Latest news with #HiroyukiSawano
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards: 'Solo Leveling' dominates, 'Attack on Titan' makes history — Complete winners list
The 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, was a star-studded ceremony that attracted a record-breaking 51 million votes from fans around the world. Organized by Crunchyroll, the annual event celebrated achievements across 28 categories, honoring both emerging talent and industry veterans. Solo Leveling was crowned Anime of the Year, capping off a landmark night in which the Korean-originated series swept nine awards — including Best Action Anime, Best New Series, and Best Score. The wins marked a pivotal moment for Korean animation, underscoring its rising influence on the global anime stage. Here's a look at the complete winners list: 'Solo Leveling' wins big Solo Leveling wins Anime of the Year at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! 🏆 Boasting a perfect 100% score on the Tomatometer and a 93% audience rating, Solo Leveling turned its critical and commercial success into a dominant awards run — triumphing over industry heavyweights like One Piece, Attack on Titan, and Demon Slayer. Adapted from Chugong's bestselling web novel, the series not only claimed the top prize but also earned recognition in multiple categories, including: Best New Series Best Action Anime Best Score (Hiroyuki Sawano) Best Main Character (Sung Jin-woo) Best Ending Sequence ("request" by krage) Best Voice Artist Performance in English, Brazilian Portuguese, and Castilian Spanish Film of the Year: 'Look Back' A story we won't forget, Look Back wins Film of the Year at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! In a night filled with standout titles, Look Back emerged as Film of the Year. Directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama and based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's stirring one-shot manga, the film was praised for its quiet intensity and emotional weight. 'Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc' scores two wins A fan-favorite then and now, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc wins Best Continuing Series at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! The series dazzled once again, earning dual awards for Best Continuing Series and Best Animation — proof that its momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Global Impact Award: 'Attack on Titan' Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 to Present Attack on Titan with First Ever Global Impact Award In a historic moment, Attack on Titan was honored with the inaugural Global Impact Award, recognizing its profound cultural and artistic legacy. Director Yuichiro Hayashi accepted the award on behalf of studio MAPPA and the franchise's creators, following the release of Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK. Other major winners Best Original Anime: Ninja Kamui Best Director: Keiichiro Saito (Frieren: Beyond Journey' End) Best Supporting Character: Fern (Frieren) Best Romance Anime: Blue Box Best Isekai Anime: Re:Zero – Season 3
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Crunchyroll Reveals 2025 Anime Awards Winners: Full List
Crunchyroll, the global brand fueling anime fandom, revealed the winners of the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards during a live ceremony held at Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo on Sunday (May 25). Creepy Nuts won best anime song for 'Otonoke,' the opening theme from anime of the year nominee DAN DA DAN. Hiroyuki Sawano won best score for Solo Leveling, which won anime of the year. The ninth annual Anime Awards was co-hosted for the third year in a row by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira. The winners were revealed by celebrity anime fan presenters, including Grammy-winning singer Kacey Musgraves; Canadian director, musician, and actor Finn Wolfhard and American actor Gaten Matarazzo, both from the hit series Stranger Things; global superstar and anime collaborator J Balvin; Italian singer-songwriter Damiano David; musician and actor Rina Sawayama; Brazilian pop icon Pabllo Vittar; American snowboarder Chloe Kim; and screenwriter Zak Penn. More from Billboard Damiano David, Rina Sawayama & More to Present at 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards: Full Nominations List Sophie Turner Shows Support for Ex-Husband Joe Jonas' New Album D'Angelo Cancels 2025 Roots Picnic Performance Due to 'Unforeseen' Medical Issue During the awards show, fans enjoyed performances from Creepy Nuts, the 2025 Anime Awards winning hip-hop duo, who performed 'Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,' the opening theme from Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Rock band FLOW performed 'DAYS' to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Eureka Seven; and LiSA, Spotify's most streamed Japanese artist globally in 2020, performed three songs — 'crossing field,' 'Datte Atashino Hero,' and 'gurenge,' the hit from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. During the ceremony, Attack on Titan was awarded the Anime Awards' first global impact award. The final film Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK premiered in late 2024, marking the end of the longstanding anime. Yuichiro Hayashi from MAPPA accepted the award on behalf of all the creatives who brought the series to life over the years. This year, a record 51 million votes were cast by fans worldwide to celebrate their favorite series, films, and actors. The 2025 Anime Awards will be available to stream as video-on-demand shortly on Crunchyroll's YouTube and Twitch Channels, along with SONY PICTURES CORE and the Sony Group Corp Japan and Global YouTube Channels. 'Fans form deep emotional connections to anime. These are not just series, films or songs, but rather works of art that help define the identity of anime fans,' Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll, said in a statement. