Frieren & Look Back Win Anime of the Year

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Summary

  • TAAF Anime of the Year Award announced winners for 2025, including Frieren and Look Back.
  • Selection process involved 100 anime titles with professionals and general users voting.
  • Look Back won “Best Work” in feature film category, Frieren won in TV anime, and Kitaro won the Fan Award.

2025 saw the Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF) officially declare the winners of their Anime of the Year Award on January 31st. Among the triumphant titles were the acclaimed fantasy anime from 2023, “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” and the impactful “Look Back” from 2024, a creation by Tatsuki Fujimoto, renowned author of “CHAINSAW MAN.

I had the privilege of witnessing the recognition given to exceptional anime productions aired, screened, or streamed between October 1st, 2023, and September 30th, 2024 – often referred to as the 2024 fiscal year. Initially, there were around 100 works under consideration during the evaluation process. These selections were then judged by experts within the animation industry. On a separate note, the “Fan Award” was determined by amassing votes from ordinary viewers like me.

The TAAF Anime of the Year Award Selection Process

“Best Work”, “Individual Award” and “Fan Award” Were In Contention

The procedure for the TAAF Anime of the Year Award includes a collection of 100 anime shows, 80 being TV series and 20 being movies from theaters. These titles are evaluated by industry experts who choose the one they believe is most deserving of “Best Work” or an “Individual Award.” The title that receives the most votes from the general public wins the “Fan Award.” The Studio Durian-produced anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back was awarded “Best Work” in the feature film category, and given the overwhelmingly positive response to the 58-minute movie, the recognition is fitting. Look Back premiered in Japan on June 28, 2024, earning approximately 2.04 billion yen (13 million USD) at its domestic box office.

The critically acclaimed film “Look Back” bagged the title of “Best Film” at the Filmarks Annual Awards 2024. Meanwhile, the fall 2023 TV anime, “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” was named the “Best Work” in its category. Interestingly, “The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe,” a movie celebrating the 100th birthday of GeGeGe no Kitaro author Shigeru Mizuki, received the “Fan Award” with an impressive 21,316 votes from fans. This film was released in Japan on November 17, 2023, followed by the R15+ rated version, “Shinsei-ban,” which hit the screens in October 2024. Combined, these films grossed an impressive 3 billion yen (approximately 19 million USD) at the box office. Furthermore, several individuals were honored for their contributions to various projects with individual awards.

  • Writer: Hiroyuki Yoshino (The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
  • Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Look Back)
  • Animator: Toko Yatabe (The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
  • Visual Artist: Mai Ichioka (The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
  • Sound Artists: Evan Call (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)

The Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2025 (TAAF2025) is scheduled from March 7-10, taking place in Tokyo. This annual event has been organized since 2013 by the Tokyo Anime Award Festival Executive Committee, the Association of Japanese Animations, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The aim is to cultivate and popularize Tokyo’s animation culture and industry by nurturing upcoming animation creators and boosting tourism in Tokyo by showcasing its attractions.

I’ve found that the series “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” is accessible on Crunchyroll, whereas if you’re interested in “Look Back”, you can stream it on Amazon Prime.

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2025-02-03 20:08