At the latest Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Solo Leveling was named Anime of the Year, a decision that has sparked heated debate among fans and critics alike. While the series’ win is celebrated by its large and dedicated following, many observers argue that other deserving titles, such as Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, were overlooked.
The outcome has raised questions about how fan support, popularity, and artistic merit are weighed in determining the most prestigious awards in the anime industry.
Solo Leveling, adapted from the widely popular South Korean web novel and webtoon, has become a global phenomenon in a very short time. The anime’s fast-paced action, stunning animation, and charismatic protagonist have helped it attract a massive fanbase.
Its storytelling, which follows Sung Jin-Woo as he grows from the weakest hunter to an overwhelmingly powerful figure, resonates strongly with audiences who enjoy character growth and intense battles. The series’ widespread appeal and high visibility likely contributed to its success at the Crunchyroll Awards, where fan voting plays a significant role in the final outcome.
On the other hand, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has been praised for its contemplative narrative and emotional depth. The story centers on Frieren, an elf mage, as she reflects on her long life and the friends she has lost along the way.
Unlike high-octane battle series, Frieren offers a slower, more reflective experience that focuses on themes of grief, memory, and personal growth. Critics have lauded its art style, character development, and subtle storytelling, highlighting its unique ability to explore complex emotions in a way that action-heavy series rarely do. For many viewers, Frieren represents artistic merit at its finest, a careful blend of visual beauty and narrative depth.
Frieren Beyond the Journey’s End Franchise (Credits: Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe)
Solo Leveling Wins Anime of the Year, Sparking Debate Over Frieren Snub
The choice of Solo Leveling over Frieren has led to discussions about the influence of popularity in awards. While fan voting ensures that communities have a voice in the decision-making process, it can sometimes favor series with larger, more active online followings.
Solo Leveling’s international success and social media presence may have given it an advantage over quieter, critically acclaimed titles like Frieren, which may appeal more to viewers who appreciate subtle storytelling rather than flashy action. This raises the question of whether Anime of the Year awards truly reflect artistic achievement or if they primarily reward the series with the most hype.
Fans have voiced differing opinions online. Supporters of Solo Leveling argue that the anime deserves recognition for its entertainment value, animation quality, and faithful adaptation of the source material.
They emphasize that awards are meant to celebrate success and popularity, and in that sense, Solo Leveling earned its win. Critics, however, insist that Frieren should have been at least equally recognized, arguing that its emotional resonance, innovative storytelling, and thought-provoking themes make it a strong contender for the top honor. This debate highlights the tension between mainstream appeal and critical appreciation, which has long existed in all entertainment media.
The Crunchyroll Awards have often sparked conversations about fairness, voting systems, and the balance between fan engagement and artistic merit. In this instance, the results have exposed a divide between different segments of the anime community.
Some see the awards as a celebration of fan enthusiasm, while others see them as a reflection of biases inherent in online voting platforms. Regardless of the outcome, both Solo Leveling and Frieren have achieved significant recognition, each attracting viewers for different reasons and demonstrating the diverse tastes within the anime fandom.
Crunchyroll Awards Controversy: Fans Question Choice Between Solo Leveling and Frieren
Another point raised by critics is the potential cultural bias in favor of series with international appeal. Solo Leveling, originally a Korean webtoon, has enjoyed massive success worldwide, particularly in North America and Southeast Asia.
Its rapid rise and widespread fan engagement may have overshadowed Frieren, a Japanese series that relies on a slower narrative style and subtle emotional storytelling. Some argue that the award reflects global popularity more than local artistic achievement, a shift that may influence how studios and creators approach future projects.
Despite the controversy, the recognition of Solo Leveling highlights the growing influence of webtoon adaptations in the anime industry. Meanwhile, the praise for Frieren demonstrates that anime audiences are increasingly appreciative of series that explore emotional and philosophical themes.
Solo Leveling Franchise (Credits: Chu gong)
Both series illustrate the evolving world of anime, where high-energy action and reflective storytelling coexist and thrive, each resonating with different segments of fans. Where high-energy action and reflective storytelling coexist and thrive
In the end, the debate sparked by the Crunchyroll Awards underscores how subjective the concept of “Anime of the Year” can be. While Solo Leveling claimed the top prize, Frieren has gained recognition as a standout work that challenges traditional storytelling norms.
