shows per season, I’m going to cut it down to three. I’ll still be reading manga before bed – I’m not ready to give up on One Piece just yet – but I’m happy to focus on the shows I enjoy rather than try to watch a bit of everything. And if I end up not liking a show, that’s fine too! I can just drop it and focus on the things that I like. The idea is to watch less for the sake of watching it, like a tick box exercise meant to keep me busy and give myself the chance to fall in love with a show.

For the Winter 2025 anime season, I’m focusing on three shows to give my renewed attention to. Sakamoto Days has all the hype in the world behind it from its manga, plus I'm a sucker for a story about a dad who will do anything for his family. Similarly, Solo Leveling is almost guaranteed to be a huge hit this year, following last year’s success. This leaves my third show as Honey Lemon Soda, which has all the makings of the kind of romance anime that I love to obsess over.

How well I’ll be able to stick to this resolution is still up in the air. I’ve got a backlog of shows to watch and I’d really like to do a rewatch of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt before the new season comes out this year. Plus, the end of My Hero Academia’s anime adaptation is going to be an event for anime fans – one that I can’t miss. However, I’m hopeful that I can make time to savor the shows I watch more. Join me as I watch less and enjoy more anime in 2025.

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