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The world is nearly a month deep into 2025, and many of the anime that have been promised for winter have premiered with their first episodes. But there are only so many hours in the day to dedicate to watching the slew of series that have come this season, and the long list can be as intimidating as the deadliest shōnen enemy.

Although there is a crop of splendid anime to pick from this season, only a handful are truly worth getting invested in. Great hits like Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries have returned for their second seasons, while there are new and fresh gems in the lineup like Sakamoto Days and Zenshu that can keep even the pickiest anime fan entertained.

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Crunchyroll may have already recently featured two different anime that blend isekai and reverse isekai together, but a new series called Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! not only explores this rarity effectively but introduces a unique way in which characters travel between worlds, further distinguishing itself from even the most popular isekai anime. Meanwhile, both of the worlds in Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! are connected by a secret ingredient that makes all the difference - a subtle touch of romance.

The way characters travel between worlds is through sleep, and the few rules known about it make this already unique "vessel" even more compelling. The human earthling Kazuhiro Kitase travels to a magical world in his dreams, where he sometimes adventures with the eponymous elf Mariabelle or Marie. Upon waking up, he always finds himself back in his bed on Earth. What's so interesting is that, one day, Marie...

After the premiere of the first episode on January 10, the Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! TV anime released the music videos for its opening and ending theme songs on YouTube. Voice actor and singer Rico Sasaki sings the opening theme song "Palette Days." The CD single is set to release in Japan on February 26, 2025, as her second single from Bandai Namco Music Live's music label, Lantis. She is also cast as one of the anime's main characters, Mewi. Rico Sasaki "Palette Days" Music Video Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Creditless Opening Video Ahead of the CD release, the title tune "Palette Days" is now available on digital platforms for streaming and download. Meanwhile, Kaede Higuchi and Kanae , VTubers who belong to Nijisanji, sing the ending theme song "Yummy Yummy" . The CD single is set to release in Japan on January 29, 2025. Kaede Higuchi and Kanae "Yummy Yummy" Music Video Welcome to Japan,...

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! —an upcoming TV anime based on the reverse isekai fantasy light novel series—has published an updated piece of key art with a different seasonal variation. Dubbed the “Cherry Blossom version," the new version (below) depicts Ms. Elf and her friends enjoying a spring day rather than the autumn one from the earlier piece. Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! will broadcast in Japan as part of the Tokyo Broadcasting System's “Animeism” programming block beginning on January 10, 2025. Crunchyroll will also stream the series as part of the winter 2025 anime simulcast lineup . The original Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! light novels are written by Makishima Suzuki, illustrated by Yappen and published in Japan by Hobby Japan under their Hj Novels imprint. J-Novel Club also publishes an English language version of the light novels and the manga adaptation with artwork by Shimo Aono . Toru Kitahata directs the TV anime at animation studio Zero-g.

With a new year comes a brand-new season of anime, and the winter 2025 season is already stacked with continuations of well-received series like the second installment of Solo Leveling and Dr. Stone: Science Future. But there will also be a mountain of fresh anime from renowned studios and well-known directors.

Anime winter 2025 has a stream of original stories and adaptations of manga and light novels in the lineup, many of which will easily be available on Crunchyroll, so anime fans will be able to start the year off strong by diving into some great action-packed comedies, heartfelt romances, and exciting fantasy series from studios like Mappa and Tms Entertainment. And, hopefully, the strong start will be an indication of another fantastic year for anime.

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Ahead of a January 10, 2025 premiere on Japanese television, the official website and accounts for the Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! anime today unveiled a main trailer that highlights the series' cast and theme songs. Riko Sasaki ( Bofuri Ed) performs "Palette" Days for the opening song, while VTubers Kaede Higuchi and Kanae perform "Yummy Yummy" for the ending song. The anime's main cast is as follows (in order of appearance): Kazuhiro Kitase voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi Marie voiced by Kaede Hondo Wridra voiced by Yumi Uchiyama Mewi voiced by Riko Sasaki Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Main Trailer New character illustrations for Marie and Wridra were also unveiled. Marie Marie (Yukata) Wridra Wridra (Yukata) Related: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! TV Anime Says Hi to Main Cast in First Teaser Trailer, Visual Based on the light novels by Suzuki Makishima and Yappen, Toru Kitahata directs the Welcome to Japan, Ms.

The official website for voice actor and singer Rico Sasaki announced that her next CD single "Palette Days" is set to release on February 26, 2025. It will be her second single from Bandai Namco Music Live's music label, Lantis, following "Windshifter" ( TV anime Rinkai! opening theme) released in May 2024. "Palette Days" will be featured as the opening theme for the winter 2025 TV anime Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! , in which she is also cast as one of the main characters, Mewi. Her website describes the song as: "A heartwarming song that is like a palette of favorite things, memories, and colorful emotions. It also evokes the joy of learning about things you don't know and the wonder of endless encounters, as depicted in the story of the anime." In addition to the title track, the three-song CD single also includes one song written and composed by Sasaki herself. Two CD jackets,...

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! – an upcoming TV anime based on the reverse isekai fantasy light novel series – has revealed a wealth of new information for the series, including new key (below), two new cast additions and information about the official theme songs. The series will broadcast in Japan as part of the Tokyo Broadcasting System's “Animeism” programming block beginning in January 2025. The new cast members include Wridra (voiced by Miyu Uchiyama) and Mewi (voiced by Rico Sasaki). Rico Sasaki performs the opening theme song for the series, which is entitled “Palette Days”. Kaede Higuchi and Kanae of Nijisanji perform the ending theme song for the series, which is a duet entitled “Yummy Yummy”. The original Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! light novels are written by Makishima Suzuki, illustrated by Yappen, and published in Japan by Hobby Japan under their Hj Novels imprint. J-Novel Club also publishes an English language...

Disclosure: Three former Crunchyroll employees are among the founders of Azuki. Digital manga subscription service Azuki announced a new partnership with J-Novel Club that adds 21 new manga titles to Azuki's lineup. Among these are some series with anime adaptations like I Parry Everything , I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons and Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles . Azuki then gave that total a boost to 23 with two new indie manga additions from Star Fruit Books. Topping off the publisher's Anime Expo 2024 announcements were plans to bring Mao Nakada's You're Sloppy, Hotta-sensei to the ebook format, with pre-orders now live via Amazon, BookWalker, Google Play Books and Apple Books. Check out the full list of new titles from both J-Novel Club and Star Fruit Books: Azuki x J-Novel Club 8th Loop for the Win! With Seven Lives’ Worth of Xp and the Third Princess’s Appraisal Skill, My Behemoth and I Are Unstoppable!