3 Anime That Nearly Took Crunchyroll’s 2026 Anime of the Year Instead of My Hero Academia

Crunchyroll‘s Anime Awards 2026 event has come to an end, revealing that My Hero Academia Final Season won the Anime of the Year award for last year. Considering the momentum the series built since its first season and the emotional weight of the anime reaching its conclusion after a 10-year run, fans were right to celebrate its ending on such a grand stage.

That said, the other nominees also had strong cases for deserving the award in their own ways. In particular, three anime among the nominees nearly proved they could take the win themselves, as their 2025 runs delivered compelling elements that made them stand out as some of the most remarkable series in recent years.

Read Next

10 Years Later, My Hero Academia Finally Takes Crunchyroll’s Highest Honor

3) Dandadan Season 2

For two consecutive years, Dandadan has been nominated for this award, and that alone proves the anime operates on a completely different level. The series has achieved this through the many elements working in its favor. From the thematic animation that constantly shifts alongside the scenes on screen to the emotional storytelling, intense fights, and bizarre comedy, Dandadan Season 2 continued to elevate the foundation built by its first season.

The second season in particular felt nearly perfect, especially as it concluded a major arc midway through the season with the scale and impact of an anime film. Across both of its seasons, the anime has yet to deliver a weak run, making it easy to see why it could have taken the award in either of its nominations, as it truly redefines what new-generation anime can be.

2) Gachiakuta

Gachiakuta emerged as the Best New Anime of the Year, further solidified by its victory for Best New Anime of 2025 at the Crunchyroll Awards. The series achieved this through its fresh approach to the shonen genre, proving that the old formula of shonen storytelling is gradually fading away. It accomplished this with a bold narrative, a unique protagonist, and a level of realism that resonates far more with modern audiences than traditional shonen anime.

Meanwhile, the animation work by Bones Film was exceptional from start to finish, elevating every scene with striking detail, powerful soundtracks, and a visual style that perfectly captured the series’ dark tone. As one of the most distinctive shonen anime in recent years, Gachiakuta proved itself deserving of Anime of the Year recognition alongside its Best New Anime victory.

1) Takopi’s Original Sin

Takopi’s Original Sin might be one of the most unique anime in years, making it shocking that it failed to win a single award despite being nominated in seven different categories, including Anime of the Year, Best New Anime, and Best Drama. Considering the overwhelming support it received during its Summer 2025 run, with fans helping it become the first anime to maintain a 9-star rating across all of its episodes, the series seemed destined to walk away with multiple victories.

As a result, its shutout at the awards felt disappointing. The anime stood out because of its shocking storytelling and eerie atmosphere centered around children, creating a disturbing contrast to what viewers initially expected the series to be. Arguably, it deserved the Anime of the Year award at Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards just as much as My Hero Academia, though the latter ultimately prevailed due to its generational legacy and the emotional weight of a decade-long run.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!