Solo Leveling May Be Huge, But a New Record Proves 2025's Biggest Anime Franchise Is the Last One You'd Expect

2025 has been a great year for anime. With monster hits like Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries dominating fan conversations, competition for the year's biggest anime franchise has never been fiercer. Given the already heated competition for top spot, it's surprising that a franchise that isn't even airing a new anime this year just broke a big record and has suddenly catapulted itself to the forefront of conversations about the biggest franchises of 2025.