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The 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards saw Solo Leveling winning the Anime of the Year award along with eight other awards. The competition was tough as there were several nominations. With 33 awards, it was filled with various nominees from different genres. However, the entire voting power does not lie with the fans. According to Crunchyroll, the six nominees are selected by a group of judges, and the winner of each category is selected through a voting system where both judges and fans vote.
To be eligible for the selection process, an anime needs to be aired between January 1 to December 31, 2024. Even though the nominations were great, there were a few titles that deserved to be nominated. These anime series performed admirably and became fan favorites, earning high ratings. Here is a list of the anime that were overlooked in the 2025 Anime Awards.
Note: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Winter Anime 2024
1. Classroom of the Elite Season 3
- Creator: Shougo Kinugasa, Yuyu Ichino
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Began Airing: January 3, 2024
- Animation Studio: Lerche
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Classroom of the Elite is indeed an elite high school anime where competitions follow no-holds-barred rules. Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a prestigious school, but within its perimeter, the story is different. There are four classes A-D, with the first class having the students with the most merits and the last one being like a delinquent dumpster. However, there is no hard and fast rule that the classrooms assigned to the students are permanent. They can change classes by outperforming the students from the higher classes. With such a competitive scenario, Classroom of the Elite brings forth an intellectual battle enjoyable to all.
2. Kingdom Season 5
- Creator: Yasuhisa Hara
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Began Airing: January 14, 2024
- Animation Studio: Pierrot, Studio Signpost
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Kingdom is one of the best anime when it comes to historical drama with great action sequences. The anime has earned quite the popularity thanks to each arc and the characters that support it. In Kingdom Season 5, Qin quells Ai’s rebellion and targets Koku You Hill. General Kan Ki leads the campaign, with Xin under his command. As the strategic hill sparks a war between Qin and Zhao, Xin kills Kei Sha, a top Zhao general, on the fourth day. After the Saki Clan exposes Ki Sui’s past, Kan Ki uses brutal tactics—burning villages and capturing civilians—to pressure him. However, Ki Sui flees, and his desertion leads to Zhao’s defeat.
Honourable Mentions: Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2.
Spring Anime 2024
1. The Fable
- Creator: Katsuhisa Minami
- Number of Episodes: 25
- Began Airing: April 7, 2024
- Animation Studio: Tezuko Productions
- Where to Watch: Disney+
The Fable is about a legendary assassin named Akira Satou, who has started to attract the attention of the legal authorities. To be on the safer side, his boss orders him to lie low for a year without killing anyone. However, the task is more difficult than it sounds, and he is often approached by rival gang members, and to stay alive, he has to trick them. It is a shocker to see The Fable getting left out of the 2025 Anime Awards. It is a complete package of entertainment, a mixture of action and comedy, with great ratings on popular sites.
2. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
- Creator: Chisato Abe, Natsumi Matsuzaki
- Number of Episodes: 20
- Began Airing: April 6, 2024
- Animation Studio: Pierrot
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Taking place in the Kingdom of Yamauchi, where people can turn into three-legged crows, Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master is about Wakamiya, the crown prince. Wakamiya earned the prestigious duty of becoming a Kinu, a servant to the Mountain God. Wakamiya was born as the second son to a concubine, but getting such a crucial title has enraged several people, especially his stepmother. The situation turned cold between the siblings, but things started to change after one of the village chief’s sons, Yukiya, became Wakamiya’s attendant. A slow-paced fantasy at its best, with elements of tension in between, makes it a surprisingly good watch.
Honourable Mentions: Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, Mission: Yozakura Family, Black Butler: Public School Arc, Oblivion Battery, Tonari no Yokai-san.
Summer Anime 2024
1. No Longer Allowed in Another World
- Creator: Hiroshi Noda, Takahiro Wakamatsu
- Number of Episodes: 12
- Began Airing: July 9, 2024
- Animation Studio: Atelier Pontdarc
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Coming from the Isekai genre, No Longer Allowed in Another World tells the story of two lovers, Sensei and Sacchan, who decide to attempt suicide by a raging river. Unfortunately, before they could complete their deed, they were struck by a truck. Surprisingly, Sensei finds himself in another world where he learns an Elf Priestess has summoned him to become a hero. Unfortunately, he declined the offer since he is more focused on dying. On his journey, he saves a catgirl and realizes Sacchan could also be present in that world, and starts to find her. No Longer Allowed in Another World’s plot is pretty intriguing, even for an Isekai, a rare combination of dark comedy and dark fantasy.
2. I Parry Everything
- Creator: Nabeshiki, KRSG
- Number of Episodes: 12
- Began Airing: July 5, 2024
- Animation Studio: OLM, Inc.
- Where To Watch: Netflix
I Parry Everything: What Do You Mean I’m The Strongest?! I’m Not Even an Adventurer Yet! is one of the most underrated anime of 2024, featuring great animation and characters. The anime revolves around Noor, who can parry a thousand swords in a fraction of a second, and decides to become an adventurer. With that desire, he journeys off to the royal capital. However, to fulfill his childhood dream, he needs to be able to do more than just parry swords. The world is immense, and his abilities must be just as boundless.
Honourable Mentions: NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Cour 2, Twilight Out of Focus.
Fall Anime 2024
1. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
- Creator: Uoto
- Number of Episodes: 25
- Began Airing: October 5, 2024
- Animation Studio: Madhouse
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is one of the best anime that was snubbed by the 2025 Anime Awards. They had a compelling plot connected by a chain of stories, with each inspiring the next generation.
The story revolves around heliocentrism and geocentrism, with the society believing the latter to be the truth. Anyone who opposes the thought or works secretly to find the truth is killed by the authority. Even after such circumstances, there are several individuals who keep on working on the idea and in their deaths, pass the idea to the next generation. It is a beautiful plot with equally great characters that will make the watcher go through a whole new experience.
2. Dragon Ball DAIMA
- Creator: Akira Toriyama
- Number of Episodes: 20
- Began Airing: October 11, 2024
- Animation Studio: Toei Animation
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll/Netflix
The sixth televised animated installment in the Dragon Ball media franchise, Dragon Ball DAIMA, packs a great deal of nostalgia. Not only are Son Goku and Prince Vegeta returning for years, but it is also the last anime that the late Akira Toriyama worked on before passing away.
The story sees the Z-Warriors explore the depths of the Demon Realm after they were cursed to become the kid version of themselves. DAIMA broke several myths by revealing that Vegeta can turn into Super Saiyan 3 and Son Goku can turn into Super Saiyan 4. The fans know that when a Dragon Ball anime airs, it brings lots of entertainment through comedy and action, and likewise, DAIMA follows the trend.
Honourable Mentions: Yakuza Fiancé, Tower of God Season 2, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Disturbance, Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga, Natsume’s Book of Friends Season 7, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest.
Also Read: Why Frieren Deserved the 2025 Anime of the Year More Than Solo Leveling
Priyanko is currently pursuing his Master’s in Economics. He loves to read manga or watch anime in his spare time. He is a massive fan of One Piece, Naruto, and Haikyu. Amidst the Great Pirating Era, he wishes to become the greatest Hokage, even though he is short.
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