Crunchyroll Anime Awards - 2025 Nominees: TWP’s Vote & Expected Winners

Crunchyroll has officially announced the nominees their their 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards with some household names making expected appearances while also a few underdogs showing promise to steal the show in Tokyo, May 25th.

Below are a few of the nominees, and you can also see who TWP wants to see win and who we expect to take away the award;

Anime of the Year

Dan Da Dan

Delicious in Dungeon

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Kaiju No. 8

Solo Leveling

The Apothecary Diaries

TWP’s Vote - Delicious in Dungeon

A breath of fresh air.. Delicious in Dungeon is a comfortable(and delicious) dive into the fantasy/DnD genre in the anime space. Dungeon Meshi takes a story with a focused goal, and surrounding it with wholesome fun and mouth watering meals. We were very close to playing Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End here as we feel that show just operates on a higher plane of existence than most other anime. Though with that being said, our vote is still Dungeon Meshi(I know, I know). With great direction, animation, and movement, per usual coming from Studio Trigger, with a simple yet deep story executed in a targeted linear fashion, Dungeon Meshi’s flaunts its greatest asset; accessibility. Delicious in Dungeon is a great introduction to the Japanese anime space for those new to it or reluctant to give it a try, and that’s something that cannot be overlooked.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Delicious in Dungeon

Plot twist… yes I know we just earlier praised Frieren and basically said we expect them to win, but our one caveat is the specific point of accessibility. Delicious in Dungeon is one of the most accessibly anime I’ve seen recently. You have a friend who hates ‘cartoons’, show them Dungeon Meshi. Someone who doesn’t mind western animation but just isn’t sure about ‘anime’, try Delicious in Dungeon. It reminds us of what ATLA was to bringing in a new and larger audience to the medium. Frieren can win and we’ll applaud as loud if not louder than the next guy or girl, but there’s something easy about Delicious in Dungeon, and that’s a good thing.

Film of the Year 

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle

Look Back

Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain

My Hero Academia: You’re Next

Spy x Family Code: White

The Colors Within

TWP’s Vote - Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle

The long awaited return… Haikyu is back, even only for 86 minutes. We’ll be honest, there’s a bit of bias behind this vote, but hey it’s our vote! Karasuno vs Nekoma, and match years in the making. Shoyo vs Kenma in a real match after multiple practice matches. This was always the vote.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Look Back

Look back is just another flaunt in Tatsuki Fujimoto’s writing ability beautiful cozy story with the usual Fujimoto twists and turns. Brought to screen with strong animation from Studio Durian. Another outing showing Fujimoto is in top for and is truly one of the best and most consistent mangaka now.

Best Continuing Series 

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict

Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc

My Hero Academia Season 7

One Piece

Oshi no Ko Season 2

Spy x Family Season 2 

TWP’s Vote - Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict

Bleach TYBW came out SWINGING, and they didn’t slow down with Cour 3 - The Conflict. The Quincies are in full force but Mayuri, Shinsui, Ichigo and the rest of the 13 Court Guard Squads are fighting back! First we must say Mayuri is our MVP of this cour really showing his reliability and adaptability. TYBW has given me a feeling while watching I haven’t had since my first viewing of Cowboy Bebop. We are excited to see how the final cour brings it all to a close.

TWP’s Expected Winner - One Piece

What’s there really to say? There’s no fans like One Piece fans(maybe Swifties or Arianators), we expect them to nearly sweep whatever category they’re in.

Best New Series

Dan Da Dan

Delicious in Dungeon

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Kaiju No. 8

Solo Leveling

The Apothecary Diaries 

 TWP’s Vote - Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

After watching Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End twice, I’ve developed a deep love for the show. Freiren just operates on a completely different level. Frieren is very much a cozy watch with top tier storytelling and messaging that leaves you thinking deeply after each episode of not just what you watched but yourself as well. Frieren tries to find connection in the short lived humans and that pot arc could have been executed more perfectly. Each character with flawless design and separately interesting backstories(we love you Stark!), and meaningful motivations. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a PERFECT anime, and we congratulate everyone who worked on it and are waiting in anticipation for Season 2.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Solo Leveling

Jinwoo Sung is aura. Solo Leveling is aura. This anime from start to finish, every episode, minute by minute is aura. Solo Leveling’s popularity has only skyrocketed since jumping on the anime scene in 2024 with its first season, capturing the admiration of all anime fans alike with a likable protagonist with a singular focus; get stronger.

