Crunchyroll's 2023 Anime Awards have concluded with a big live celebration in Tokyo. Fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite series from a list of nominees selected by judges, and the results confirm the popularity of the most successful anime of the past year, with some significant surprises too.
The biggest surprise was surely Cyberpunk: Edgerunners winning the Anime of the Year award. The series actually underperformed compared to the high number of nominations Cyberpunk: Edgerunners received (twelve), but it takes home the big prize, along with the award for best English VA performance for Zach Aguilar. Lycoris Recoil wins in the Best Original Anime category, while Spy X Family and One Piece have been voted Best New Series and Best Continuing Series, respectively. The full list of winners, along with the video of the awards ceremony, is available on Cruchyroll's website.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Takes Home The Anime Of The Year Award Among The Dominance Of Established Series
In terms of the number of awards, Demon Slayer - The Entertainment District Arc and Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 dominate this year, with six awards each, including many from the "technical" categories: Demon Slayer wins Best Character Design, Best Animation, and Best Director, while Attack on Titan dominates in the music section, winning Best Score, Best Opening Sequence, and Best Anime Song (the last two with The Rumbling by SiM). The two series also win Best Action and Best Drama respectively, cementing themselves as milestones of the 2022 anime season, while Spy x Family (which also got 6 awards) wins Best Comedy.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards have been occurring yearly since 2017. The list of winners of the Anime of the Year category is a real walk of fame of the most influential and successful anime of recent times: Yuri!!! On ICE, Made in Abyss, Devilman Crybaby Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Attack on Titan Final Season Part One. While Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' victory is not surprising for anyone who has seen that incredible series, it's still unexpected due to it being a very non-traditional anime product. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077 (developed and released by CD Projekt Red and based on a popular RPG franchise), rather than on a manga or light novel like the majority of anime. It's also not part of a bigger franchise and does not have multiple seasons, with the creators even announcing officially that there won't be a Cyberpunk: Edgerunners sequel.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was produced by industry veterans Studio TRIGGER, famous for Gurren Lagann and Kill La Kill, and for the outstanding quality of its works, and they delivered once again. Overall, Cruncyroll's 2023 Anime Awards have confirmed the dominance of industry titans such as Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer, but also highlighted the quality of new, innovative series such as Spy X Family, Lycoris Recoil, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Source: Crunchyroll.com.