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Bombing the trigonometry final, taking a dodgeball to the face, realizing one’s crush is infatuated with the quarterback — experiences like these can sour students towards school. Yet for all the stress that it can bring,school can be magical. It has its glorious moments: making friends, nailing classwork that once seemed impossible, and summoning the courage to step out on stage and be the best Hamlet that 200-person auditorium has ever seen. That makes it all worth it.
Whether elementary, high school, or college, theschools in these animebecome breeding grounds for new experiences. They draw shy characters out of their shells, test the mettle of the bravest jocks, and once in a while even force fierce rivals to consider becoming friends.
Sports anime are going to be omitted.
Updated Jun 26, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Spring 2025 is here, which means a whole host of new shows are debuting, some of which have the potential to eventually rank among thebest school animeof all time.
New School Anime Spring 2025
While not containing any all-time great school anime,Winter 2025 was overall a pretty good seasonthat covered most of its bases. AsSolo LevelingandSakamoto Daysfade into history, dozens of new anime are taking center stage, all of which are hoping to leave their mark on the industry. As always, stories set in schools and academies are part of the season’s lineup, although high schools are arguably not as inescapable as usual.
Wind BreakerandAharen Is Indecipherableare among Spring 2025’s bigger shows, particularly the former. Both anime are predominantly set in schools, but they hardly need introductions at this point. Consequently, let’s highlight a few new school anime that will, hopefully, rank among the setting’s best offerings when everything is said and done.
The definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover,“Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpaiis a pretty great teen drama that does not lean into fanservice all that much, despite the title implying that is the case. The anime revolves around a male student named Sakuta who, one day, sees his classmate, Mai, walking through a library in a bunny suit. To his surprise, nobody else reacts. The two end up learning about Adolescence Syndrome, manifestations based on a person’s insecurities. After Mai, Sakuta winds up helping a bunch of other girls going through similar things.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpaimostly takes place in a school, but it does venture away from that setting on occasion. While the supernatural syndrome is not that interesting of a concept, the anime works due to Mai and Sakuta’s relationship, with the characters being likable individuals who come together to create an even stronger couple.
Romance anime are fairly common, so newcomers must be truly special to stand out from the crowd. While starting relatively slowly,The Dangers in My Heartbuilds momentum throughout its first season, culminating in a strong conclusion that perfectly sets up afantastic sequel. Ichikawa is a loner with some rather dark fantasies, most of which revolve around his popular classmate named Anna. However, one day, he stumbles across the model as she is eating in the library, a meeting that sets the stage for a beautiful friendship that eventually morphs into something more.
Initially,The Dangers in My Heartmight seem to be just another basic wish-fulfillment fantasy about an average guy who, for some reason, attracts the attention of the school idol. Fortunately, the anime proves to be much more than just that, with both Ichikawa and Anna being three-dimensional figures with well-defined fears, passions, and depth.
Despite qualifying as aschool anime,The Dangers in My Heartis primarily about its core relationship. Season 2 does not spend too much time at the school.
Dandadanis everything. Want romance? Watch it. Want comedy? Watch it. Want action? Watch it. Wantcreative monster designs that take inspiration from sci-fi and mythology? Watch it. It is all-around brilliant and an easy recommendation for nearly everyone. That said, describing it as a full “school anime” seems a bit incorrect. For one, the characters often wear clothes besides their school uniforms, which must be an automatic disqualification.
In all seriousness,Dandadanspends a fair amount of time at Momo and Ken’s high school, with some of the most important moments happening inside the building. The lovable protagonists not only meet at school but their blossoming friendship is also echoed by their interactions with other students.Dandadanmight not be a traditionalschool anime, but it is one of the best anime that occasionally takes place in a school.
In a rollercoaster ride of love, hate, and emotional growth,Toradorais an excellent slice-of-life slash romance anime for both hard-core fans and newcomers to those genres. Ryuuji, a misunderstood loner with a bad reputation, begins to butt heads with the famous pipsqueak ruffian Taiga, known as the palmtop tiger.
What starts as a charged rivalry quickly turns into a loyal friendship, and then more. Ryuuji discovers more about himself while Taiga learns to handle her emotions better.Toradorahas laughs, cries, and some of the best character storylines in anime, and is well worth the watch.
Full Metal Panic!will have watchers scratching their heads at exactly what this anime is about. Mixed with a hodgepodge of genres from mecha to slice-of-life,Full Metal Panic!can give viewers a bit of whiplash. The spin-off seriesFull Metal Panic? Fumoffu!is just as wild a ride, with more variety in the story.
The main characters are Chidori Kaname, a secret military asset attending high school; and Sousuke Sagara, a highly trained soldier ordered to protect her at all costs. The daily lives of these two are unpredictable. Sosuke can not turn his lethal prowess off against average everyday students, and Chidori can’t have a normal high school day to save her life.
In a world where magic is used for everything from cleaning to military operations, some schools seek to groom and nurture the innate magical power of young students. In the first magic school, Tatsuya Shiba is an enigmatic loner who finds himself constantly enthralled in the social-political climate of his peers.
Having a high skill of magic and a mystery skill, Tatsuya quickly becomes the talk of the town when he’s thrust into the spotlight. However, he must ensure that his new-found popularity does not expose his after-hour activities.Irregular at Magic High Schoolis also set to get a sequel this year.
Oreki has very little interest in being noticed as he’s starting his freshman year in high school. He tries to keep to himself, lives an ordinary, mundane life, and saves his energy for his later years.
This plan is completely thrown off the rails when his sister drags him into saving the Classic Club which places him among the group’s small roster where spontaneous and overzealous adventures ensue and change Oreki’s view.
Hikigfaya is a typical loner who has little interest in people or things that he believes conform to societal norms. Having a very harsh worldview that states that love and friendship are fabrications that people full of themselves believe in, he spends most of his time alone and avoids any type of social interaction possible.
However, Hikigaya’s world is flipped upside down when he is reprimanded for writing an insensitive essay that lands him as the newest member of the Volunteer Service Club. Hikigaya is overwhelmed with a number of new responsibilities and a new social life he didn’t ask for.My Teen Romantic Comedy Sanfuis a true diamond in the rough that will wow many slice-of-life anime fans.
Hyakkao Private Academy is a highly esteemed school for the best and brightest in the country on the surface, but behind closed doors, it is a separate world of debauchery and addiction. With the entire student bodydominated by gamblingwhich shapes the hierarchy, students sometimes bet their freedom to climb the social ranks.
The established order is threatened when Yumeko Jabami, a seemingly innocent new student shakes things up with her lust for playing against high stakes and dethroning the top brass among the debt-filled hallways of the school.
Mashlesuccessfully rides theHarry Potterwave by gifting viewers with a hilarious anime parody of the renowned Wizarding World. Mash’s goal of becoming Easton Magic Academy’s next Chosen One seems impossible, considering the boy doesn’t have a magical bone in his body. However, he somehow makes up for this with pure, brute strength, hand-delivered by his incredibly muscular physique.
Mash’s hilarious adventures at theHogwarts-inspiredestablishment are fueled by cream puffs, friendship, and not much in-depth thinking. Basically, ifOne Punch Man’sSaitama swapped places with Harry Potter, what would thatanime schoollife look like exactly? Well, Mash has the answer.
