Latest news with #AnimeoftheYear
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
All the winners of the 2025 Anime Awards
Despite a very impressive gathering of Asian animation talent, one series dominated the 2025 Anime Awards. Here are all the winners announced during the 25 May ceremony in Tokyo. Between enchanting fantasy, high school romance, and supernatural thrillers, the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards looked set to be a showdown between heavyweights of the animation industry in Asia. This year, series like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, The Apothecary Diaries, Dan Da Dan, and Delicious in Dungeon all went head-to-head, but out of nowhere, it was Solo Leveling that dominated the awards show, which was hosted in Tokyo on 25 May. Winning nine of the 13 awards it was nominated for, Solo Leveling took home all the glory when it clinched the coveted Anime of the Year prize. It's worth noting that this year's Crunchyroll Anime Awards covered all anime released from October 2023 through to December 2024, meaning that only the first season of Solo Leveling was eligible. The show, which is based on the South Korean web novel of the same name and its webtoon adaptation, has been a massive hit since it first debuted in January 2024. A power fantasy about a monster-hunter named Sung Jin-woo, who rises in status from weakling to an absurdly powerful necromancer, Solo Leveling has been a critical and commercial smash hit so far. The series is available with a Crunchyroll subscription. While Solo Leveling was a lock to win awards like 'Best Action,' there has been spirited debate online over the other awards it bagged. With anime like Frieren – about an elven mage who outlives her adventuring companions – and Dan Da Dan – where high schoolers battle both aliens and the supernatural – also nominated for 'Best New Anime Series,' fans of those shows (both on Netflix) felt that Solo Leveling's win was underserved compared to how those series feature more nuanced and layered storytelling in comparison. Other notable 2025 winners included Anime Film of the Year Look Back, from Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, about two young girls who bond over drawing manga (and which is on Prime Video); ever-popular Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Best Continuing Series and Best Animation); and Blue Box (Best Romance), where teens deal with complicated feelings as they train for basketball Nationals. Both Demon Slayer and Blue Box are in the South African Netflix library. For the record, voting for the Anime Awards is weighted 70/30 between a panel of anime industry judges and public opinion. The accolades have been dished out since 2017, when groundbreaking figure skating drama Yuri on Ice became the first Anime of the Year winner. The 2025 Awards Ceremony was an emotional night for the people who worked on the iconic Attack on Titan anime, as well as it was awarded Crunchyroll's first-ever Global Impact Award to honour the mark it had made on pop culture worldwide since debuting back in 2013. Looking ahead, this year will see several highly anticipated anime films and TV series released. A trilogy of Demon Slayer films will wrap up the anime, and the next arc of Chainsaw Man will also be on the silver screen. Meanwhile, on TV, while anime series like Dragon Ball Daima, Sakamoto Days, and Lazarus are earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike, new seasons of megapopular properties like Spy x Family, One-Punch Man, and My Hero Academia are lined up for home viewing later in 2025. DM This story was first published on PFangirl. Below you'll find all of this year's winners, while a full list, including nominees, can also be found here. 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners Anime of the Year Solo Leveling Film of the Year Look Back Best Original Anime Ninja Kamui Best Continuing Series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc Best New Series Solo Leveling Best Opening Sequence 'Otonoke' – Creepy Nuts (Dan Da Dan) Best Ending Sequence 'request' – krage (Solo Leveling) Best Action Solo Leveling Best Comedy Mashle: Magic and Muscles – The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc Best Drama Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Best Isekai Anime Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World – Season 3 Best Romance Blue Box Best Slice of Life Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Best Animation Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc Best Background Art Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Best Character Design Dan Da Dan Best Director Keiichiro Saito (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End) Best Main Character Sung Jinwoo (Solo Leveling) Best Supporting Character Fern (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End) 'Must Protect At All Costs' Character Anya Forger (Spy × Family, Season 2) Best Anime Song 'Otonoke' – Creepy Nuts (Dan Da Dan) Best Score Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano Voice Performance Awards Japanese Aoi Yuki (Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries) English Aleks Le (Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling) Arabic Hiba Snobar (Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2) Brazilian Portuguese Charles Emmanuel (Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling) Castilian Spanish Masumi Mutsuda (Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling) French Adrien Antoine (Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8) German Daniel Schlauch (Monkey D. Luffy – One Piece) Hindi Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo – Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 2) Italian Ilaria Pellicone (Kyomoto – Look Back) Latin Spanish
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Every Winner at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The 2025 edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards took place on Sunday, with dozens of awards given away to some of the best anime series and movies of yesteryear. The stream was an exciting affair, filled with celebrity appearances, performances from artists like Creepy Nuts – best known for its theme song Otonoke from Dan Da Dan – and much more. We've got the full list of Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 winners below, along with a quick summary of the biggest winners of the night. Solo Leveling director Shunsuke Nakashige accepts the Anime of the Year award on stage at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 in Tokyo. Solo Leveling director Shunsuke Nakashige accepts the Anime of the Year award on stage at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 in Tokyo. Crunchyroll Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: All Awards Winners The big winner of the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards was Solo Leveling, which took home a staggering 9 awards at the show, including the coveted Anime of the Year awards. That was a little bit surprising to many, who expected Dan Da Dan would clean up at the awards — it took home three awards when all was said and done, just a little behind Frieren's four. Here's the full list:
