Japan already has a new anime from 2025 better than solo leveling

Solo Leveling has absolutely taken over the world, especially the international market, thanks in large part to its incredible action and fast-paced storytelling. The series is considered one of the very best globally. Anime that blow up in Japan and those that become popular overseas usually overlap, but that's not always the case. Solo Levelingwhile it's huge overseas, it hasn't really caught on in Japan, and that's something that's definitely left fans confused. When you were in the West, Solo Leveling was crowned Anime of the Year 2025in Japan, the highest rated anime is actually Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc.

Overseas, Black Butler was popular a few years ago, but it has definitely been overshadowed in recent years by other major series. Japan also seems to be obsessed with the likes of The Apothecary Diaries and Uma Musume, as evidenced by the poll results on Filmarks for the first half of 2025.

Solo Leveling is big overseas, but Japan's highest-rated anime in the first half of 2025 is Black Butler

Black Butler_ Emerald Witch Arc episode 2 sleglinde

Solo Leveling has never exploded in Japan
Black Butler has proven to be more popular

Film brands is no small review service. It's actually the biggest in Japan, and the rankings they put out are reliable and usually a good indicator of which series are making it big in Japan. The results for the first half of 2025 are out, and many fans were shocked to see that Solo Leveling, the biggest anime in the West at the moment, is actually nowhere to be seen in the top 10.

Instead, What took the top spot is actually Black Butlerspecifically Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc. This surprised some, as this new season of Black Butler was not a big hit overseas. Black Butler used to be a huge series with a dedicated fan base a few years ago, but many fans overseas have lost interest. In Japan, the hype is still very much alive.

“Although I'm happy with the response, I personally don't think the series is known by everyone at this point. Solo Leveling is not as widely recognized in Japan yet. As a Japanese living in Japan, the anime is not at the level of Dragon Ball, One Piece or Naruto. But if season three happens, that's when I really want to break that line.” – Atsushi Kaneko

Japan's second big hit 2025 series

Apothecary Diaries is among the most popular anime

Black Butler isn't the only series blowing Solo Leveling out of the water in Japan. The top 10 ranking is out, and Solo Leveling didn't make it. In fact, most foreign fans don't even recognize any of the series that were big in Japan in early 2025, except for The Apothecary Diaries.

The Apothecary Diaries, which returned in 2025 with its second season, has proven to be one domestic and international success. The series has gained traction worldwide, and fans can definitely see why. The storytelling, romance, mystery and suspense have stuck with fans. While it just is the fifth highest rated series on Filmarks for the first halfit's actually the one with the most overall reviews, which says a lot about how mainstream it's become.

Ratings for best anime at Filmmarks for Japan first half of 2025:

Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc — 4.46 stars / 948 reviews
Uma Musume Cinderella Gray — 4.38 stars / 1,024 reviews
Lycoris Recoil: Friends Are Thieves of Time — 4.33 stars / 1,755 reviews
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man — 4.32 stars / 1,472 reviews
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 — 4.27 stars / 6,623 reviews
Medalist — 4.26 stars / 7,269 reviews
Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary Season 2 — 4.24 stars / 1,590 reviews
Apocalypse Hotel — 4.21 stars / 1,568 reviews
Fire Force Season 3 — 4.21 stars / 1,074 reviews
Re:Zero Season 3 — 4.20 stars / 3,190 reviews

Solo Leveling has two seasons out right now, one with 12 episodes and the other with 13, for a combined episode count of 25 episodes available to watch right now. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll for fans to enjoy while they wait for more news about the third season. For fans who can't wait for season 3, checking out the manhwa might be a good option.