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions supported Crunchyroll in the execution of the Anime Awards this year. Here's a complete list of 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nominees and winners. DAN DA DAN Delicious in Dungeon Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Kaiju No. 8 WINNER: Solo Leveling The Apothecary Diaries Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8 Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc Fatal – GEMN -【OSHI NO KO】Season 2 LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling WINNER: Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN The Brave – YOASOBI – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict- Shiro Sagisu DAN DA DAN – kensuke ushio Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc – Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina Frieren: Beyond Journey's End – Evan Call Look Back – Haruka Nakamura WINNER: Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle WINNER: Look Back Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain My Hero Academia: You're Next SPY x FAMILY CODE: White The Colors Within BUCCHIGIRI?! GIRLS BAND CRY Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night Metallic Rouge WINNER: Ninja Kamui Train to the End of the World BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict WINNER: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Season 7 ONE PIECE 【OSHI NO KO】【OSHI NO KO】Season 2 SPY × FAMILY, SPY × FAMILY Season 2 DAN DA DAN Delicious in Dungeon Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Kaiju No. 8 WINNER: Solo Leveling The Apothecary Diaries Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8 Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc Fatal – GEMN – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2 LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling WINNER: Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN UUUUUS! – Hiroshi Kitadani – ONE PIECE Antanante – riria. – Ranma1/2 Burning – Hitsujibungaku – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2 KAMAKURA STYLE – BotchiBoromaru – The Elusive Samurai Nobody – OneRepublic – Kaiju No. 8 WINNER: request – krage – Solo Leveling TAIDADA – ZUTOMAYO – DAN DA DAN BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict DAN DA DAN Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc Kaiju No. 8 WINNER: Solo Leveling WIND BREAKER Delicious in Dungeon KONOSUBA -God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 WINNER: MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc My Deer Friend Nokotan Ranma1/2 SPY × FAMILY Season 2 A Sign of Affection DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION WINNER: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2 Pluto The Apothecary Diaries KONOSUBA -God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (season 2, Cour 2) WINNER: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 Suicide Squad ISEKAI That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 A Sign of Affection WINNER: Blue Box Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Ranma1/2 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off The Dangers in My Heart Season 2 Laid-Back Camp Season 3 WINNER: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Mr. Villain's Day Off My Deer Friend Nokotan Sound! Euphonium 3 The Dangers in My Heart Season 2 DAN DA DAN Delicious in Dungeon WINNER: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Kaiju No. 8 Solo Leveling DAN DA DAN Delicious in Dungeon Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc WINNER: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Pluto The Apothecary Diaries WINNER: DAN DA DAN Delicious in Dungeon Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Kaiju No. 8 The Apothecary Diaries Fuga Yamashiro – DAN DA DAN Haruo Sotozaki – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc WINNER: Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Megumi Ishitani – ONE PIECE FAN LETTER Norihiro Naganuma – The Apothecary Diaries Yoshihiro Miyajima – Delicious in Dungeon Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8 Okarun – DAN DA DAN Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries Momo – DAN DA DAN WINNER: Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling WINNER: Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Himmel – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Jinshi – The Apothecary Diaries Seiko – DAN DA DAN Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon Turbo Granny – DAN DA DAN WINNER: Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2 Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Okarun- DAN DA DAN Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon Tokiyuki Hojo – The Elusive Samurai Yuki Itose – A Sign of Affection Best Japanese Voice Artist Performance: Aoi Yuki (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries Best English Voice Artist Performance: Aleks Le (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling Best Arabic Voice Artist Performance: Hiba Snobar (Anya Forger) – SPY × FAMILY Season 2 Best Brazilian Portuguese Voice Artist Performance: Charles Emmanuel (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling Best Castilian Spanish Voice Artist Performance: Masumi Mutsuda (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling Best French Voice Artist Performance: Adrien Antoine (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8 Best German Voice Artist Performance: Daniel Schlauch (Monkey D. Luffy) – ONE PIECE Best Hindi Voice Artist Performance: Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo) – JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2 Best Italian Voice Artist Performance: Ilaria Pellicone (Kyomoto) – Look Back Best Latin Spanish Voice Artist Performance: Miguel Ángel Leal (Eren Jaeger) – Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2 Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
India.com
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Solo Leveling Dominates With 6 Wins, Attack On Titan Honoured With Global Impact Award
