Best Anime to Watch During the Holidays (2025 Edition)

The holidays are here, and this is usually the time when you want something comfortable. Something you can watch without rushing. Something you can finish while wrapped in a blanket, half-asleep, with a warm drink next to you. If that sounds familiar, this list is for you.

These seven anime are easy to settle into, emotionally rewarding, and perfect for slow holiday days when you want comfort without boredom.

Frieren: Learning to Treasure Time

At this point, it feels like everything that can be said about Frieren has already been said (read our views on Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End here). And yet, if you still have not watched it, the holidays are the perfect excuse.

When Frieren is not dealing with demons or quietly devastating emotional moments, it is a deeply calm journey-focused story. It finds beauty in everyday interactions, small memories, and the passage of time. The show has an incredible ability to make you pause and think about the people around you and the moments you often overlook.

For returning viewers, this is also an ideal time for a rewatch, especially with Season 2 scheduled for January 2026. Frieren works even better when watched slowly, without distractions. Catch it on Crunchyroll.

Spy x Family: A Fake Family That Feels Real

You have seen Anya everywhere. She has basically become one of the most recognisable anime characters of recent years. But Spy x Family is far more than just meme culture.

At its core, the show is about three deeply dysfunctional people pretending to be a family. A spy, an assassin, and a telepathic child come together for purely practical reasons. What starts as a mission requirement slowly turns into something genuine, even if none of them want to admit it.

While the initial hype has settled down, the series remains consistently strong. Recent seasons explore more of Loid’s past and give Yor more emotional depth, making this a great time to catch up or revisit the Forgers if you want something wholesome, funny, and warm-hearted.

A Place Further Than the Universe: Chasing Something Bigger

There is a line in this show that mentions how Antarctica is farther from Japan than space is from the ground. It sounds dramatic, but it perfectly captures the spirit of the story.

Mari Tamaki is a high school student who wants to do something meaningful with her youth but is too afraid to take the first step. She meets Shirase Kobuchizawa, who is determined to travel to Antarctica, the place where her mother disappeared years ago. Along with Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi, they join an expedition that completely changes their lives.

What initially looks like a light-hearted adventure slowly reveals itself as a story about ambition, loss, friendship, and the cost of chasing your dreams. The emotional payoff is powerful, and the sense of wonder throughout the journey is beautifully captured in 13 episode series.

Laid-Back Camp: Pure Comfort in Anime Form

That feeling of staying in bed on a cold morning, wrapped in a warm blanket, with no urgency to move. Laid-Back Camp feels exactly like that.

The series follows Rin, Nadeshiko, Chiaki, and Aoi as they travel across Japan, camping together and enjoying the simplicity of everyday life. Rin prefers solo camping and brings practical knowledge, while Nadeshiko brings warmth, enthusiasm, and chaos. Over time, the group discovers that shared experiences matter just as much as personal comfort.

It is quiet, gentle, and never tries to be anything more than what it is. Just make yourself a hot drink and let the show do its thing.

Noragami: Chaos, Comedy, and Emotional Bonds

If you want something with a bit more energy, but still not overwhelming, Noragami hits a sweet spot.

The story follows Yato, a minor god with terrible luck and almost no followers. After being saved by Hiyori Iki in a near-fatal accident, her soul becomes unstable, pulling her into the hidden world of gods and spirits. Alongside Yato’s shinki, Yukine, the trio navigates conflicts on both the Near Shore and Far Shore.

While the show has action and supernatural elements, its emotional core lies in the relationships between the characters. Themes of identity, self-worth, and belonging are explored in surprisingly heartfelt ways beneath the chaos. And watchout the opening can be addictive, you might end up listening to it for 6 years.

Hyouka: Mysteries That Feel Personal

If you feel like solving mysteries but do not have the mental energy for murder cases, Hyouka is a perfect alternative.

The series focuses on small, everyday mysteries that quietly bother people. Missing books, strange classroom behaviour, unresolved curiosities. Oreki Hotaro wants nothing more than to conserve energy, but his life is constantly disrupted by the endlessly curious Eru Chitanda.

What makes Hyouka special is not just the mysteries, but the atmosphere. The pacing is calm, the visuals are stunning, and the character dynamics feel incredibly natural. It is one of those shows people quietly recommend with absolute confidence, and for good reason.

Romantic Killer: A Rom-Com That Knows the Joke

Romantic Killer takes familiar rom-com tropes and completely flips them on their head. Anzu has zero interest in romance. She cares about video games, chocolate, and her cat. Enter Riri, a self-proclaimed love cupid determined to force Anzu into a shoujo-style romantic life filled with handsome love interests. Needless to say, Anzu is not impressed.

The series leans heavily into comedy but gradually reveals a surprisingly sincere emotional core. It is self-aware, funny, and ends on a genuinely heartfelt note. With only one season, it is easy to binge and works perfectly as a light holiday watch. It is currently available on Netflix.

Final Thoughts: Comfort Over Chaos

Holiday watching does not need to be intense or overwhelming. Sometimes, the best anime are the ones that let you slow down, reflect, laugh a little, and feel something without emotional exhaustion. Every show on this list offers comfort in a different way, whether through warmth, humour, quiet introspection, or gentle adventure. If you are looking to reset before the new year, these anime are a great place to start.

What Are You Watching This Holiday Season?

Have you already watched some of these, or is this your first time hearing about a few of them? Everyone’s idea of a comfort anime is different, and that is part of the fun. Let us know which shows you are planning to watch this holiday season, and which anime you always return to when you need something familiar. You might help someone else discover their next comfort watch.

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