On February 19, 2021 Crunchyroll hosted its fifth anime awards. The categories are selected by a panel of judges and also based off of fan responses to past award categories. Then selected judges select which anime shows will fall into each category. The winner of each category is selected by judges along with fan voting during selected dates. There is a ratio of a 70/30 emphasis given to judges and fan votes to determine the winner of each category. I enjoy watching the awards and also seeing what shows other people are watching. There are two questions I have about the awards. My main question is that fans can vote once per day for 15 days to pick what show they feel is the best in each category. I voted, but I only voted once. The same person could vote 15 times for the same shows. I know this might be hard to do but I kind of wish you could only vote once. My second question is that some of these shows are not on Crunchyroll. I feel that is fair to all anime but I can’t watch some of these shows. I would like to see what some of them are about but I don’t have easy access to them. All that aside, lets take a look at the nominees and the winners.

Best Character Design

 

• WINNER: Mayuka Itou, Original Designs by Aidairo – Toilet-bound Hanako-kun
• Naoyuki Asano, Original Designs by: Sumito Owara – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hirotaka Katou – Great Pretender
• Genice Chan, Yuusuke Yoshigaki – BNA: Brand New Animal
• Masashi Kudoh, Miho Tanino, Original Designs by: S.I.U. – Tower of God
• Rumiko Takahashi, Yoshihito Hishinuma – Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

I did not see this show as it was not on Crunchyroll. I have also not seen Great Pretender and BNA. I would have given this award to Yashahime or Tower of God. I really like the designes for Yashahime.

BEST ANIMATION

 

• WINNER: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Princess Connect! Re: Dive
• Great Pretender
• The God of High School
• Appare-Ranman!
• BEASTARS

I have only seen Eizuken! and The God of Highschool. I 100% agree that Eizouken! should have this award.

BEST FIGHT SCENE

 

• WINNER: Deku vs Overhaul – My Hero Academia Season 4
• Gojo Satoru vs. Ryomen Sukuna – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Jin Mori vs Jegai Taek – The God of High School
• Bercouli vs Emperor Vector – Sword Art Online Alicization: War of the Underworld Part 2
• Jin Mori vs Han Daewi – The God of High School
• Brawler vs Master – Akudama Drive

I have not seen Akudama Drive and stopped watching Alicization. I voted for My Hero as well.

BEST COUPLE

 

• WINNER: Nasa Yuzaki and Tsukasa Yuzaki – TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You
• Kaguya Shinomiya and MIyuki Shirogane – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR? (Season 2)
• Legoshi and Haru – BEASTARS
• Kotoko Iwanaga and Kuro Sakuragawa – In/Spectre
• Catarina Claes and Maria Campbell – My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
• Chizuru Mizuhara and Kazuya Kinoshita – Rent-A-Girlfriend

I obviously don’t like this category as I have not seen or stopped watching all of these shows.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A VOICE ACTOR (Japanese)

 

• WINNER: Yusuke Kobayashi as Natsuki Subaru – Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2
• Riho Sugiyama as Minare Koda – Wave, Listen to Me!
• Megumi Ogata as Hanako – Toilet-bound Hanako-kun
• Yuichi Nakamura as Gojo Satoru – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Mutsumi Tamura as Sayaka Kanamori – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Yuusuke Oonuki as Daisuke Kanbe – The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED

I have not seen Wave, Toilet or Millionaire. I would have voted for Kanamori in Eizouken! but Subaru in Re:ZERO is a good runner up for me.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A VOICE ACTOR (English)

 

• WINNER: Zeno Robinson as Hawks – My Hero Academia Season 4
• Crispin Freeman as Ziusudra – Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
• Aaron Phillips as Laurent Thierry – Great Pretender
• Johnny Yong Bosch as Bam – Tower of God
• Jonah Scott as Legoshi – BEASTARS
• Anairis Quiñones as Echidna – Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2

I haven’t seen any of these shows in the dub but this makes me want to see My Hero in it’s dub version. What’s interesting is that a black voice actor is doing a white character. I think that is awesome that a person can do that. I don’t know what the pool of black voice actors is like but I hope that this trend continues as well as getting more black actors to voice black characters. It makes me think of the American TV show called “The Voice” which I use to watch. In the beginning of the show famous judges are not able to see a singer as they perform and just judge them on their singing voice and not their looks. I also think of how many female voice actors voice male roles when they are younger. It seem that a lot of people liked this pick.

BEST GIRL

 

• WINNER: Kaguya Shinomiya – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR? (Season 2)
• Sayaka Kanamori – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Chizuru Mizuhara – Rent-A-Girlfriend
• Noi – Dorohedoro
• Catarina Claes – My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
• Abigail Jones – Great Pretender

The only show I’ve seen in this category is Eizouken! and I don’t think Kanamori fits this winner category so, sure Kaguya is a good choice.

BEST BOY

 

• WINNER: Shoyo Hinata – HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP
• Caiman – Dorohedoro
• Gojo Satoru – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Khun Aguero Agnes – Tower of God
• Legoshi – BEASTARS
• Anos Voldigoad – The Misfit of Demon King Academy

I have not seen Dorohedoro, BEASTARS or Misfit. I would not vote for Gojo in this category and I don’t think Khun quite fits so good choice with Hinata in Haikyu!!

