5 Anime That Should Have Won at the Crunchyroll Awards

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Each realm of cinema and television boasts prestigious awards like the Golden Globes and Emmy’s respectively. In contrast, the Japanese anime community eagerly anticipates the Crunchyroll Anime Awards annually. These awards serve as a platform for fans to recognize their favorite anime productions, giving them the validation they deserve based on their unique merits. Nevertheless, some anime enthusiasts have expressed disappointment towards the Crunchyroll Anime Awards due to perceived bias. They argue that these awards tend to favor anime titles with high viewership numbers over those with superior storytelling quality.

2025’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards once again reflected a pattern, as some anime series dominated the awards, while other promising contenders seemed overlooked. Among these, the highly anticipated, yet contentious mega-hit series, stirred up even more debate within the anime community, with many fans questioning its victories in certain categories. It was noticeable that in specific instances, perhaps not always Solo Leveling, the wrong title appeared to have been crowned, and five particular series seemed to be undeservingly overshadowed.

Actual Winner: Solo Leveling

Due to the immense popularity of action-filled anime series, the Best Action category in awards like the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards was incredibly competitive. With numerous thrilling action shonen anime available, fans had an abundance of options to choose from. The highly anticipated winner, “Solo Leveling“, may have emerged victorious due to its massive buzz and exceptional animation during battle scenes. What made “Solo Leveling” a favorite among many anime enthusiasts was the power trip that the protagonist experienced through his overpowered shadow-based fighting style.

Thousand-Year Blood War” deserved the victory more. One key difference is that unlike “Solo Leveling,” which centers around a highly powerful protagonist engaging in satisfying battles against typical fantasy creatures within dungeons, “Bleach” has a more complex narrative. Even though the fights in “Solo Leveling” are thrilling, they lack depth and originality. They serve as a platform for Jinwoo to entertain fans as a power fantasy character, but the battles themselves aren’t creative or personal enough to warrant an award.

Rather than contrastingly, the “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” anime effectively reaffirmed to fans why this series originally held such appeal. Competing alongside renowned series like “One Piece” and “Naruto” is no small feat, yet “Bleach” managed to hold its ground with outstanding weapon and character design, complemented by fitting narrative themes. The showcase of Captain Kenpachi overpowering Gremmy’s imagination-based powers through sheer force of will and shikai was particularly memorable, and the personal battle between Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth served as a moving example of friend versus friend conflict.

Actual Winner: Solo Leveling

As a passionate anime enthusiast, I can’t help but voice my opinion that the oversight in recognizing “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” at the Anime Awards this year was quite noticeable. While it’s true that “Frieren” did manage to secure victories in categories like Best Supporting Character and Best Background Art, I firmly believe that this captivating fantasy anime deserved far more accolades. If it meant trading some of its actual wins, I would have gladly done so to see “Frieren” crowned as Anime of the Year. Regrettably, that prestigious title was bestowed upon “Solo Leveling,” one of many instances where “Solo Leveling” swept the 2025 awards.

Claiming the title “Anime of the Year” is no small feat; it’s bound to stir debates and disagreements among fans, as everyone hopes their favorite show will take the crown. However, choosing the ultimate Anime of the Year can be challenging due to the diversity in preferences. Still, many fans argue that Solo Leveling was an unsuitable winner this year. While Solo Leveling is undeniably competent in its genre, it seems too limited in scope to merit the title of the overall Anime of the Year. Essentially, Solo Leveling can be seen as a monster-hunting anime with an appealing attitude, but that doesn’t appear substantial enough to be crowned the year’s finest anime.

In the series titled “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End“, we encounter a protagonist who is extraordinarily powerful, battling monsters and much more. The exceptional quality of the Frieren anime shines through in various aspects, such as its captivating visuals, voice acting, music, unique post-demon lord storyline, but most significantly, its emotional resonance. Previously troubled by doubts (Jinwoo’s insecurities), now seem like a thing of the past. Frieren, the immortal elf, remains relatable and memorable as she searches for meaningful connections with those around her while uncovering the true purpose of life.

