by Gradually gaining popularity
There are many cases where the entertainment value of an anime does not necessarily correlate with the public attention it receives. Many works, such as “Kemono Friends,” “PUI PUI Molcar,” and “Oi! Tonbo,” have become popular due to their content, despite their initial attention.
The summer 2025 anime is no exception, with X’s follower count at less than 20,000 as of late July. (For reference, the sequel “Mr. Osomatsu Season 4” has just under 600,000 followers, while the new work “Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku” has just over 110,000.) Here are three works that are less popular but still incredibly entertaining.
” Lapis Lazuli Houseki ” (X Followers: Approximately 16,000) “Lapis Lazuli Houseki” is a science adventure story about a high school girl named Tanigawa Ruri (voiced by Nemoto Kyori), who loves sparkly things like gems and accessories, and who, after meeting Arato Nagi (voiced by Seto Asami), a graduate student majoring in mineralogy, dives into the world of mineral collecting.
While mineral collecting may seem like a rather mundane theme, this work boasts the visual beauty typical of Studio Bind, the studio behind “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation” and “Big Brother is Over!”. Endless scenes, not just of the characters but also of the backgrounds, draw you deeply into the world.
“Clebates: The King of Beasts, the Baby, and the Corpse Hero” (X Followers: Approximately 13,000). While some may be tired of the constant stream of fantasy stories set in other worlds, this slightly different work is well worth a watch. As the subtitle suggests, this story follows the mighty king of demonic beasts, Crebates (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura and Mutsumi Tamura), as he raises the baby Luna (voiced by Saya Aizawa) alongside the hero Alicia (voiced by Haruka Shiraishi ), who was turned into a corpse after confronting him.
The story begins with Alicia and the other heroes being ravaged by Crebates in the first episode. It continues with the dark fantasy of Luna’s nanny, Nel (voiced by Aoi Yuki), who was poorly treated by a band of bandits. The visual quality is high, and while there are some gruesome moments, fans of solid fantasy will enjoy it.
“Wataru-kun’s XX is on the verge of collapse” (X followers: approximately 6,100) “Wataru-kun’s XX is on the verge of collapse” is a romantic comedy about the protagonist, high school student Naoto Wataru (voiced by Shuichiro Umeda ), who has a crush on his childhood friend, the class Madonna, and his sister who has a brother complex.
While this overview may seem like a typical harem anime, each heroine is unique and has her quirks. For example, not only is Naoto disliked by his childhood friend for once vandalizing the Wataru family’s fields, but when they reunite after six years, she suddenly gives him a deep kiss and pushes him down. When Naoto has a cold, she sneaks into his bed and takes suppositories from his clothes.
The other characters also have their own “crazy” moments that suggest an obsession that goes beyond straightforward “love,” and which heroine Wataru will ultimately choose (or not) is a significant highlight of this season.