The discussion about these two series highlights broader questions about how we evaluate art, the role of popularity versus quality, and the diverse ways anime can captivate and move audiences. For fans, this moment is both a celebration of current successes and a reminder that excellence in anime can take many forms.
The ending of the popular manga Oshi no Ko has sparked a heated debate among fans around the world. The series, known for its intense drama, shocking twists, and dark commentary on the entertainment industry, concluded recently with a finale that many readers found surprising and divisive.
While the creator, Aka Akasaka, stated that the ending was planned from the very beginning, a significant portion of the fanbase expressed disappointment, frustration, and even anger over how the story concluded. This clash among readers has highlighted just how passionate and invested fans have become in the series.
Oshi no Ko had been praised for its unique storytelling, blending themes of fame, ambition, obsession, and betrayal. The series focused on complex characters and the often harsh realities of the entertainment world.
From the first chapters, readers were drawn to the emotional depth, unexpected plot twists, and the moral dilemmas faced by the protagonists. These elements helped the manga gain a large and devoted following, with fans eagerly anticipating each new release. However, the ending of the series deviated from the expectations of many, creating tension within the fandom.
Some fans felt that the finale was rushed, with major plot points and character arcs resolved too quickly. They argued that certain events felt forced or lacked the development necessary to make them believable.
These readers believed that the story could have benefited from additional chapters to fully explore the consequences of the characters’ actions and provide a more satisfying conclusion. The sudden resolution of some conflicts left parts of the audience feeling that the series ended abruptly, without giving enough weight to the complex narrative that had been built over time.
Oshi no Ko Franchise (Credits: Aka Akasaka)
Oshi no Ko Finale Divides Fans Despite Creator’s Planned Ending
Others, however, defended the ending, emphasizing that the creator had repeatedly stated that the conclusion was part of the original plan. They argued that the story had always been building toward this specific outcome and that the dramatic turns were consistent with the tone and themes of the series.
For these fans, the ending reinforced the manga’s exploration of ambition, manipulation, and the cost of fame. They appreciated that the conclusion maintained the series’ sense of unpredictability and moral ambiguity, even if it was unsettling or shocking.
The divide within the fandom also reflects the broader challenges of concluding a highly popular and emotionally charged series. When a story gains a passionate following, expectations for the ending become extremely high.
Fans develop strong attachments to characters and invest in imagined outcomes, making it difficult for any conclusion to satisfy everyone. In the case of Oshi no Ko, the blend of dark storytelling, unexpected deaths, and intense emotional stakes meant that the ending would inevitably leave some readers feeling conflicted or disappointed.
Social media platforms quickly became a battleground for opinions. Readers shared their reactions, ranging from heartfelt explanations of why the ending worked for them to critiques of the pacing, character choices, and plot resolutions.
The discussions highlighted the deep emotional connection fans had with the story, as well as the complexity of the narrative that made it both loved and criticized. The debates over the ending also sparked conversations about authorial intent, storytelling choices, and the responsibility of creators to balance their vision with audience expectations.
Manga Ending Sparks Fandom Clash asOshi no KoConcludes Controversially
Despite the controversy, the ending of Oshi no Ko did not diminish the impact of the series. The manga has remained a significant work in recent years, known for pushing boundaries in its depiction of the entertainment industry and the difficult themes with boldness and creativity.
The passionate reactions to the finale are a testament to the series’s success in engaging readers and provoking thought, even if it meant creating disagreements among the fanbase.
Oshi no Ko Franchise (Credits: Aka Akasaka)
Ultimately, the finale of Oshi no Ko has divided its fans, with some feeling disappointed by the rushed pacing and others defending the ending as true to the creator’s original vision. The debates surrounding the conclusion highlight the challenges of wrapping up a complex and beloved story while maintaining narrative consistency and emotional impact.
Regardless of differing opinions, the series has left a lasting impression on readers and the manga community, demonstrating the power of storytelling to inspire discussion, evoke emotion, and spark passionate debate. For many fans, the ending may be controversial, but it also solidifies Oshi no Ko’s place as a memorable and influential work in modern manga.
A rural OB‑GYN, Gorou Amamiya, is mysteriously reborn as Aqua, one of the twin children of Ai Hoshino, a top teen idol he once cared for. Alongside his twin sister Ruby, Aqua discovers the dark, cutthroat side of the entertainment industry as he seeks to find his mother’s killer and uncover the truth behind her death. Themes include fame, identity, loyalty, revenge, and the corrosive nature of celebrity culture.
