Among them, the most prestigious honor is Anime of the Year, recognizing the very best anime released over the past year. As always, six nominees have been selected for the award. While each is deserving in its own right, only one can claim the top spot, and here’s how they rank based on their likelihood of winning.
Every year, a standout anime tied closely to the Summer season emerges, often highlighting deeply rooted Japanese storytelling, and in 2025, it was The Summer Hikaru Died. Staying true to its seasonal tone, the anime delivers exactly the kind of atmosphere and themes fans would expect, with its story set in a secluded rural area shaped by its own beliefs, making it feel incredibly authentic.
Throughout its short run, it presents a compelling narrative that remains engaging for most of its duration. However, when compared to the other nominees in this category, it falls slightly short. Among the six contenders, The Summer Hikaru Died ultimately has the lowest chance of winning.
Two anime have returned to this category for a consecutive year, including The Apothecary Diaries with its second season. The first season, spanning 24 episodes, delivered a unique kind of drama, led by a main female character whose energy feels far more compelling than most modern counterparts. Alongside that, the series’s thrilling elements only added to its overall appeal.
With its return, the second season continues to highlight these strengths. However, fans have been vocal about preferring the first season over the second, despite the latter featuring some of its strongest narrative moments in the later half. While those episodes alone could push it into Anime of the Year contention, the other nominees ultimately have stronger cases.
The second anime returning for a consecutive run in this category is one of the most modern shonen hits, Dandadan Season 2. This season continues the series’ enigmatic narrative, following the protagonists on their journey to recover Okarun’s privates while encountering even more bizarre villains along the way. It further builds on the source material, enhancing it with sharp pop culture references.
Science Saru once again proves how anime can elevate what the manga sets out to achieve on an entirely different scale. While Dandadan Season 2 stands strong on its own, its chances of winning Anime of the Year may not be the highest, as it largely feels like a continuation of the first season, with its culmination arriving midway through. Had the first season been structured to end on the Evil Eye arc, its chances might have been stronger, but other nominees ultimately present more compelling cases.
Every year, many new shonen anime make their debut, but only a few truly stand out, and Gachiakuta, released in Fall 2025, doesn’t just stand out as the best shonen of the year; it may be one of the strongest in recent years. It offers a modern take on the genre, with elements that break away from traditional shonen conventions across the board.
Beyond its bold storytelling, it is Bones Film’s exceptional animation quality that makes it a true standout. While Gachiakuta has a strong chance of winning this award, there are still a couple of anime with more compelling cases. That said, it is also nominated for Best New Anime, where it stands as a clear frontrunner if it falls short in this category.
The Summer of 2025 also saw another standout anime release that took the fandom by surprise right from its pilot: Takopi’s Original Sin. With a brief run of just six episodes, the series delivers a harrowing look at reality, tackling heavy themes rarely explored, especially with children at its center. It left a lasting impact, proving that anime can go far beyond fiction and typical action-driven tropes.
That isn’t the only reason why Takopi’s Original Sin deserves this award, but considering that public voting plays a major role, it holds strong chances, especially as it became one of the few anime to secure over a 9 rating for each episode on IMDb. That said, when it comes to overall public momentum, there is still one more contender that has reignited a larger portion of the fandom and may hold the edge.
Fall 2025 also marked the arrival of the final season of My Hero Academia, an anime that has been running for nearly a decade, finally bringing its journey to a close. As one of the last long-running shonen series with such an expansive narrative, its conclusion was always expected to be an emotional experience, and that became evident upon its release. Fans responded overwhelmingly, with all eleven episodes of the final season receiving ratings above 9 on IMDb.
With public voting playing a major role, it appears the anime community has already made its stance clear. Through this response, My Hero Academia has already positioned itself as the winner of the Anime of the Year award at Crunchyroll’s 2026 Anime Awards, and rightfully so.
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