Solo Leveling won big at the Anime Awards, but some fans think these other anime shows were "robbed"

Solo Leveling season 3 — (Image credit: Solo Leveling Animation Partners)

As the reactions to the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 winners demonstrate, you can't make everyone happy in an awards ceremony. There will always be winners and losers, although being nominated is a win in itself.

Last weekend, hit anime series Solo Leveling won big at the Anime Awards, taking home the awards for Anime of the Year, Best New Series, Best Action Anime, Best Main Character (Sung Jinwoo) and more. The show has quickly become one of the most popular animes out there after a record-breaking season 2, so it's hardly a surprise that it has swept the board.

However, fans of other beloved new anime series like Frieren: Beyond the Journey's End and The Apothecary Diaries think that they have been "robbed" in the competition. Both of those shows were nominated for multiple categories including Anime of the Year, along with Dan Da Dan, Delicious in Dungeon, and Kaiju No. 8.

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Despite Frieren winning awards for Best Drama Anime, Best Director (Keiichiro Saito), Best Background Art and Best Supporting Character (Fern), it seems it is not enough for some fans, who have taken to social media to voice their complaints:

Frieren got absolutely robbed😭#AnimeAwards pic.twitter.com/ZgRz1U0L9aMay 25, 2025

Jesus at least Frieren got something but man were they ROBBED OF AOTY 🤧😮‍💨They honestly should have swept multiple categories! #AnimeAwards https://t.co/LHXF4O0rNv pic.twitter.com/8lTa9OWnyRMay 26, 2025

congratulations to the winners of the #AnimeAwards but Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries definitely got robbed. One of these 2 should've won the anime of the year 😮‍💨😮‍💨May 25, 2025

The apothecary diaries got robbed ,it deserved the anime of the year . #AnimeAwards is such disappointment now why tf it's solo leveling it isn't even that goodMay 25, 2025

Frieren and Apothecary Diaries fans are not the only ones feeling slightly disappointed at the results of Crunchyroll's Anime Awards 2025.

"The biggest robbery of the Anime Awards is Dungeon Meshi [Delicious in Dungeon] not winning a single damn thing", said one fan on Twitter, while another user described as a "crime against the world" that Demon Slayer won Best Continuing Series over One Piece.

Regardless of the final results, it can only be a good thing to see so many critically-acclaimed and popular anime series and movies being praised and celebrated. As for Frieren fans, don't worry – there will be another chance soon as Frieren: Beyond the Journey's End season 2 is set to be released next year.

For more, check out all the latest on the new anime coming your way in 2025 and beyond, including Jujutsu Kaisen season 3.

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.