After months of speculation, we finally know the biggest anime series of 2025 are in the running to win Anime of the Year at this year's Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Some were expected, a couple were surprising, and we had some notable snubs that will stick in the minds of fans as we approach the ceremony.
With the list out and fans able to vote on their favorites in each category, it's time to look at each series and really break down how many shots they have to take home the award. While every anime deserves an award nomination, here's a look at each nominee's chances of winning.
New Crunchyroll Anime of the Year nominees revealed
The nominations for the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards are out, and this year looks set to be interesting.
Gachiakuta
Gachiakuta Solo Leveling getting animation of the year is a bit of a surprise, but that's only because the latter has already established itself as one of the modern titans of the shonen genre. as it seems Gachiakuta The anime is off to a great start, earning itself a strong following and a second season on its way.
Bones has been putting on some incredible streaks, and that trend continued in Gachiakuta. The series was produced by Studio A, who are behind such standout titles as Noragami, Carol and Tuesday, and Season 1 of My Hero Academia. It will be as good as seen Gachiakuta Take the award and cement a strong start for the anime, with another popular Bones adaptation more likely to win instead.
Summer Hikaru died
Summer Hikaru died Getting an Anime of the Year nomination may have come as a welcome surprise to some, but it certainly deserves recognition. The anime landscape can often feel like it's dominated by shonen titles, so seeing other genres represented for such a big award is a great sign that fans still appreciate a variety of titles outside of the big, often more popular ones.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a beautiful series that has some amazing atmosphere and incorporates its horror elements perfectly. We don't get a lot of horror anime in a year, and rarely do we see something as good as what we got with the first season. Summer Hikaru died. It has some stiff competition, and while it may come as a bummer to some, taking it Anime of the Year would be a huge win.
Apothecary Diaries Season 2
Season 2 Apothecary Diaries Season 1 continued to deliver the quality fans have come to expect. Season 2 was the standout of the Winter 2025 season, and even after a year, fans still aren't over it.
Apothecary Diaries It has a ton of momentum behind it, so there's a good chance it takes the win for itself. It has some of the best storytelling of any nominated anime, and it doesn't look bad either. Some other candidates may benefit from some renewal bias, after the year has ended, but the nomination proves that Apothecary Diaries Some have real staying power and should have a good chance of winning it all.
The original sin of Takopi
The original sin of Takopi was a short, 6-episode ONA, but what it lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality. Each episode stuck out. There were no slow or bad episodes, just hit after hit, making it one of the most memorable series of 2025. You can't go a week in its run without people talking about how great the series was and discussing the events of that week's episode.
Who is that character?
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Permadeath (2.5 seconds)
The fact that such a short, relatively obscure series came out and made as big an impact on the community as it did is a huge indication of its AotY potential. The series tells an incredible, emotional story with a great soundtrack and solid animation. It's everything you'd expect an AotY winner to be, and most anime fans aren't surprised to see it win.
Punishment Season 2
Season 2 punishment Momo, Okarun, Aira, and Jiji kept the momentum from season 1 rolling, delivering some of the best anime moments of 2025. Science Saru was once again on point with the animation of the series, offering a beautiful art style and fluid action sequences that are among the best titles of the year.
Season 2 has a very explosive ending that has fans excited to see more in Season 3 – even though we won't get anything there until 2027. This is the second AOTY nomination punishmenthas been nominated along with Single leveling, Delicious in the dungeon, Freeren, Kaiju number 8and Apothecary Diaries last year lost to With Single leveling Not in running and both Apothecary Diaries and punishment Getting another shot, we could see either series finally won. But a major obstacle stands in the way of both titles.
My Hero Academia: The Final Season
It's always nice to see a series landing, especially after sitting around for so long and working towards a big finale. My Hero Academia There has always been a solid adaptation, but the 8th and final season surprised fans with the level of quality, attention and care taken to judge Horikoshi's finale.
The animation was spectacular, serving as a highlight of the final season that brought the manga's most intense moments to life in a way many fans didn't expect. It was an emotional final ride for longtime fans, and with My Hero Academia: More With the TV special set to release weeks before the Anime Awards, it could give the series the final push it needs to solidify its AotY win.
