In a spectacular celebration of anime’s global influence, Solo Leveling has officially been crowned Anime of the Year at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, held in Tokyo. With a record-breaking 51 million votes cast worldwide, fans came together to honor the top creators, performers, and productions that have shaped anime into the pop culture juggernaut it is today.
Singapore fans, part of the ever-growing Southeast Asian anime community, were among the millions who participated in the vote — a testament to anime’s surging popularity across the region.
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Solo Leveling
Dominates the Night
The Korean webtoon-turned-anime juggernaut Solo Leveling didn’t just win Anime of the Year — it swept the awards with a total of six accolades, including:
- Best New Series
- Best Action
- Best Ending Sequence (“request” by krage)
- Best Main Character (Sung Jinwoo)
- Best Score (Hiroyuki Sawano)
- Best English Voice Artist Performance (Aleks Le)
Sung Jinwoo’s dark, intense journey from weak hunter to world-shaking shadow monarch clearly resonated with fans around the world — especially with those who love high-stakes, beautifully animated power fantasies.
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Attack on Titan
Honored with First-Ever Global Impact Award
While Solo Leveling won big, Attack on Titan was celebrated for its cultural legacy. The long-running series received the inaugural Global Impact Award, recognizing its monumental contribution to anime history. Director Yuichiro Hayashi of MAPPA accepted the award on behalf of the entire creative team, following the release of Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK, which brought the epic saga to its gripping conclusion in late 2024.
🌟 Star-Studded Celebration in Tokyo
Hosted once again by beloved voice actress Sally Amaki and veteran presenter Jon Kabira, the ceremony at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo was a true fusion of East meets West.
Presenters included an eclectic mix of global celebrities and anime superfans like Kacey Musgraves, Finn Wolfhard, J Balvin, Rina Sawayama, and Chloe Kim — showing just how far anime’s cultural reach has extended beyond Japan.
Fans were also treated to high-energy performances by Creepy Nuts (performing Mashle’s “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”), FLOW (with the nostalgic “DAYS” from Eureka Seven), and LiSA, who brought the house down with a medley that included Demon Slayer’s iconic “Gurenge.”
🎉 Other Major Winners at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
- Film of the Year – Look Back
- Best Continuing Series – Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc
- Best Drama – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
- Best Romance – Blue Box
- Best Isekai Anime – Re:Zero Season 3
- Best Comedy – Mashle: The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
- Best Anime Song – “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts (Dan Da Dan)
Frieren and Dan Da Dan also had strong showings, with Frieren taking home awards for Best Drama, Best Background Art, Best Director, and Best Supporting Character (Fern). Meanwhile, Dan Da Dan won for Best Opening Sequence, Best Character Design, and Best Anime Song.
🌍 Anime is Global — and Getting Bigger
Crunchyroll revealed that fans from across the globe cast their votes, with high participation from countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, and the UK. For the first time, Canada and Chile entered the top 10 most engaged regions.
“Anime isn’t just entertainment — it’s identity,” said Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll. “These works of art are part of our lives, and this year’s 51 million votes prove just how connected global fans are to this medium.”
🎥 Missed the Show?
Fans in Singapore can catch the full Anime Awards show on demand soon via Crunchyroll’s YouTube and Twitch, Sony Pictures Core, and Sony’s global platforms.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a long-time anime fan or new to the genre, the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards showed just how vast and diverse the anime community has become. From powerhouses like Solo Leveling and Attack on Titan to emotional epics like Frieren, anime continues to evolve and resonate on a global scale.
For Singapore-based fans, the message is clear: Anime is no longer a niche — it’s a movement.
Stay tuned to GameTrader.SG for more anime reviews, fan features, and event coverage.
More information on the winners at Crunchyroll