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Yuichiro Hayashi receiving first-ever Global Impact Award for Attack on Titan leaves anime fans emotional: 'Well deserved, King'
The 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards took place on Sunday (May 25) at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, celebrating the year's best in anime. Solo Leveling dominated the night with six major wins, including the coveted Anime of the Year title. Look Back was crowned as Film of the Year. But the most emotional highlight came when the first-ever Global Impact Award was presented to the legendary Attack on Titan, recognised for its massive contribution to anime's global popularity. A photo of director Yuichiro Hayashi, who helmed the anime's fourth and final season, accepting the award quickly went viral, stirring nostalgia among Attack on Titan fans. Attack on Titan wins first-ever Global Impact Award In a landmark moment, Attack on Titan was honoured with the first-ever Global Impact Award, recognising its profound cultural and artistic influence on anime and beyond. Director Yuichiro Hayashi accepted the award on behalf of studio MAPPA and the creators, following the release of Attack on Titan: The Last Attack. Speaking to Variety about the newly introduced category, Crunchyroll's Chief Operating Officer Gita Rebbapragada said, 'This year, we're proud to introduce the new Global Impact Award. We recently commissioned a study with National Research Group that explores just how important anime is to fans, especially Gen Z. For example, nearly 40% of teen anime fans consider anime a meaningful part of who they are, and 30% say it has influenced their outlook on life.' She added that the award aims to 'honor the series and films leaving a mark on culture and global fans alike.' Fans react to Yuichiro Hayashi receiving the Global Impact Award for Attack on Titan. The picture of animator Yuichiro Hayashi accepting the award on behalf of the team is being widely shared on X, with fans calling it a fitting tribute to an anime that defined a generation and opened the door to a whole new world. One fan wrote, "I miss reading the weekly anime-only discussion threads so much. It was such a peak era." I miss reading the weekly anime only discussion threads so much. It was such a peak era. "Ayy, my guy Yuichiro, killing' it! Well deserved, king," another added." Ayy, my guy Yuichiro Killin' it! 🔥 Well deserved, king. A third chimed in, "It must be an oddly surreal feeling to hold the first global award, deserved, he worked hard!" Must be an oddly surreal feeling to hold the first global award, deserved, he worked hard! "So deserving, not only for Attack on Titan but what his entire team did for the anime in, God forbid, horrible conditions," one user mentioned. So deserving, not only for Attack On Titan but what his entire team did for the anime in god forbid horrible can suck my shit. I am not supporting that studio for any upcoming project. More about Attack on Titan Based on Hajime Isayama's bestselling manga, Attack on Titan has become one of the most iconic anime series of all time. With over 140 million manga copies sold worldwide, the anime is widely recognised as a cultural force. The anime first aired in 2013 and wrapped up in late 2023 after four powerful seasons. The final arc, released in multiple parts, concluded with the special feature-length finale Attack on Titan: The Last Attack in 2024. From start to finish, the show gripped viewers with its dark themes, political undercurrents, and deeply human questions about war, freedom, and survival. Three of its seasons hold a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the series overall boasts over 95% in audience ratings, proving the power it holds over anime fans.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Fan-favorite action spectacle ‘Solo Leveling' topples fronturunner ‘Frieren' in massive populist upset
In a polarising turn of events, Solo Leveling has emerged as the undisputed champion of the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, walking away with a staggering seven trophies, including the coveted Anime of the Year. The community discourse has been lined with an undercurrent of discontent, as fans and critics alike questioned whether the action juggernaut had truly bested what many hail as one of the most poignant anime of the decade. For the legions of fans for the South Korean manhwa-turned-anime, it was vindication. For many others, especially devotees of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, it felt like betrayal. Held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, the ninth edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards drew an unprecedented 51 million votes from more than 200 countries. With celebrities like Kacey Musgraves, Gaten Matarazzo, Rina Sawayama, and J Balvin presenting awards, the event had the trappings of international spectacle. Yet, in the aftermath of the ceremony, the spotlight remains fixed on a single question: did Solo Leveling truly deserve to sweep the night? Solo Leveling wins Anime of the Year at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! 