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Anime of the Year 2026 is one of the most fiercely contested categories in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards' ten-year history. The tenth ceremony will happen on May 23, 2026, in Tokyo. Voting will be open to the public until April 15th. Tons of great anime came out last year, so picking out what should go on the list will be really tough.
Six titles are vying for Anime of the Year 2026:
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Takopi's Original Sin
- The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
- The Summer Hikaru Died
Anime of the Year 2026 Nominees Breakdown
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Science SARU's DAN DA DAN Season 2 aired from July 4 to September 19, 2025, on MBS/TBS. Abel Góngora co-directed the 12-episode run alongside returning director Fūga Yamashiro. This season continues the story of Momo, Okarun, and Jiji as they travel to Byakuja Village and encounter the evil Kito family and the evil entity of the Evil Eye. It leads all nominees with a total of 20 nominations at this year's ceremony, the highest of any series.
In addition to streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll, the season's opening theme will be AiNA THE END's song, "On The Way," which replaces the Creepy Nuts song from season 1. A 3rd season is currently confirmed for 2027 before being nominated for Anime of the Year 2026.
Gachiakuta
Studio Bones' Gachiakuta ran for 24 consecutive episodes from July 6 to December 22, 2025. The show was directed by Fumihiko Suganuma and scripted by Hiroshi Seko, and it takes place in a dystopic world divided into the Sphere (a rich floating city) and The Pit (an impoverished wasteland filled with piles of trash) below.
Gachiakuta received a total of 16 nominations. The day of the conclusion of Gachiakuta, a second season was announced. Being an Anime of the Year 2026 contender, Gachiakuta sets itself apart through its graffiti-infused visual style and raw themes of class struggle.
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Studio Bones produced the FINAL SEASON (2025) of My Hero Academia from October 4 to December 13. 11 Episodes were released on MBS/TBS. Manga creator Kohei Horikoshi directly participated in producing the series by creating original scenes for the show and approving scripts. The FINAL SEASON adapts the Final War Arc and Epilogue Arc. The finale features All Might vs. All For One's final battle and Deku vs. Shigaraki's final battle.
This Anime of the Year 2026 contender earned 15 nominations. There will be 1 bonus episode adapting Chapter 431 from the manga on May 2, 2026, to finalize the franchise after over a decade of production.
Takopi's Original Sin
Studio Enishya produced Takopi's Original Sin, which is an online anime that aired six episodes between June 28 and August 2, 2025. The anime was directed and the series written by Shinya Iino, who is best known for directing Dr. Stone. The character designs were done by Keita Nagahara, who was one of the character designers on Violet Evergarden.
In Summer 2025, the anime took the number 1 spot for all three weeks on the weekly rankings. The way bullying and childhood trauma are treated is what makes this a very good nomination for Anime of the Year for 2026.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
Toho Animation Studio and OLM have created The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 (Jan 10 – July 4, 2025, 24 episodes) for Nippon TV; it takes place at an imaginary Chinese imperial court based on China's Tang Dynasty. This new position pulls the poison-and-apothecary-obsessed Maomao into the world of political intrigue and conspiracy, along with a new villain.
As of the end of 2025, MyAnimeList rated The Apothecary Diaries the most popular anime on their website with a score of 8.91/10. This title has also consistently ranked first in U-Next's streaming services for the past year. With 17 nominations, it ranks as the second-most-nominated Anime of the Year 2026 contender from the television category.
The Summer Hikaru Died
CygamesPictures' The Summer Hikaru Died aired from July 6 to September 28, 2025, on Nippon TV, consisting of 12 episodes, directed and written by Ryōhei Takeshita. Set in a faraway village in Japan, childhood friends Yoshiki and Hikaru were best friends. After Hikaru dies in an accident in the mountains, an eldritch being comes into control of his body and takes his memories away from Yoshiki.
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The show has received 8 nominations. A second season was announced just after the season one finale. By December 2025, the manga that The Summer Hikaru Died is based on had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. Channelling both rural folklore horror and quiet grief, The Summer Hikaru Died stands out as one of 2025's most memorable show debuts.
The Anime of the Year 2026 race has a wide variety of entries. No matter which entry wins at the ceremony in Tokyo on May 23rd, this list will be one of the most competitive and diverse ever nominated for this award.
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