Crunchyroll's 2023 Anime Awards have been announced with Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Family leading in category wins. While none were awarded Best Anime of the Year, collectively these three anime took eighteen awards out of twenty-nine total categories. This is a huge showing, mirroring the success these series have had not only in anime, but also in manga sales and reception.
The 2023 Anime Awards hosted by Crunchyroll were held March 4th and some of the top anime and manga series in the world showed up in a big way. Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc, and Spy x Family all tied each other for most awards won with six a piece. This is no easy feat and the competition was tough with numerous popular series in the running for each of these categories - as well as others. Given how successful they have been over the past few years, however, the real surprise is Spy x Family, since its anime debut came just last year.
Crunchyroll's 2023 Anime Awards Reveal Strengths of Each Anime Series
Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 won Best Opening Sequence and Best Anime Opening for "The Rumbling", Best Score for Kohta Yamamoto and Hiroyuki Sawano's compositions, Best Main Character for Eren Jeager, Best Drama, and Best VA Performance in Japanese for Yuki Kaji voicing Eren. In this regard, Attack on Titan's strengths lie in its music, lead, and ability to keep entertaining fans with its ever-intensifying storyline. Demon Slayer won Best Character Design, Best Animation, Best Director, Best Action, Best Fantasy, and Best VA Performance in Spanish with Alejandro Orozco's portrayal of Gyotaro. Many of Demon Slayer's successes lie in its art and artistic design, with a standout villain and action-packed storyline.
What Makes Spy x Family Standout From the Competition
Contrarily, Spy x Family's strengths are in a different vein. The familial-centric series won Best New Series, Best Ending Sequence for "Comedy", Best Supporting Character, "Must Protect at All Costs" Character, Best Comedy, and Best VA Performance in Portuguese for Nina Carvalho's work as Anya Forger. Anya was the stand-out as she won both character awards. These awards place Spy x Family's strengths in its comedic approach and adorable family dynamic. Despite having spy and action elements, those aspects are not the primary focus. It is not surprising that this series jumped to the forefront of anime, considering how quickly it has gained popularity among fans. Spy x Family has been an overnight success of sorts following its anime debut. This is especially true considering it is the newest manga series of these three frontrunners. Spy x Family is also the only currently ongoing series within this trio.
Crunchyroll's 2023 Anime Awards gave several anime series a chance to shine, but these three series really cemented their place as global hits. These series are also very different from one another in terms of story, tone, and intensity, providing a wide range of options for anime fans to choose from for their next binge. This showing provides an interesting glance at the wealth of options in the medium. Even with such global renown, each series is very distinct and easily discernible from its other award-winning counterparts. Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Family all had very strong showings this year, and they are likely going to continue to be popular for the near future.
Source: Crunchyroll