Latest news with #Frieren
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Jinwoo's McEgg to Maomao's oatmeal: McDonald's reveals 10 anime characters' go-to morning meals
Popular fast food chain McDonald's didn't just flip its golden arches into a 'W' to officially drop its manga-inspired 'WcDonald's' menu, it made what anime fans have been obsessing over for years, finally real. We've seen it a dozen times in anime: characters gulping down oversized meals, usually right before a big showdown. To answer this, starting February 26, 2024, select outlets welcomed the name change as part of a full-on campaign. And then, during the 2025 Anime Awards, McDonald's levelled up their game, revealing what 10 iconic anime characters would order for breakfast if they walked into a real store. Also read: Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and more anime targeted by cybercriminals: Kaspersky report Senior Marketing Director Guillaume Huin dropped individual posts of anime's biggest foodie crossover to celebrate award wins. Each one came with an animated shot of the classic fast-food bag and a label showing a different character's order, waiting to grab their meal at the table. One Piece character Luffy went for a steak, egg, and cheese bagel. For a guy who pulls off god-tier stunts, the pick felt underwhelming. But then he added extra steak, bacon, and sausage, still not nearly enough to match that buffed-up physique. Fans were quick to point out this is the same guy who clears an entire fridge in one go and is a big meat lover. A post shared by McDonald's (@mcdonalds) Also read: What is Frieren? Highest-rated anime that beat Solo Leveling, Dandadan with 29 Crunchyroll nods in 2025 Guillaume explained that the idea was very last minute, and 'This campaign was made to celebrate the Anime Awards. Each McDonald's breakfast order and design was thought out based on the personality of the character. The concept of WcDonald's started back in 1983 in an anime called Cat's Eye, and ever since, hundreds of anime shows and movies have used the name, some like Cowboy Bebop, InuYasha, Sally the Witch. Later, when the food brand officially collaborated, they rolled out manga/anime-inspired packaging, a new limited-edition sauce, promotional posters, anime-style episodes/shorts, etc.
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:
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
Geek Girl Authority
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: FRIEREN
Welcome to this week's installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow. DISCLAIMER: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End . Frieren Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Madhouse Fast Facts Frieren is the titular main character of the animanga Frieren: Beyond Journey's End . We meet her as an exceptionally gifted elven mage who, despite her 1,000-year age, hasn't quite learned to appreciate the short lives of humans or the little time she has with them. This changes when she reunites with her old party, some 50 years after their defeat of the Demon King. Himmel, the once-young and compassionate hero of the bunch, has passed in his old age. Alongside Eisen, the warrior, and Heiter, the priest, Frieren and her remaining party members gather to lay their late friend to rest. It's in this moment that she comes to understand just how precious human life truly is. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: T'Pol To celebrate Himmel and the memories he and Frieren shared, the mage embarks on a new journey to relive the adventure she now holds dear. By Heiter's request, she mentors an aspiring mage named Fern, accompanying the young girl following the priest's passing. Joined by the budding warrior Stark, Frieren has found a new party to journey with. This time, she vows to make it count. She still has a lot to learn when it comes to human connections and the mundane, though. These quirks have led many series fans to speculate that Frieren is autistic-coded (myself included). An avid collector of grimoires and odd spells, to boot, she's far more well-read than the average mage. But this innocuous hobby also gets her into trouble. Frieren can't resist a magic chest when she sees one, and she's known to fall for many a mimic. Her penchant for small treasures and even the most seemingly useless spells is the very reason she fails her first-class mage exam, despite her obvious ability. The Limits of Time Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Madhouse As an elf, Frieren is generally unfamiliar with the limits of time. When you've got thousands more years to look forward to, it's easy to lose sight of the day-to-day. But if she's learned anything from Himmel, Heiter and Eisen, it's that our relationships with one another and the memories we share make life worth living. RELATED: This Original Naruto Scene Still Holds Up 20 Years Later At the heart of Frieren's story is her connection with Himmel, lost to time and taken for granted. He showed Frieren, in many ways, what it is to be human. The great mage is reminded of Himmel and the loved ones she's lost as she makes new memories with Fern and Stark. Given