Best Opening Sequence 

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 Seson 2

LEvel - Hiroyuki Sawano [nzk]: Tomorrow x Together - Solo Leveling

Otonoke - Creppy Nuts - Dan Da Dan

Uuuuus! - Hiroshi Kitadani - One Piece 

TWP’s Vote - Abyss - Yungblud - Kaiju No. 8

Theme described as finding your place in the world and embracing your talents even if you’re not proud of them. With the studio making the deliberate choice to not allow viewers to skip, we cannot complain. Abyss is a track perfectly suited for its accompanied show putting viewers in just the right mood for the episode following.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Otonoke - Creepy Nuts - Dan Da Dan

Creepy Nuts gave us an instant hit with a sharp funky tune and catch vocals that match the visuals and striking colors shown of in the opening sequence. Dan Da Dan is an all-around hit and opening up with Otonoke gives viewers all the right feels.

Best Action 

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict

Dan Da Dan

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

Kaiju No. 8

Solo Leveling

Wind Breaker

TWP’s Vote - Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict

Bleach if anything brought the action! With multiple face offs fans were highly anticipating, Studio Perriot/Perriot Films couldn’t have executed them better not only giving great fights nearly by episode but turning the dial to 100 on the premier battles such as Shunsui vs. Lille Baro and Mayuri vs. Pernida but also leveled up others such as Renji vs. Uryu with new shots and sequences on top of the already movie level animation. Bleach TYBW takes the spot for us.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling as a power anime delivers some very strong action sequences through the seasons. The moment every battle begins is the moment every fan has been waiting for, this is what Solo Leveling is about. We expect the Shadow Army to show up strong for this category specifically.

Best Drama 

A Sign of Affection

Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Oshi no Ko Season 2

Pluto

The Apothecary Diaries 

TWP’s Vote - Pluto

A reimagining on “The Greatest Robot on Earth” arc within the AstroBoy manga series, Pluto is a stellar crime drama following Detective Gesicht who’s trying to solve a mystery of a series of murders with signs pointing to the suspect being a robot, though in this world robots are unable to kill humans. Pluto creatively and carefully explores complex themes of AI, robotics rights, consequences of war, and the nature of humanity. If Pluto was a live action studio theatrical film, it’d be largely known worldwide and acclaimed as a timeless sci-if masterpiece(not to say that’s what it should be), but everyone who’s seen it knows. Pluto is one of the greats

TWP’s Expected Winner - Pluto

See TWP’s Vote above..

Best Animation 

Dan Da Dan

Delicious in Dungeon

Demon Slayer; Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Kaiju No. 8

Solo Leveling

TWP’s Vote - Demon Slayer; Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

Though I hasn’t the biggest fan of this season of Demon Slayer, Ufotable NEVER disappoints with their animation and visuals. Demon Slayer is continuously one of the most beautiful anime put to screen and that can’t be debated, with the only recent anime coming close possibly being The Elusive Samurai animated by CloverWorks. This is Demon Slayer’s category and visuals should be their sweep.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Solo Leveling

New kid on the block! Yes, above we mentioned Demon Slayer should sweep but Solo Leveling brings such a force behind it. Truthfully, we feel the final two episodes of the Hashira Training Arc really carried and left a good feeling in fans hearts, but the consistent display Solo Leveling gives, on top of the constant action is a good mix.

Best Director 

Fuga Yamashiro - Dan Da Dan

Haruo Sotozaki - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

Keiichiro Saito - Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Megumi Ishitani - One Piece Fan Letter

Norihiro Naganuma - The Apothecary Diaries

Yoshihiro Miyajima - Delicious in Dungeon

TWP’s Vote - Megumi Ishitani - One Piece Fan Letter

Netflix’s One Piece Fan Letter is exactly that, 27 minutes of beautifully constructed story and even better visual direction and animation. Fan Letter puts you on the ground floor following two Marine brothers, one inspired by the same Straw Hat that has inspired us all. Every shot and choice of camera motion and movement is absolutely stellar and perfectly sets the mood and gets across the emotion and love of the people making it. Megumi Ishitani showed not just talent but real skill and we are excited to continue seeing more of her work.

TWP’s Expected Winner - Megumi Ishitani - One Piece Fan Letter

See TWP’s Vote above..

Best English Voice Artist Performance

AJ Beckles (Okarun) - Dan Da Dan

Alexis Le (Sung Jinwoo) - Solo Leveling

Jesse James Grelle (Armin Arlelt) - Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2

Mallorie Rodak (Frieren) - Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Sarah Natochemy (Alya) Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

SungWon Cho (Senshi) - Delicious in Dungeon

TWP’s Vote - AJ Beckles (Okarun) - Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan hit the scene fast and Beckles delivered yet another strong and consistent performance all the way through the first season, finely capturing the nuance of Okarun’s personality brought from page.

TWP’s Expected Winner - AJ Beckles (Okarun) - Dan Da Dan

See TWP’s Vote above.

You can find the full list of the award nominees and categories on the Anime Awards site where fans can also vote through April 14th.