Announcing the Top 20 Movies That Got People Talking on note in the Second Half of 2025!

There is not much left of 2025. What movies did you watch this year? Was there a film that left a lasting impression on you?

We have finished tallying the submissions for the "#MovieReview" campaign, and the top 20 movies that were the talk of note in the second half of the year have been decided. The 2025 second-half movie ranking, created by everyone, is finally here!

2025 Second Half Movie Ranking Top 20

Taking the number one spot is "Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc", which was adapted into an anime in 2022 and marks the first theatrical film in the series. In second place is "Exit 8", the live-action adaptation of the indie game that became a hot topic immediately after its release thanks to many game streamers. Coming in third is "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc: Part 1, Akaza Returns", the latest installment in the blockbuster anime series that holds the top two spots for highest-grossing films in Japanese history combined.

The list from 4th place onwards is also full of masterpieces, but did your favorite movies or the ones you watched make the cut? From here on, we will introduce the top 5 films along with your movie reviews.

1st Place: "Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc"

Reze, a girl Denji meets by chance in a phone booth on a rainy day. Even though he has his heart set on Makima, Denji cannot stop himself from being drawn to her carefree smile—.

Many people felt a sense of poignancy at the gap between the romantic sparkle of the scene where the two connect at school at night and the cruel fate that awaits them. As for the animation, many comments praised the beauty of the lyrical depictions in the first half and the excitement of the battle scenes in the second half.

2nd Place: "Exit 8"

A man finds himself lost in an infinitely looping subway passage. There is only one way to escape: if there is an "anomaly," turn back; if not, keep moving forward. Can the man avoid the anomalies that attack one after another and make it out safely?

On note, there was lively discussion and analysis regarding the story and the final scene, as well as surprise and praise for adapting the film without losing the charm of the original game. The excellent performance by lead actor Kazunari Ninomiya, who is also a gamer, was also a hot topic.

3rd Place: "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc: Part 1, Akaza Returns"

The final battle begins. Lured into the Infinity Castle, the stronghold of demons, by Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon Slayer Corps members enter a life-or-death battle against the Upper Rank demons. As comrades fall, Tanjiro must once again face his formidable enemy, Akaza, the killer of Kyojuro Rengoku—.

There were many comments about the joy of experiencing the world read in the manga through animation, and many said they cried because they empathized with the characters. It seems many people also took the message underlying the work to heart and reflected on their own way of life.

4th Place: "5 Centimeters per Second"

Spring 1991. Takaki and Akari, who met at an elementary school in Tokyo, are separated due to their parents' job transfers. Eighteen years later, as adults, they are living in Tokyo again without realizing each other's presence. All while holding onto a "certain promise" they made as children—.

This live-action adaptation of director Makoto Shinkai's anime of the same name captured the hearts of the audience with its carefully recreated and reconstructed story and nostalgic visuals, even among the many die-hard fans of the original. On note, in addition to reviews comparing it to the original, there were comments about being "blown away" by the performance of lead actor Hokuto Matsumura.

5th Place: "Bomb"

A film adaptation of the bestselling novel by Katsuhiro Go. Tagosaku Suzuki, a dull middle-aged man, starts saying in an interrogation room after being arrested for drunkenness that he has psychic powers and can predict incidents. Immediately after, an explosion occurs in Akihabara—.

Many comments mentioned being on the edge of their seats during the battle of wits in a small room, praised the uncanny performance of Jiro Sato as Tagosaku Suzuki, and discussed the story—where all of Japan is swallowed by chaos—as not being unrelated to reality, with many reviews touching on the problems currently facing Japanese society.

That concludes our introduction of the works from 1st to 5th place.

In every article, we could feel the intense passion for the works, and it was clear that you are not just watching and enjoying movies, but also engaging with them again by talking about them, trying to savor them even more deeply. Thank you to everyone who posted with '#MovieReview'!

When you watch a movie, write a '#MovieReview'!

note is currently accepting submissions for "#MovieReview". If you think, "That was interesting!" or "I want to preserve this moving experience! I want to share it!", why not feel free to post? note has many convenient features for writing movie reviews.

Spoiler Prevention

You want to touch on the core of the content, but you're worried about whether it's okay to post something that contains spoilers. In such cases, by adding the hashtag "#Spoiler", a warning will be displayed at the top of the article, allowing you to inform readers in advance that it contains spoilers.

Embedding Filmarks

Many of you might be compiling your movie reviews on movie review sites. On note, you can automatically embed Filmarks content as shown below simply by pasting the Filmarks URL into your article.

If you have anything extra you'd like to talk about, or thoughts that didn't fit into your review, why not write them down on note?

Everyone's Photo Gallery

When you're struggling with a header image for your article, "Everyone's Photo Gallery" is recommended. Sometimes official movie accounts provide images, so please try searching for the work's title in the search window within the gallery. Among the works that ranked this time, "Bakudan" and "Treasure Island" have provided scene photos.

Embedding Netflix

For those who watch movies via streaming, the Netflix embedding feature is also recommended. If you embed Netflix movie or drama work information into your article, you can watch the trailer right there, so please try using it.

The full-year 2025 movie ranking will also be announced later from the note Inc. account, so please look forward to it. We look forward to your movie reviews again next year!