The Best Anime In 2025: Every Big Winner At The Crunchyroll Awards, Explained

Anime of the Year, Best Score, Best New Series, Best Ending Sequence, Best Action Anime, Best Main Character

Just like Sung Jin-woo slices through hordes of enemies, Solo Leveling cut through the S-Rank competition at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including heavy hitters like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and DAN DA DAN. Not only did it win the prestigious Anime of the Year award, but it also earned wins for Best Score, Best New Series, Best Ending Sequence, Best Action Anime, and Best Main Character. Based on a Korean web novel, Solo Leveling carves a hopeful path for other webtoons and manhwa to break into the Japanese-dominated genre. A little bit shonen and a little bit isekai, Solo Leveling might feel familiar at first, but it raises the bar when it comes to power leveling. 

Best Anime Song, Best Opening Sequence, Best Character Design

Ask anyone who has watched DAN DA DAN what’s one of their favorite things about the anime, and they’ll all probably tell you the same thing: The song that plays over the opening sequence. That said, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that DAN DA DAN won Best Anime Song for Creepy Nuts’ “Otonoke” and Best Opening Sequence. As for Best Character Design, you may recognize Science Saru’s animation from anime like Devilman Crybaby. In DAN DA DAN, the studio delivers its trademark colorful animation that contrasts against the series’ more dark and brutal moments. 

Film of the Year

From web manga to the big screen, Look Back remains a fan favorite that follows the complicated relationship between two girls who are bound together by art, only to be bound together again by tragedy. It’s a coming-of-age story filled with all the highs and lows of friendship. From its gorgeous animation to its emotionally loaded plot, Look Back’s Film of the Year win is indisputable. It’s a thought-provoking examination of friendship that deserves all its accolades. 

Best Original Anime

Jujutsu Kaisen director Sunghoo Park’s directorial involvement in Ninja Kamui made the action/sci-fi mashup one of 2024’s most anticipated anime. At its core, Ninja Kamui is a simple revenge story about a former ninja fighting off the assassins sent to hunt him down. While elevated by stunning visuals and engaging action sequences, Ninja Kamui’s Best Original Anime win comes with controversy. With mixed to negative reviews, some fans and critics believe Ninja Kamui won based on popularity (the series aired on Toonami and had the star power of Sunghoo Park) rather than merit. With CGI taking the brunt of the criticism, it opens a larger conversation about how computer-generated images can sometimes break immersion and cause division among fans. 

A family is attacked by demons and only two members survive - Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who is turning into a demon slowly. Tanjiro sets out to become a demon slayer to avenge his family and cure his sister.

This is a world of magic where magic is used for everything. But deep in the forest exists a young man who spends his time training and bulking up. He can't use magic, but he enjoys a peaceful life with his father. But one day, his life is put in danger! Will his muscular body protect him from the magic users who are out to get him? Powerfully trained muscles crush magic as this abnormal magical fantasy begins!

Best Drama Anime, Best Background Art, Best Director, Best Supporting Character

Frieren Beyond Journey’s End might be one of the most beautifully drawn anime in recent years. While it lost Best Animation to Demon Slayer, it rightfully won Best Background Art. The series also won Best Drama Anime, which isn’t a surprise if you’re familiar with Frieren’s thought-provoking narrative. Really, the series excels in its quiet moments between characters and the existential quandaries that come with a near-immortal elf leading the show. Frieren is the anime you watch when you’re sick of the standard fantasy anime fare. There is nothing out there quite like it, and thankfully, Crunchyroll honored Keiichiro Saito’s unique vision with a Best Director win. 

After being suddenly transported to another world, Subaru Natsuki and his new female partner are brutally murdered. However, Subaru awakens to a familiar scene, meeting the same girl again. The day begins to mysteriously repeat itself.

Best Romance Anime

Sports romances are all the rage these days in Western pop culture, but that trend also carries over to anime. Best Romance Anime winner Blue Box chronicles the slow-burn romance of a shy badminton player and the star of the girls’ basketball team. Those looking for a heartfelt story with plenty of slice-of-life moments littered throughout will find all that and more in Blue Box. It has the complete package for romance enjoyers, including all the complicated feelings, awkwardness, and uncertainty that come with young love. However, it’s rom-com elements ensure the series always stays light. 

Best Slice of Life Anime

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines might be about girls getting rejected by their respective love interests, but at the Crunchyroll Awards, the series did anything but lose. Winning Best Slice of Life Anime, Makeine nabs another accolade after winning Best Comedy Anime at the 11th Anime Trending Awards. Those unfamiliar with the anime or the series of light novels it’s based on can expect a teen romance that delves into themes of self-discovery and gut-punching rejection. It’s an endearing character study of high school relationships.