What was the best anime of 2025? This year, Crunchyroll’s panel of judges nominated six titles they believe deserve the top spot at the 10th Annual Anime Awards. It’s a tough race this year, with lots of nominations for popular titles like “DAN DA DAN,” “Gachiakuta,” and “The Apothecary Diaries.”
Keep reading to see lists of this year’s nominees in the Anime Awards’ biggest categories, and be sure to tune in to the Anime Awards on May 23 to see who wins.
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Anime of the Year
- “DAN DA DAN Season 2”
- “Gachiakuta”
- “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON”
- “Takopi’s Original Sin”
- “The Apothecary Diaries Season 2”
- “The Summer Hikaru Died”
Crunchyroll defines its Anime of the Year pick as one that “sets the standard for anime.” Most of the titles in this category are available on Crunchyroll, although “The Summer Hikaru Died” is a Netflix exclusive.
Best New Series
- “Clevatess”
- “Gachiakuta”
- “SAKAMOTO DAYS”
- “Takopi’s Original Sin”
- “The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity”
- “The Summer Hikaru Died”
A ton of new anime simulcasts hit our screens in 2024, and it’s hard to say which new title was the best. Personally, I’m partial to “Gachiakuta,” but I know that “The Summer Hikaru Died” has quickly become a cult classic.
Best Original Anime
- “Apocalypse Hotel”
- “DIGIMON BEATBREAK”
- “Lazarus”
- “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX”
- “Moonrise”
- “ZENSHU”
A lot of modern anime is adapted from somewhere else (usually a manga or video game), so I’m glad to see this category exists. It encourages original ideas and innovation.
And obviously I’m an isekai girlie, so “ZENSHU” is my pick for this category.
Best Continuing Series
The Best Continuing Series category will be another close race, since the longevity of these titles means they all have pretty active fanbases. “ONE PIECE” has been on the air since 1999.
- “DAN DA DAN Season 2”
- “Kaiju No. 8”
- “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON”
- “ONE PIECE”
- “Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-“
- “SPY x FAMILY Season 3”
Film of the Year
- “100 Meters”
- “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc”
- “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle”
- “Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage”
- “Scarlet”
- “The Rose of Versailles”
Best Anime Song
- “In Bloom” – “The Apothecary Diaries”
- “IRIS OUT” – “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc”
- “JANE DOE” – “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc”
- “On The Way” – “DAN DA DAN”
- “REawakeR” – “Solo Leveling”
- “Watch Me!” – “WITCH WATCH”
Best Main Character
- Izuku Midoriya – “My Hero Academia”
- Maomao – “The Apothecary Diaries”
- Momo – “DAN DA DAN”
- Okarun – “DAN DA DAN”
- Rudo – “Gachiakuta”
- Sung Jinwoo – “Solo Leveling”
Best Supporting Character
- Enjin – “Gachiakuta”
- Jin Enjoji (JiJi) – “DAN DA DAN”
- Jinshi – “The Apothecary Diaries”
- Katsuki Bakugo – “My Hero Academia”
- Shisui – “The Apothecary Diaries”
- Turbo Granny – “DAN DA DAN”
For a full list of this year’s Anime Awards nominees, check out Crunchyroll’s website.
Where to stream this year’s nominees
Even though Crunchyroll runs the Anime Awards, not every anime is a Crunchyroll exclusive. Here’s where you can find some of this awards season’s hottest anime titles:
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
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