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Fans Shocked as Japan’s Best Anime of 2025 Isn’t Solo Leveling

Published

12 months ago

October 25, 2025

Since there was so much hype around Solo Leveling winning Crunchyroll’s Best Anime of the Year 2025, fans were expecting that the renowned and prestigious Newtype Anime Awards 2024–2025 would also go to Solo Leveling, but sadly, that was not the case.

The Newtype Anime Awards 2024–2025 was held by Japan on Sunday and surprisingly, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!, took first place. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX claimed the second spot, while The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 came in third reported and posted on Newtype’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Anime of the Year 2025 in Japan: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Takes the Crown

Japan’s most prestigious award was given not to any of the most hyped or popular series, but to one of the most viewed and relatable romantic series released so far, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

If you’re not aware of the story, it’s basically about a group of girls who get rejected after their confessions and how they cope with it.

Apart from the anime receiving recognition, A-1 Pictures also won the title of Best Animation Studio. Not only that, but the main protagonist of Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines also received audience appreciation and was awarded Best Male Character of the Year.

From this, we can conclude that Japanese audiences found the story deeply relatable and true to reality, which is why it amazed viewers there more than Solo Leveling did.

Even though Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines won Anime of the Year, below is a list of other anime that were ranked and awarded accordingly, with Solo Leveling taking 4th place.

List of Top Ten NewType Anime Awards:

1st Place: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

2nd Place: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

3rd Place: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

4th Place: Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow

5th Place: Uma Musume Cinderella Gray

6th Place: Medalist

7th Place: Dandadan

8th Place: Apocalypse Hotel

9th Place: Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World 3rd Season

10th Place: Oshi no Ko Season 2

Why Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Is Winning Hearts in Japan

Despite the number of rom-com anime released every year, only a few truly resonate with audiences. Moreover, it has a quirky cast of characters who are really fun to watch, each dealing with their own problems and personal struggles that keep viewers hooked to their seats.

Not only that, it’s also getting a Season 2! What more can we ask for?

So, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think Solo Leveling still deserves the number one spot, or should the crown be passed on to other shows as well? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!