the circumstances, it would be easy to spin a tale of grief. But Frieren chooses instead to honor Himmel and Heiter at every turn, oftentimes paying respect to her old friends by caring for new ones in sickness or choosing the perfect birthday gift. This way, the two will live on with her. The Real Deal Madhouse Frieren is the real deal. In-universe, her mana is nearly unmatched. Not only that, but she's also a pro at keeping this ace close to her chest, so to speak. This makes her a most formidable opponent to all, but especially to the demon race. For centuries, demons have conned their way to power, almost wiping out the elven population in its entirety. By concealing her mana, Frieren is able to trick her enemies into believing they hold the advantage. This strategy led her to victory over Aura the Guillotine and, eventually, the Demon King. Alongside her party members, she's widely recognized as the great mage who's killed more demons than anyone else in history. RELATED: 6 Comfy Anime Shows to Binge-Watch These feats aside, Frieren's mastery of magic is another for the history books. Her lengthy lifespan as an elf lends her the privilege of time, which she spends practicing magic. Through combat experience and her personal studies, she's made invaluable contributions to humanity's analysis of Zoltrak. This offensive magic technique, though once all-powerful, is now standard practice among magic-users thanks to Frieren. Why She Matters Why does Frieren matter? She might be one of the most powerful mages around, but she also teaches us that real strength isn't solely defined by skill or technical prowess. It's refreshing to see a female character reach such heights in anime, as many are often relegated to roles beneath their male counterparts. RELATED: Looking for another crush? Check out our Geek Girl Authority Crushes of the Week Through Frieren's decades-long journeys, we learn that human relationships, no matter how short-lived, are inherently meaningful. They give us the insight we need to reach our fullest potential by seeing our quirks admired, our shortcomings accepted and our daily accomplishments celebrated. Love makes us strong. It also makes our time in this world worthwhile. These are worthy lessons for us all to learn, and Frieren makes a great teacher. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Madhouse Beyond the canon, Frieren also sets an example for neurodivergent fans. It's not often that autism is represented thoughtfully in media. This goes doubly so for autistic girls and women, who have found a role model and comfort character in the titular mage. So, be like Frieren. Take every chance you get to appreciate the people you love, and open yourself up to the possibility to be loved in return. Your quirks and idiosyncrasies — the things that make you you — is the stuff worth loving the most. Sure, there's strength to be found in standing on your own two feet. But when we open our arms to others, they can help us learn and grow in ways we never imagined possible on our own. Unless we're talking about demons, of course. They're best kept at a safe distance. The first season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. Anime Roundup: Everything Coming Out in April 2025 (Part 2)
Business Upturn
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is Frieren season 2 releasing in May 2025? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on May 11, 2025, 18:10 IST Last updated May 11, 2025, 17:18 IST Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has captivated anime fans with its heartfelt storytelling and stunning animation. Since the first season concluded in March 2024, fans have been eagerly awaiting news about Season 2. One question on everyone's mind is: Is Frieren Season 2 releasing in May 2025? In this article, we'll dive into the confirmed release date, production details, and everything we know so far about the highly anticipated second season. Is Frieren Season 2 Releasing in May 2025? No, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 is not releasing in May 2025. According to official announcements, the second season is scheduled to premiere in January 2026. This release window was confirmed during a special livestream event, 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End: Talk Show Magic,' on March 5, 2025, featuring voice actors Atsumi Tanezaki (Frieren), Nobuhiko Okamoto (Himmel), and Kana Ichinose (Fern). The event also unveiled a new teaser visual showcasing Frieren, Fern, and Stark relaxing at a hot spring. What Will Frieren Season 2 Be About? Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 will continue the story of Frieren, an immortal elven mage, and her companions, Fern and Stark, as they journey toward Aureole, the resting place of souls. The first season adapted chapters 1–60 of the manga (up to Volume 7), covering arcs like the First-Class Mage Exam. Season 2 is expected to pick up from Chapter 61, beginning with the Continued Northern Travels Arc and potentially covering the Golden Land Arc (Chapters 81–104), a fan-favorite known for its intense action and emotional depth. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
