The 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony wrapped up in Tokyo with a celebration of artistry, innovation, and performance across the anime landscape. While flashy animation and gripping narratives continue to dominate headlines, this year’s ceremony made one thing clear: voice actors remain the emotional core of anime storytelling.
With Solo Leveling earning top honors and standout series like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Dan Da Dan, and Attack on Titan securing major wins, this year’s awards also emphasized the global resonance of voice acting — honoring performances in Japanese, English, Hindi, Latin Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Castilian Spanish.
Global Spotlight on Voice Acting: The Emotional Core of Anime Recognition
Among the most celebrated moments of the night were the voice performance awards — which continue to grow in importance as anime expands across global streaming platforms and language audiences.
Best Voice Acting Performance (Japanese) went to Aoi Yūki, whose role as Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries was both technically precise and emotionally layered. Yūki captured the protagonist’s intelligence, sarcasm, and inner curiosity with a grounded performance that elevated the show’s tone.
In the English category, Aleks Le received accolades for his commanding performance as Sung Jin-woo in Solo Leveling. As the central figure in an action-heavy yet emotionally driven series, Le’s portrayal tracked Jin-woo’s transformation from insecure hunter to powerful force with depth and urgency.
Lohit Sharma, who voiced Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, took home the award for Best Performance in Hindi. His energetic delivery mirrored Gojo’s complex charm — mixing levity with menace in a way that struck a chord with new regional audiences.
Other notable voice performance winners included:
- Miguel Ángel Leal as Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan) – Latin Spanish
- Masumi Mutsuda as Sung Jin-woo (Solo Leveling) – Castilian Spanish
- Charles Emmanuel as Sung Jin-woo (Solo Leveling) – Brazilian Portuguese
The repeated recognition of Solo Leveling across language categories highlighted the show’s broad adaptability and how voice talent around the world brought their own distinct interpretations to a singular character.
Solo Leveling’s Sweep: How Voice Acting Amplified a Global Hit
Solo Leveling was the undisputed titan of the night, winning nine awards, including Anime of the Year, Best New Series, and Best Action Anime. Based on the hit Korean web novel, the anime adaptation resonated globally, thanks not only to its stunning animation and fast-paced plot, but also its multilingual vocal execution.
Aleks Le’s English performance anchored the emotional intensity of the series, especially in early episodes where Sung Jin-woo’s vulnerability and confusion contrast with the eventual calm and confidence of his evolution. Similarly, Charles Emmanuel’s Brazilian Portuguese version stood out for its clear articulation and subtle shifts in tone that mirrored Jin-woo’s growth arc.
With Masumi Mutsuda bringing the role to life for Spanish-speaking audiences in Spain, the show demonstrated a rare multilingual cohesiveness, showing just how essential voice talent is in preserving — and enhancing — character integrity across cultures.
Depth and Stillness: Frieren’s Emotional Voice Work in a Low-Action Fantasy
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End emerged as a critical darling, taking home Best Drama, Best Director, and Best Background Art. It’s a show that challenges traditional fantasy pacing, relying on introspection and quiet emotional beats more than spectacle — a tone that demands thoughtful voice acting.
While no individual voice actor from Frieren won in a language-specific category, the entire cast’s performance was instrumental in delivering the show’s melancholic beauty. Fern, who won Best Supporting Character, serves as an emotional anchor to Frieren’s journey. Her voice actor — in both Japanese and English — matched the character’s grounded realism, helping balance Frieren’s ethereal, distant tone.
In scenes filled with silence, subtle breathing, and internal dialogue, voice performance wasn’t just expressive — it was structural.
Energizing the Weird: Vocal Performance in Dan Da Dan’s Chaotic Universe
Winning awards for Best Character Design and Best Opening Sequence, Dan Da Dan carved its place as one of the most unpredictable and stylish anime of the year. With body-swapping, alien encounters, and offbeat humor, the show’s energy could easily unravel without a tight vocal foundation.
The voice cast played a key role in keeping the tone cohesive. Characters swung between absurd and sincere within single scenes, and the performers carried that balance convincingly. High-pitched screams, deadpan sarcasm, and heartfelt monologues all sat side by side — a challenge met with precise control and fearless delivery.
Though not recognized in voice acting categories directly, the performances in Dan Da Dan are widely credited for helping the series’ wild tone feel controlled and authentic.
Attack on Titan’s Final Bow: Celebrating Cultural Reach Through Language
This year also introduced a Global Impact Award, and it was fittingly awarded to Attack on Titan, which concluded its decade-spanning run in 2024. With its complex moral themes and evolving protagonist, the show demanded an equally complex vocal performance — especially for Eren Jaeger.
Miguel Ángel Leal’s Latin Spanish portrayal of Eren captured the inner conflict and psychological descent of the character, especially in the final season. His performance bridged rage and resignation in a way that deeply resonated with Latin American fans, many of whom have praised his version as among the best across all dubs.
This recognition of localized voice performance within a show’s international impact is a reminder that global success often hinges on the talent of regional voice actors who carry the story’s weight in their own languages.
Complete List of 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners
Anime of the Year: Solo Leveling
Best New Series: Solo Leveling
Best Continuing Series: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc
Best Original Anime: Ninja Kamui
Best Animation: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc
Best Character Design: Dan Da Dan
Best Director: Keiichiro Saito (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
Best Background Art: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Best Main Character: Sung Jin-woo (Solo Leveling)
Best Supporting Character: Fern (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
“Must Protect at All Costs” Character: Anya Forger (SPY x FAMILY Season 2)
Best Anime Song: “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts (Dan Da Dan)
Best Opening Sequence: “Otonoke” by Creepy Nuts (Dan Da Dan)
Best Ending Sequence: “Request” by krage (Solo Leveling)
Best Score: Hiroyuki Sawano (Solo Leveling)
Best Romance: Blue Box
Best Comedy: Mashle: Magic and Muscles
Best Action: Solo Leveling
Best Drama: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Best Slice of Life: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
Best Isekai: Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World Season 3
Best Film: Look Back
Global Impact Award: Attack on Titan Final Season
Best Voice Acting (Japanese): Aoi Yūki – The Apothecary Diaries
Best Voice Acting (English): Aleks Le – Solo Leveling
Best Voice Acting (Hindi): Lohit Sharma – Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Best Voice Acting (Latin Spanish): Miguel Ángel Leal – Attack on Titan
Best Voice Acting (Castilian Spanish): Masumi Mutsuda – Solo Leveling
Best Voice Acting (Brazilian Portuguese): Charles Emmanuel – Solo Leveling
As anime continues to expand across continents, languages, and platforms, the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards served as a reminder that behind every iconic scene is a voice actor shaping its emotional core. This year’s winners not only reflect excellence in writing and animation but underscore the global reach of performance-driven storytelling — a trend that only continues to grow.