Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards are a chance to celebrate your favorite shows, characters, and performances from the previous year. While a panel of judges may decide on the nominees themselves, the winners of each category are ultimately decided by fans. The anime streaming service officially announced the nominees for the 9th Anime Awards last month, and while the voting period is over, you still have time to catch up before the big event on May 25.
At the 2024 Anime Awards, the grand prize (and 10 other awards) went to Jujutsu Kaisen. In 2025, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End leads the charge with 25 nominations, though Dan Da Dan isn't far behind at 22. Here's how to watch this year's nominees for Anime of the Year.
Nominees for Anime of the Year
For this year's Anime Awards, Crunchyroll announced expanded eligibility requirements. Any series that aired between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, which includes five anime 'seasons,' is eligible. With that in mind, here are the nominees for Anime of the Year:
Dan Da Dan
Dan Da Dan, produced by Science Saru, follows a pair of eccentric teenagers who discover that both aliens and demons are real. Season 2 of Dan Da Dan begins airing this summer, and one can hope they use an opening as catchy as the first season's.
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu
Delicious in Dungeon
The only Netflix exclusive anime to make this list, the first season of Delicious in Dungeon ran for 24 episodes. Adapted from the manga by Ryoko Kui, the seinen anime follows a group of adventurers forced to find meal options in the depths of, well, a dungeon.
Where to Stream: Netflix
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
The Elven mage Frieren once travelled in a party that defeated the Demon King, but her long lifespan means she's outlived all of her friends. As she decides to take a young human mage under her wing, she considers how to find meaning in fleeting lifetimes. Frieren is, in my opinion, the nominee most likely to make you cry or have an existential crisis.
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll or Netflix
Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 (occasionally referred to as Monster No. 8 in English) is a play on the "Man Becomes a Monster to Hunt Monsters" trope that's always been popular in anime. Kafka Hibino originally joins a task force to take revenge on the Kaiju who destroyed his town, but a parasite flying into his mouth makes his plan a little more complicated.
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll
Solo Leveling
While every other anime on this list started off as a serialized manga in Japan, Solo Leveling instead started as a Korean web comic on WebToon. A-1 Pictures produces the anime adaptation, which recently surpassed One Piece to become the most reviewed anime of all time on Crunchyroll.
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll
The Apothecary Diaries
The Apothecary Diaries has been adapted into plenty of mediums over the years, including a manga licensed by Square Enix, but the seinen story reached new levels of popularity with its anime adaptation. Set in an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty, The Apothecary Diaries has aired for two seasons so far.
Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu
Check Out the Rest of the Nominees
Anime of the Year may be the biggest award, but categories include every genre of anime (this year added “Best Isekai Anime” to the list), as well as awards for characters, dubbed voice performances, and even opening songs. You can check out the full list of categories and nominees here.
When Are the Anime Awards?
The 2025 Anime Awards will take place in Tokyo on May 25. The event will be livestreamed on Crunchyroll, with more details to come. In the meantime, Crunchyroll is also celebrating "Ani-May," making a selection of their library free to stream and partnering with stores across the globe for merch deals and in-person events.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
