Summer’s fading, and September’s the perfect breather before the fall anime wave kicks off especially on Crunchyroll. If you’ve been meaning to catch up or revisit something solid, now’s the time.
Grimgar: Ashes & Illusions
If you’ve written off isekai as power trip nonsense and fan service bait, Grimgar might surprise you. Based on Ao Jumonji’s light novel series, it starts with the usual setup: people wake up in a fantasy world with no memory of how they got there. But it ditches the power fantasy fast.
These characters struggle. It takes three whole episodes before they manage to take down a single goblin. Combat is slow and clumsy. Deaths matter. The show leans into a grounded pace and shows how hard it is to survive in a world you don’t understand. If you’re tired of invincible protagonists, Grimgar is a welcome change.
Hell’s Paradise
If you missed MAPPA’s Hell’s Paradise adaptation in 2023, now’s a good time to catch up. Season two is coming in January. This one delivers high tier animation, brutal combat, and a surprisingly thoughtful story. Think Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer but darker and maybe even deeper.
The story follows Gabimaru the Hollow, a condemned ninja given a chance at freedom if he can retrieve the Elixir of Life from an island no one returns from. The fights are intense, the pacing is sharp, and the cast has more going on than you’d expect. It’s a strong mix of action and existential dread.
Clevatess
One of Summer 2025’s quieter releases, Clevatess slipped past a lot of people. It had stiff competition, but don’t overlook it. Set in a dark fantasy world, the show follows one of the four massive beasts that rule the edge of the kingdom.
After centuries of being hunted by humans, Clevatess heads toward the center of the realm, looking for answers. The worldbuilding is detailed, the atmosphere is heavy, and the tone leans more Berserk than Attack on Titan. If you’re into morally grey monsters and bloody storytelling, this is one to watch.
Hunter x Hunter
You already know if you’ve seen it. If you haven’t, this is the time. Hunter x Hunter 2011 is one of the best long running shonen anime out there, and it’s all on Crunchyroll. Gon’s journey to find his dad starts simple but spins out into arcs with real weight and consequences.
The Chimera Ant arc alone is worth the ride. With Yoshihiro Togashi back to drawing the manga again, now’s the perfect time to catch up or rewatch. The show still holds up in pacing, character development, and emotional payoff.
The God of High School
This one’s pure chaos, in a good way. The God of High School dropped in 2020 and made some noise, but never quite hit the level of fame that Solo Leveling or Tower of God did. Still, it’s a fun, fast paced ride.
High schoolers with martial arts skills battle in a mysterious tournament, and it just keeps escalating. The plot gets wild, but that’s part of the charm. If you want a flashy, over the top action series with stylish fights and no filler, it’s a solid binge.
Lord of Mysteries
Technically not anime, it’s a donghua, but if you care more about the story than the label, you’ll find a lot to like. Lord of Mysteries is based on a Chinese web novel and combines dark magic, detective work, and steampunk tech.
The protagonist wakes up in someone else’s body and has to unravel both a mystery and his new identity. The vibe is very Bloodborne meets Sherlock Holmes. It’s one of the more visually polished donghua out there and deserves a bigger audience. Crunchyroll has it, so give it a shot.
Given
Need a break from all the action? Given is a quieter story about grief, music, and connection. It’s one of the more well known BL (boys’ love) series, but the core emotional beats are universal.
Four students form a band, and as their music grows, so do their relationships. If you like character driven drama and emotionally grounded storytelling, this one delivers. There are a few movies that continue the story too, so you can stick with the band for a while.
The Heike Story
Criminally underwatched. The Heike Story, animated by Science SARU, adapts a Japanese epic about the rise and fall of the Taira clan. It’s visually distinct, emotionally heavy, and short enough to finish in a weekend.
The show follows Biwa, a girl with the ability to see the future, as she witnesses a political family’s downfall. If you want something beautiful, poetic, and packed with meaning, this is a hidden gem worth your time.
Great Teacher Onizuka
Not enough people talk about GTO anymore. Eikichi Onizuka is a former biker gang member who decides to become a teacher. It’s dated in places, no doubt.
But the show’s core message, about redemption, growth, and giving a damn when no one else will, still lands. It’s funny, messy, and surprisingly heartfelt. If you can handle some early 2000s weirdness, this one has depth hiding under the rough edges.
My Hero Academia
With the final season starting October 4, there’s still time to catch up. My Hero Academia has had a solid run, seven seasons of superhero school drama, character growth, and some of the best animated fights in modern shonen.
The worldbuilding has gotten darker over time, but that’s only made the payoff stronger. If you’ve been holding off or fell off a few seasons ago, now’s the moment to jump back in.
What to Watch in September 2025 on Crunchyroll
Fall’s coming, and the big premieres are almost here. But September isn’t just filler. This is that perfect reset window to clear your backlog, revisit something great, or finally check out that anime everyone’s been yelling about for years.
Whether you’re here for the fights, the feels, or the weird stuff, Crunchyroll has something that’ll hit. Just don’t wait too long, October’s gonna get crowded fast.