Summary:
- Megumi Ishitani’s directorial brilliance was overlooked despite critical acclaim for ONE PIECE FAN LETTER.
- Frieren captured hearts with emotional storytelling, yet Solo Leveling took home Anime of the Year.
- Fans accuse Crunchyroll of favoring popularity over quality in the 2025 Anime Awards results.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards were meant to be a celebration of the year’s greatest anime, but for certain fans, the event left a bitter taste. Two of the most beloved titles of the season, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and ONE PIECE FAN LETTER, were snubbed from major categories where they deserved to win. Even though these anime had received widespread praise from fans and critics alike, they were snubbed in the Best Anime of the Year and Best Director awards, and that has caused disappointment across the anime community.
Table of Contents
The Most Controversial Best Director Win
Let’s begin with Best Director. Every nominee was incredibly gifted, each bringing a unique artistic vision to the screen. But no one was quite so outstanding as Megumi Ishitani, the director of ONE PIECE FAN LETTER.
Her achievement in this one-episode special has been widely praised as a visual and emotional success, perhaps one of the most emotionally impactful works of animation that One Piece fans have been able to view in years.
Megumi Ishitani is no stranger to taking anime episodes to the level of cinema, and what she did with ONE PIECE FAN LETTER was nothing less than fascinating. It was not just a love letter to One Piece; it was a love letter to the best of what anime has to offer.
And yet, despite all her incredible work, the award was given to Keiichiro Saito for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. There’s no doubt that Saito did a fantastic job of bringing the anime’s soft, reflective tone to life. He really, really deserves credit for it, but this wasn’t the award that suited him perfectly. Why? Because Frieren was meant to win the grand prize of all: Anime of the Year.
Frieren Deserved Anime of the Year
If there was one anime that dominated the discussions throughout the year, in storytelling, character development, animation, and emotional impact, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End stood above the rest.
The anime was widely acclaimed as a standout in almost every aspect. It was nominated in almost all the major categories, and rightly so. Its slow-burning, contemplative storytelling and deeply developed arcs resonated with the audience.
From exploring themes of memory, time, and grief, to presenting a thoughtful twist on fantasy tropes, Frieren was not just a seasonal hit, it reshaped what fantasy anime could be. With wins and nominations in Best Animation, Best Score, Best Supporting Character, and even Best Director, most thought Anime of the Year was a done deal.
Instead, the award was given to Solo Leveling, a move that immediately drew backlash online from the fans.
Solo Leveling Controversial Win
In fairness, Solo Leveling is an excellent anime, with plenty of action, a fast-paced storyline, and lovely animation. But when you are choosing the best anime of the year, Solo Leveling simply doesn’t make the cut.
Compared to Frieren, it lacked emotional weight, deeper themes, and the kind of thoughtful storytelling that typically characterizes the winner of the Anime of the Year. It provided thrills and spectacle, but it did not provide the same kind of lasting impact or artistic quality. That’s why the fans thought that Crunchyroll may have made the wrong call.
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Social media blew up in outrage within minutes of the announcement going public. Fans were calling the win “predictable,” “disappointing,” and “more marketing than merit.” Many argued that Solo Leveling’s win reflects Crunchyroll prioritizing popularity and buzz over genuine storytelling and craft.
Fanbase Overpowers Talent
This isn’t the first time Crunchyroll has been criticized for its awards, but 2025 felt especially at odds with what the fans really cared about. A few categories did have genuinely deserving winners, no complaints there, but the two most deserving awards of the night, Best Director and Anime of the Year, had fans puzzled.
When a talented director like Megumi Ishitani, whose work is being praised and studied by professionals in the anime industry, goes unrecognized, it makes one question what criteria are being applied to awards. And when an anime like Frieren, which broke hearts worldwide with its rich storytelling and top-notch production, is passed over for a flashy action anime, fans can’t help but feel that substance is being compromised for style.
There is no doubt that Crunchyroll has been transparent about their award selection by giving fans the chance to vote. But sometimes this makes it difficult for deserving anime to win against anime with huge fan bases. This happened last year, too, when Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 won over Vinland Saga Season 2 for the Anime of the Year Category.
Final Thoughts
There was an opportunity for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 to honor anime at its best. An anime that moves people, inspires artists, and pushes the boundaries of what the medium can achieve. And while some awards were undoubtedly well-deserved, others were disappointments as failures in recognizing true excellence.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and ONE PIECE FAN LETTER gave us stories that will stick with us for the next decade or so, not because of how trendy they were, but because of how meaningful they were. They deserved more than just a pat on the back. They ought to have won. Crunchyroll may have announced their winners, but for many fans, the real winners are Frieren and Ishitani, because their work meant something deeper. And that is something no award will ever be able to steal.