BEST DIRECTOR

 

• WINNER: Masaaki Yuasa – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Yuzuru Tachikawa – DECA-DENCE
• Sunghoo Park – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Hiro Kaburagi – Great Pretender
• Mamoru Hatakeyama – Kaguya-sama: Love is War? (Season 2)
• Takashi Sano – Tower of God

I have not seen DECA-DENCE or Great Pretender and stopped watching Kaguya-sama. I would vote for Eizouken! as well.

BEST SCORE

 

• WINNER: Kevin Penkin – Tower of God
• Great Pretender
• BEASTARS
• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• The God of High School
• Japan Sinks: 2020

I saw Tower of God but I honestly don’t remember the music. I do remeber Eizouken!’s music though and thought it was pretty good.

BEST OPENING SEQUENCE

 

• WINNER: “Wild Side” by ALI – BEASTARS
• “Easy Breezy” by chelmico – Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• “KAIKAIKITAN” by EVE – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• “G.P.” by Yutaka Yamada – Great Pretender
• “Daddy Daddy Do!” by Masayuki Suzuki – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR? (Season 2)
• “Phoenix” by Burnout Syndromes – HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP

I have not seen BEASTARS but I did watch the Opening Sequence. I do admit it is good, but I have to say that Easy Breezy from Eizouken! got robbed on this one. This was an amazing opening and should have won in my opinion.

BEST ENDING SEQUENCE

 

• WINNER: “LOST IN PARADISE” by ALI feat. AKLO – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• “The Great Pretender” by Freddie Mercury – Great Pretender
• “Night Running” by Shin Sakura ft AAAMYYY – BNA: Brand New Animal
• “(K)NoW_NAME” by 「D.D.D.D」- Dorohedoro
• “Welcome My Friend” by OKAMOTO’S – The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED
• “Last Dance” by Mamoru Miyano – In/Spectre

A great winner! I stopped watching In/Spectre and have not seen any of the other shows. But, I watched alll the endings and Lost in Paradise was the best one.

BEST FANTASY

 

• WINNER: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2
• Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai
• DECA-DENCE
• Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2
• Dorohedoro
• Tower of God

I have not seen DECA-DENCE and Dorohedoro and stopped watching Dragon Quest and Bookworm. Tower of God was pretty good but Re:ZERO is just a better show.

BEST COMEDY

 

• WINNER: KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR? (Season 2)
• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
• Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle
• Kakushigoto
• The Misfit of Demon King Academy

This is not my genre. I would not call Eizouken! a comedy. What I have seeen of Kaguya-Sama in season 1, I respect and could see how this won.

BEST DRAMA

 

• WINNER: Fruits Basket (Season 2)
• Great Pretender
• Japan Sinks: 2020
• SING “YESTERDAY” FOR ME
• BEASTARS
• Somali and the Forest Spirit

I have not seen Great Pretender, Sinks or BEASTARS. I agree that Fruits Basket is an amazing show. Yesterday was also a good show and came in a close second for me. I think it could have won in many years but came out in the wrong year. I haven’t seen Great Pretender as well but I’m starting to get the feeling I should put it on my list of shows to watch.

BEST PROTAGONIST

 

• WINNER: Catarina Claes – My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
• Natsume – DECA-DENCE
• Yuji Itadori – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Anos Voldigoad – The Misfit of Demon King Academy
• Shoyo Hinata – HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP

I would have voted for Itadori.

BEST ANTAGONIST

 

• WINNER: Ryomen Sukuna – JUJUTSU KAISEN
• En – Dorohedoro
• Rachel – Tower of God
• Akito Soma – Fruits Basket (Season 2)
• Echidna – Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2
• Overhaul – My Hero Academia Season 4

I would say that Sukuna is an antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen but perhaps not the main one? I don’t know? The only show I have not seen in this category is Dorohedoro. I would have chosen Overhaul or Akito.

ANIME OF THE YEAR

 

• WINNER: JUJUTSU KAISEN
• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
• Dorohedoro
• Great Pretender
• Appare-Ranman!
• BEASTARS

I agree.

What’s good about these awards is that it give someone who may not know what to watch a good starting point of some popular shows. I thought that the awards were really well done and it was really cool to get Hime in the show who is the logo girl for Cruncyroll. I also really enjoy the Tim Lyu personality and though he did a really good job. Looking at the nominations, I think I need to put Great Pretender on my list of anime to watch. Even though I haven’t seen it, I feel that perhaps they got robbed on something as they were nominations in so many categories but didn’t win anything. Perhaps a show that just came out in the wrong year. I might also want to watch BEASTARS but I’m not sure I would like they claymation style. I did enjoy The Nightmare Before Christmas so maybe I’ll like BEASTARS. From what I’ve seen, the plot seems interesting and people liked it.

 

What are your thoughts about the awards this year? Do you have different picks? Let me know in the comments below.