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards made a grand return to Japan this year, the birthplace of anime, with Tim Lyu and Lauren Moore taking on hosting duties for the ninth edition of the globally celebrated event. Following an official announcement at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, Crunchyroll confirmed the much-anticipated awards night would be held in Tokyo. Streamed live on 25 May at 6 PM JST (2:30 PM IST), the event brought anime fans from around the world together for one of the biggest celebrations in anime history. This year's awards featured an impressive lineup of global personalities, including singer d4vd, Stranger Things actors Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo, Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves, Olympic boxer Ben Whittaker, Japanese actor Dean Fujioka, drag icon Plastique Tiara, Italian singer Damiano David, and acclaimed Japanese actress Mayu Matsuoka. Their presence underscored anime's far-reaching cultural impact. Check out the full list of winners below: Anime of the Year: Solo Leveling Solo Leveling wins Anime of the Year at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Film of the Year: Look Back A story we won't forget, Look Back wins Film of the Year at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Director: Keiichiro Saito for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Keiichiro Saito's vision for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End wins Best Director at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Score: Solo Leveling (score by Hiroyuki Sawano) Emotional and epic, Solo Leveling (score by Hiroyuki Sawano) takes Best Score at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Slice of Life Anime: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! captured every day life, and now it's a Best Slice of Life winner at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Anime Song: Otokone by Creepy Nuts for Dan da Dan This one was unforgettable! Otonoke by Creepy Nuts from DAN DA DAN takes Best Anime Song at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Original Anime: Ninja Kamui A new story brought to life, Ninja Kamui wins Best Original Anime at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Continuing Series: Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc A fan-favorite then and now, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc wins Best Continuing Series at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Isekai Anime: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 Another world, a new win! Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 is the Best Isekai Anime at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Animation: Demon Slayer Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc's breathtaking visual experience wins Best Animation at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Ending Sequence: Solo Leveling ("request" by krage) Solo Leveling ("request" by krage) wins Best Ending Sequence at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Comedy: Mashle: Magic and Muscles: The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc This one was packed with laughs. MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc wins Best Comedy at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Romance Anime: Blue Box Congratulations to Blue Box on winning Best Romance at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Voice Artist Performance (English): Aleks Le Congratulations to Aleks Le, winner of Best Voice Artist Performance (English) at the 2025 #AnimeAwards, for his incredible work as Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese): Aoi Yuki The 2025 #AnimeAwards honors Aoi Yuki with Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) for their incredible work as Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Main Character: Sung Jinwoo: Solo Leveling He was the driving force in an incredible story! Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling wins Best Main Character at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Drama: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End It was a show that truly moved us. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End wins Best Drama at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best New Series: Solo Leveling Solo Leveling wins Best New Series at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Supporting Character: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End She shone in every moment! Fern from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End wins Best Supporting Character at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Action: Solo Leveling This one had us all hooked. Solo Leveling wins Best Action at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Character Design: DAN DA DAN A feast for our eyes. DAN DA DAN wins Best Character Design at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 Best Background Art: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Frieren: Beyond Journey's End sets a visual standard, turning scenery into emotion. It wins Best Background Art at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 "Must Protect At All Costs" Character: Anya Forger from SPY × FAMILY Season 2! So much love for Anya Forger from SPY × FAMILY Season 2! Congratulations on winning the award for "Must Protect At All Costs" Character at the 2025 #AnimeAwards! — The Anime Awards (@TheAnimeAwards) May 25, 2025 A historic moment of the night was the introduction of the first-ever Global Impact Award, which was awarded to Attack on Titan in recognition of its profound influence on anime fans worldwide. The Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 was streamed globally via Crunchyroll's official YouTube and Twitch channels.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From webtoons to anime hits: Solo Leveling leads Korean comic adaptation trend