🏆 — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Adapted from Chugong's beloved webtoon, Solo Leveling follows Sung Jinwoo, a once-weak hunter who rises through brutal dungeons to become humanity's ultimate weapon. A-1 Pictures left no pixel unpolished, delivering adrenaline-fueled visuals, music from Attack on Titan veteran, Hiroyuki Sawano, and a relentless narrative tempo that captured the imagination of millions. The anime took home awards for Best Action, Best Score, Best Ending Sequence, Best Main Character, Best New Series, and multiple voice performance honors alongside Anime of the Year. The upset over Frieren's melancholic meditation on time, loss, and legacy, was met with outcry from segments of the anime community. Directed by Keiichiro Saito and animated by Madhouse, Frieren was praised for its emotional depth and gentle storytelling, following an immortal elf mage reckoning with the mortality of her long-gone comrades. The contrast between the two shows could not have been starker. Solo Leveling offered a speedy spectacle, while Frieren gradually unfolded like a contemplative novel. Frieren didn't walk away entirely empty-handed though — it won Best Drama, Best Background Art, Best Supporting Character (Fern), and Best Director for Saito. Yet the absence of the top honour has loomed large. The show has consistently topped fan-rating charts since early 2024, including MyAnimeList and Anime News Network, and many assumed it was the obvious frontrunner. Straddling the demands of blockbuster appeal and the yearning for introspective artistry, the Solo Leveling–Frieren face-off offers up a microcosm to the state of the anime community today. The situation speaks to a deeper tension in the anime world between artistry and populism. Crunchyroll's open voting format, which prioritises fan engagement over critical evaluation, has long been a subject of debate. And this year's outcome may have sharpened that divide. The controversy also sparked renewed scrutiny of other categories. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc won both Best Continuing Series and Best Animation — arguably deserved in the latter, but hotly contested in the former, especially given competition from long-running titans like One Pieceand Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Many have argued that the eight-episode arc lacked the narrative weight and scale of its predecessors, let alone its rivals. Elsewhere, Attack on Titan was honored with the inaugural Global Impact Award, a fitting tribute to the decade-long saga that has reshaped the cultural reach of anime in the past decade. The final chapter, The Last Attack, aired in late 2024, closing a monumental journey that began in 2013. Director Yuichiro Hayashi accepted the award on behalf of MAPPA. The night also saw spirited performances from musical acts like Creepy Nuts, who won Best Anime Song for Otonoke from Dandadan, and LiSA, who revisited fan-favorite hits like Gurenge from Demon Slayer. Here is the full list of winners from the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Anime of the Year – Solo Leveling Film of the Year – Look Back Best Original Anime – Ninja Kamui Best Continuing Series – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc Best New Series – Solo Leveling Best Opening Sequence – 'Otonoke' by Creepy Nuts – Dandadan Best Ending Sequence – 'request' by krage – Solo Leveling Best Action – Solo Leveling Best Comedy – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES – The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc Best Drama – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Best Isekai Anime – Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 Best Romance – Blue Box Best Slice of Life – Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Best Animation – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc Best Background Art – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Best Character Design – Dandadan Best Director – Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Best Main Character – Sung Jin-woo – Solo Leveling Best Supporting Character – Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End 'Must Protect At All Costs' Character – Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2 Best Anime Song – 'Otonoke' by Creepy Nuts – Dandadan Best Score – Hiroyuki Sawano – Solo Leveling Best Japanese Voice Artist Performance – Aoi Yuki (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries Best English Voice Artist Performance – Aleks Le (Sung Jin-woo) – Solo Leveling Global Impact Award – Attack on Titan
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Solo Leveling sets historic benchmark with 9 wins at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Solo Leveling shines at the 2025 Crunchyroll anime Awards (Image via Crunchyroll) In a landmark achievement for modern anime, Solo Leveling has etched its name in history by sweeping the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Winning in nine out of the 13 categories it was nominated for, the series not only cemented its place as a fan-favorite but also broke the record for the most awards won in a single year at the prestigious event. Solo Leveling wins Anime of the Year despite stiff competition Despite facing strong contenders like Kaiju No. 8, Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and Dandadan, Solo Leveling walked away with the coveted Anime of the Year award. What's remarkable is that it was only the fifth-most nominated anime of the night, making its dominant performance all the more impressive. The hit adaptation of Chugong's 2016 Korean web novel clinched additional honors in key categories like Best New Series, Best Action, and Best Main Character for Sung Jinwoo. The show also impressed with its immersive soundtrack, composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, which won Best Score. The emotionally powerful ending theme, 'request' by krage, secured the Best Ending Sequence award. Global voice talent shines in Solo Leveling's diverse wins One standout feature of Solo Leveling's success is the international recognition of its voice cast. Aleks Le earned Best English Voice Artist Performance for his portrayal of Sung Jinwoo. Reflecting on the role, Le said, "As an Asian immigrant, I saw myself in him... Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo Watching his growth and bringing that to life was incredibly meaningful." The show also bagged regional voice performance awards, including Best Brazilian Portuguese Voice Artist Performance (Charles Emmanuel) and Best Castilian Spanish Voice Artist Performance (Masumi Mutsuda), signaling the anime's broad global resonance. The anime's runaway success reflects its powerful connection with fans, which began with the original web novel and exploded with the manga's dominance in the Circana BookScan Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels chart earlier this year. The series claimed five of the top 20 spots, underscoring its lasting impact across mediums. Also Read: Webtoon inspired K-drama Head Over Heels weaves romance and prophecy, with Cho Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo at the heart With its first season ending on the high-stakes 'Jeju Island' arc, anticipation for the second season is at a fever pitch. As Solo Leveling continues to break new ground, it's clear the series has become a cultural phenomenon that's redefining what modern anime can achieve. Fans can stream the show now on Crunchyroll. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
