Crunchyroll presented “My Hero Academia: Season 8” with the prestigious award ‘Anime of the Year’ at the milestone 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This platform is highly significant for serving as the “premier global platform” for celebrating and mainstreaming Japanese animation. The equivalent of the Oscars and Grammys in the anime world, these awards highlight how far anime has grown beyond its domestic borders, creating a massive global fanbase.
This year, the event took place at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan. The night's most prestigious honour was presented to the final season of Kohei Horikoshi’s legendary superhero franchise by the global music star, The Weeknd. Along with the top prize, the final season took home Best Supporting Character (Katsuki Bakugo), Best Ending Sequence ("I" by BUMP OF CHICKEN), and Best Voice Artist Performance (French) for Bastien Bourlé as Deku.
“My Hero Academia” (MHA), written by Kohei Horikoshi, is a shonen anime series portraying complex psychological, societal, and emotional dynamics. The story takes place in a world where almost everyone has superpowers called “Quirks”.The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without powers who still dreams of becoming a great hero. His life changes when the legendary hero All Might chooses him to inherit a special power and join a hero-training school.
The story revolves around a very significant question: “What makes someone a true hero?” It shows that society is not perfect and that bad guys are often created when people ignore them. The story shifts from a fun school adventure into a serious war, proving that being a hero means helping others, and not being famous.
The anime series “My Hero Academia" was a readaptation of the manga by the same writer, which debuted in 2014. It was inspired by Western superheroes, like those from Marvel and DC. Since superhero films were already very popular at that time, the series quickly attracted international attention. What made the franchise stand out was its perfect blend of superhero ideas with emotional anime storytelling in a way that connected with many viewers.
The franchise has grown massively over the years, selling over 100 million manga copies worldwide and has become one of the most talked-about anime series globally. The show also gained attention for its striking animation courtesy of Studio Bones, along with memorable music, notably the song “You Say Run,” composed by Yuki Hayashi.
“My Hero Academia” has already become one of the biggest anime franchises, giving its series of hit movies, games, merch, and an exceptionally dedicated fandom. Now, the series has hit the ultimate peak by taking home the prestigious Anime of the Year trophy at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for its final season.
The Anime of the Year win for the final season is deeply sensational for its longtime fans as it represents a heartfelt "end of an era" for a generation that literally grew up alongside Izuku Midoriya. For viewers who started the journey a decade ago, the finale acts as a mirror to their own lives, just like how a fan commented on social media, "I was tearing up during the entire finale episode... It made me realise that, like Deku, I too have gone 'far' in life after all the years that passed."