Credits: Crunchyroll In recent years, a new wave has emerged in anime: hit Korean webtoons are being turned into animated series. These digital comics, which have exploded in popularity globally, are finding fresh life on screen. As one report notes, webtoons have become 'a global cultural and economic phenomenon, similar to K-dramas and K-pop', capturing young audiences with unique storytelling and art styles. Leading the charge is Solo Leveling, a fan-favorite webtoon whose anime adaptation was produced by A-1 Pictures. Premiering in January 2024, Solo Leveling's first season was a worldwide simulcast, and a second season followed in early 2025. Other major titles quickly followed: Tower of God , Noblesse , and The God of High School were all adapted into anime by top Japanese studios (Telecom Animation Film, Production I.G., MAPPA, etc.) in partnership with Crunchyroll and Naver's Webtoon platform. This marks a significant shift in anime sources – Korean creators and studios are now sharing the stage with traditional Japanese manga. Solo Leveling: The trailblazer Credits: Crunchyroll Solo Leveling's anime set the tone. Based on Chugong's webtoon, it aired in Japan January–March 2024 (with Season 2 in Jan–March 2025). Crunchyroll secured global streaming rights, bringing the show to its 15+ million international subscribers. Fan response was immediate: by March 2025 Solo Leveling had 614,300 user reviews on Crunchyroll – surpassing even One Piece , which had 600,500 reviews accumulated over 12 years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40대 이상이고 PC가 있으세요? 그럼 이 게임을 정말 좋아하실 거예요! Sea of Conquest 플레이하기 Undo In other words, a one-year-old series overtook a long-running classic in fan ratings, demonstrating the intense enthusiasm for this adaptation. Its high production values (music by Hiroyuki Sawano, dynamic animation by A-1 Pictures) and a story about an underdog 'hunter' getting superpowers resonated worldwide. This success has proved that Korean webtoon IP can launch blockbuster anime – and it has drawn even more eyes to the genre. Other webtoon anime hits Credits: Crunchyroll Following Solo Leveling, several other Korean comics made the jump to anime. Tower of God (by SIU) debuted in April 2020 as a co-production between Webtoon and Telecom Animation Film. The anime streamed simultaneously in Korea, Japan, and worldwide (Crunchyroll carried it under its 'Originals' label). The source material was already a juggernaut – the Tower of God webtoon has over 4.5 billion views globally – and the anime earned praise for its faithful storytelling and rich world-building. A second season ran in 2024 due to popular demand. Noblesse was next: adapted by Production I.G., its 12-episode anime aired Oct–Dec 2020 on Crunchyroll. And The God of High School , animated by MAPPA, ran July–Sept 2020. Each show brought its own fanbase (often mobilized on Crunchyroll and social media) and helped introduce anime viewers to these Korean comics. In fact, Crunchyroll's own announcements highlighted these partnerships: all three series were explicitly listed as Webtoon co-productions. Together, these adaptations showed that Korean stories – from fantasy to modern-day action – can shine on screen just as much as manga originals. Studios and streaming power players These anime are backed by industry heavyweights. Solo Leveling came from A-1 Pictures (known for Sword Art Online, etc.); Tower of God Season 1 by Telecom Animation Film; Season 2 by The Answer Studio; Noblesse by Production I.G.; and The God of High School by MAPPA. All were partnered with Line Webtoon/Naver and often branded as 'Crunchyroll Originals'. On the distribution side, Crunchyroll has been especially pivotal. As of 2024 it had over 15 million paying subscribers worldwide and carried roughly 1,800 anime titles – vastly more than Netflix's anime catalog. This massive platform puts new series like Solo Leveling front-and-center to global fans. (Netflix has been expanding its anime too, but its focus has often been on exclusive series; Crunchyroll remains the primary home for many of the webtoon adaptations.) In short, high-profile studios are bringing in the stories, and streaming giants are broadcasting them to viewers in India and around the globe. Driving factors behind the webtoon wave Several cultural and technological trends explain why webtoon adaptations are booming: Mobile, digital format: Webtoons are designed for smartphones, using vertical scrolling panels in full color. A market report notes the industry's 'explosive growth' thanks to this convenient format. With smartphones and social media, digital comics have become mainstream entertainment. Korean pop-culture boom: Webtoons ride the crest of the Korean Wave. Just as K-pop and K-dramas enthrall global youth, webtoons have 'rapidly gained international popularity' and are seen as a Korean soft-power export. This cultural cachet makes anime producers eager to adapt stories that might already have buzz among young audiences worldwide. Streaming demand: Services like Crunchyroll and Netflix are hungry for fresh anime content, and webtoon IP provides proven hits. Crunchyroll's subscriber growth (from 5M in 2021 to 15M in 2024) and its vast anime library make it an ideal launchpad. (Crunchyroll's 1,800 titles vs Netflix's ~240 highlights its dominance in anime distribution.) Built-in fanbases: Many webtoons already have huge followings. For example, Tower of God had billions of reads before it became an anime. Solo Leveling's fan enthusiasm was evident from the start – its anime earned 614,300 Crunchyroll reviews in one year, showing a ready audience. These built-in fan communities generate buzz and viewership immediately upon release. Together, these factors create a feedback loop: webtoons gain popularity online, studios spot their potential, and global streams deliver the anime to even wider audiences, who then dive back into the comics. READ MORE: Manhwa vs Manga: Why South Korea's Manhwa are winning digital race Implications for anime and comics Credits: Crunchyroll The webtoon-to-anime trend signals a new phase for both industries. Anime studios and streamers now tap a larger pool of international stories, while Korean comics gain richer production and monetization opportunities. This cross-border synergy blurs old lines: Japanese and Korean creators increasingly collaborate, and fans worldwide benefit from a more diverse anime lineup. As Crunchyroll and others invest in co-productions, more webtoon titles (and even non-Korean digital comics) may find their way to screen. Observers believe this will help anime reach new audiences and give the global comics market a boost. In conclusion, the success of Solo Leveling and its peers shows that anime is not just for manga anymore. Fueled by smartphones, streaming platforms, and the Korean cultural wave, webtoon adaptations are reshaping entertainment. For Indian and international fans alike, the result is exciting: a steady stream of fresh shows that combine the best of digital comics with animated spectacle. Industry analysts say the trend will likely continue, further entwining the futures of anime and webtoons in the expanding world of digital storytelling. 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 .
