For several reasons, it was already pretty obvious that Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End would take the crown as Anime of the Year for 2024. From Anime Trending now to countless other “best of” lists that will soon be announced, one can expect Frieren’s name to be consistently at the top.
Although series like Dandadan and The Apothecary Diaries did put up a good fight, Frieren’s victory was never really in doubt. In fact, there are many reasons to back the claim, if you start exploring all the animation and technical aspects. Also, it earned the reputation as the Dark Horse of 2024’s anime lineup, and the reason behind it might shock you even more!
Frieren Becomes Anime of the Year at Anime Trending Awards 2025
There was literally little to no competition for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End in the last anime year. In fact, it’s already been a while sitting pretty at the top spot on MyAnimeList’s all-time best anime rankings, so it would’ve been a shock if Frieren didn’t take home the Anime of the Year award. And, as expected, it did not disappoint the fans.
Congratulations to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End for winning ANIME OF THE YEAR at the 11th Anime Trending Awards! pic.twitter.com/ZOcOViAKQV
— Anime Trending (@AniTrendz) March 9, 2025
However, there was a little twist, cause the competition unexpectedly came a bit close. A mere romance anime (obviously, it was a great series), The Dangers in My Heart gave Frieren a run for its money, but in the end, Frieren emerged victorious with a total of 10,280 votes!
Of course, it wasn’t the only big-name anime on the block last year. By the time Frieren was airing, another hyped series, The Apothecary Diaries, was going neck and neck with Frieren in the weekly charts. But while Apothecary Diaries had its great moments, overall, Frieren’s consistency ultimately secured its win in the end.
What made Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End the dark horse of the 2024 anime year
What’s even cooler about Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is that it basically came out of nowhere! When it was first announced, hardly anyone was talking about it, except for a few die-hard manga fans. There was zero pre-hype surrounding it, and most people went into it blind, with no idea what to expect.
But then something amazing happened. Frieren didn’t just become a hit within the anime community, it ended up becoming a global phenomenon. It single-handedly redefined the fantasy genre in anime, which was getting a bit stale with all the Isekai shows. So, Frieren’s fresh take and heartwarming story reminded everyone just how awesome a pure fantasy story can be, with real, relatable characters.
With no typical anime tropes or clichés (well, almost none!), Frieren’s simplistic approach to storytelling is a big part of why it deserved the Anime of the Year award. It was a perfect package of great narrative, breathtaking animation, and a rich cast of human characters that had a deep impact on audiences worldwide.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