Actual Winner: Solo Leveling

It seems quite debatable that “Solo Leveling” received the most unwarranted victory in the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. While it was certainly deserving of some awards, such as Best Score, it was arguably a misstep to award it with Best Main Character. A strong protagonist ought to be more than just a powerhouse who’s admired for defeating villains. If anime enthusiasts look beyond the entertaining novelty of Jinwoo’s overpowered (OP) status and his Shadow army, they might find that his character lacks depth at present. As time goes on, there’s potential for Jinwoo to evolve into a more captivating main character as his inner life becomes more complex, but that development would occur in the future, not the present moment.

Rather than choosing the most powerful character as the main focus, it is more beneficial to have a character who is less ostentatious but more captivating, such as Maomao from “The Apothecary Diaries.” The anime industry often places too much emphasis on power and coolness when selecting an ideal main character, and this can be seen in figures like Jinwoo Sung, Ichigo Kurosaki, and Izuku Midoriya/Deku. While these characters are entertaining action leads, possessing strength doesn’t guarantee a well-rounded main character. In contrast, Maomao stands out as a memorable and enchanting protagonist despite her inability to fight effectively.

In a different phrasing: Maomao stands out in numerous ways, adding a touch of freshness to the mix. Her lesser-known abilities as an apothecary shop worker and poison expert on plants are charming, and her cunning character is always engaging. This anime protagonist is captivating, with a sarcastic yet compassionate demeanor that leans more towards puzzle-solving and ingredient exploration instead of emotional bonds. In essence, Maomao embodies a “mad scientist” persona without resembling traditional characters like Doc Brown in appearance.

Actual Winner: Demon Slayer

The Anime Awards honor both fresh and recurring anime, and the prize for the latter went to an anime that didn’t seem to meet expectations in the previous two years. However, Demon Slayer was awarded as the Best Ongoing Series, but some fans might argue that this is a less than impressive victory for an anime. As expected from its name, Demon Slayer‘s Hashira Training arc mainly focused on the new training regime that Tanjiro underwent in preparation to confront Muzan and the remaining Upper Moons. While it’s common for Shonen genres to feature training sequences, selecting a straightforward training arc like this one as the winner in the Best Continuing Series category still seems unusual.

In the action category, there were other formidable competitors like “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” and “One Piece”, while in the dramatic sphere, “Oshi no Ko” held its own. However, among all, “My Hero Academia” was the most fitting recipient of the Best Continuing Series award. The 7th season of this series offered a significant portion of the final war, serving as a grand climax for this superhero anime. Although “Bleach” is also working towards its own finale, the 7th season of “My Hero Academia” boasted more episodes and content compared to the latest season of “Bleach”.

This latest season of “My Hero Academia” truly delivered, resolving numerous long-standing conflicts and developing characters beautifully. Some scenes even surpassed the series’ previous high points. A notable instance was Uraraka’s deeply moving confrontation with Toga, where Toga selflessly sacrificed herself to revive Uraraka out of gratitude for Uraraka’s heartfelt praise. Furthermore, All Might engaged in another battle against All For One, a shocking turn of events that has left viewers on tenterhooks, eagerly anticipating the fate of Katsuki Bakugo after he received a fatal wound to his chest.

Actual Winner: Solo Leveling

2025 saw “Solo Leveling” shine in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for Best New Series, and while it was truly deserving of recognition, it fell just short of being crowned as the best. For all its impressive action scenes, “Solo Leveling” didn’t quite manage to break new ground or leave an indelible mark in a memorable fashion. The series leans heavily on stunning animation and the satisfying spectacle of Jinwoo unleashing his power, but it’s “Dandadan” that stands out as something more. Unlike “Solo Leveling”, which is purely action-packed, “Dandadan” offers a unique blend of humor, mystery, and character development that truly sets it apart.

Dandadan is a delightful novelty in the realm of anime, seamlessly merging fantasy, cartoonish sci-fi, high school antics, humor, and a hint of romance. It’s as if several anime series have been combined, yet it skillfully manages to maintain harmony among these diverse genres. The result is something greater than its individual components, appealing to a wide audience due to its rich tapestry of elements. This remarkable feat was accomplished within the span of only its initial 12-episode season.

Although Season 2 of “Dandadan” wasn’t considered for this year’s Anime Awards, it’s evident that “Dandadan” has established itself as a formidable contender for the title of the best new series. In comparison to other unique anime like “Sakamoto Days”, “Dandadan” is a daring exploration that deserves significant acclaim and recognition. It’s exactly the kind of innovative work the anime industry needed, especially in the action genre.

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2025-06-04 22:54