Anime of the Year Nominees: Anime Trending Awards 2024

Studio: Studio KAI, HORNETS
Directed by: Kazuya Iwata
Cast: Ikumi Hasegawa, Nobunaga Shimazaki
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Drama Anime of the Year, Romance Anime of the Year, Anime Opening Theme Song of the Year
Synopsis:  Rishe, the duke’s daughter, is no stranger to reincarnation—it’s her seventh life, after all. Each life restarts at her broken engagement. Having been a merchant, a maid, and a knight, she now desires leisure. But her world changes when a prince, who killed her in a past life, proposes! To prevent war and live to a ripe old age, she begins her seventh life as the bride of an enemy nation’s prince. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Doga Kobo
Directed by: Ryota Ito
Cast:  Sumire Uesaka, Kohei Amasaki, Yukiyo Fujii, Wakana Maruoka
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Comedy Anime of the Year, Slice-of-Life Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year
Synopsis:  Alya is a transfer student enjoying popularity at her new high school, often sporting a cold shoulder while earning high marks in class. She ignores her nerdy classmate, Kuze Masachika, except for when she blurts out a flirtatious line to him in Russian. Little does she know, Kuze understands Russian, though he pretends not to. Let’s see where this wacky love story takes them! (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Lerche
Directed by: Yoshihito Nishouji
Cast:  Shouya Chiba, Masaaki Mizunaka, Akari Kitou, Yurika Kubo
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year
Synopsis:  Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has just enrolled at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, where it’s said that 100% of students go on to college or find employment. But he ends up in Class 1-D, which is full of all the school’s problem children.

What’s more, every month, the school awards students points with a cash value of 100,000 yen, and the classes employ a laissez-faire policy in which talking, sleeping, and even sabotage are permitted during class.

One month later, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the students of Class D learn the truth of the system in place within their school… (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Science SARU
Directed by: Fuuga Yamashiro
Cast: Shion Wakayama, Natsuki Hanae, Mayumi Tanaka, Nana Mizuki, Ayane Sakura, Kaito Ishikawa
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple of Ship of the Year, Best in Adapted Screenplay, Best in Animation, Best in Character Design, Best in Sceneries and Visuals, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Action or Adventure Anime of the Year, Comedy Anime of the Year, Supernatural Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue—Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. When it turns out both phenomena are real, Momo awakens a hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse. Together, they must challenge the paranormal forces threatening their world. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: GEEKTOYS
Directed by: Jun Nakagawa
Cast:  Nobunata Shimazaki, Marina Inou, Misuzu Togashi, Ayana Taketatsu, Iori Nomizu, Asami Sanada, Maaya Uchida, Sarah Emi Bridcutt, Minori Chihara, Ayumi Mano, Hitomi Nabatame, Akari Kageyama, Aya Endou
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year, Romance Anime of the Year, Sci-fi or Mecha of the Year, Supernatural Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Ordinary high school boy Shido discovers a mysterious girl at ground zero of a recent spacequake. Shido learns, through his sister Kotori, that the girl is one of the Spirits: mystical creatures responsible for the spacequakes. Shido is recruited to help “seal” the spirits and end their threat to mankind. There’s just one catch: the only way to seal a spirit—is to make her fall in love with you. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: DEEN
Directed by: Tsutomu Ueno
Cast:  Kouhei Amasaki, Yuki Nakashima, Daiki Hamano, Ayu Suzuki, Minori Suzuki, and Atsumi Tanezaki, Daiki Hamano
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best in Voice Cast, Drama Anime of the Year, Romance Anime of the Year, and Slice-of-Life of the Year
Synopsis:  When his father remarries, Yuta Asamura winds up sharing a roof with his new stepsister, Saki Ayase, the hottest girl in his grade. Carrying the scars of their parents’ troubled divorces, they vow to maintain a respectful distance. But what starts as cautious camaraderie blossoms into something deeper from shared experiences. Is it admiration, familial love, or something more? (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: TRIGGER
Directed by: Yoshiro Miyajima
Cast: Kentaro Kumagai, Sayaka Senbongi, Asuna Tomari, Hiroshi Naka, Mitsuha Kanbe, Saori Hayami
Where to Watch: Netflix, Disney+
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Best in Adapted Screenplay, Best in Animation, Best Character Design, Best in Sceneries and Visuals, Best in Voice Cast, Fantasy Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions…and a member! They’re eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they’re sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: “Let’s eat the monsters!” Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons…none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands! (Source: Yen Press)

Studio: MADHOUSE
Directed by: Keiichiro Saito
Cast: Atsumi Tanezaki, Kana Ichinose, Chiaki Kobayashi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Hiroki Touchi, Youji Ueda, Azumi Waki, Sayumi Suzushiro, Kishio Taniyama, Ikuem Hasegawa, Jiro Saito, Shohei Komatsu, Eiji Hanawa, Izuka Ishigami, Kanae Ito, Haruka Terui, Tarusuke Shingaki, Mariya Ise
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Muse Anime, Bilibili
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Adapted Screenplay, Best in Animation, Best in Sceneries and Visuals, Best in Soundtrack, Best in Voice Cast, Action or Adventure Anime of the Year, Drama Anime of the Year, Fantasy Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s mortality. She takes on a new apprentice and promises to fulfill old friends’ dying wishes. Can an elven mind make peace with the nature of life and death? Frieren embarks on her quest to find out. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Toei Animation
Directed by: Kazuo Sakai
Cast: Rina, Yuri, Mirei, Nagito, Shuuri
Where to Watch:  Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
Nominations:  Anime of the Year, Girl of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Original Screenplay, Drama Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Feeling out of place in the countryside, high school dropout Nina Iseri moves to Tokyo. After a rough first day and getting locked out of her apartment, she meets her favorite guitarist, Momoka Kawaragi. The two put on a street performance together and decide to start a band with three other girls. While each girl faces her own struggles, their passion for music keeps their dreams alive. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Drive
Directed by: Takaomi Kanasaki
Cast: Jun Fukushima, Sora Amamiya, Rie Takahashi, Ai Kayano, Sayuri Yahagi, Kanon Takao, Reina Ueda
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, iQIYI
Nominations:  Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Action or Adventure Anime of the Year, Comedy Anime of the Year, Fantasy Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  The dysfunctional party is back, but they may be short a member soon ’cause Kazuma is over it. Disillusioned with adventure, he wants to become a monk, but Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness call bull. However, the career dispute gets put on hold when a princess requests to hear all about their tales. Will the taste of fame at the royal castle keep them together or will this mark their farewell tour? (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Directed by: Shotaro Kitamura
Cast: Shuuichiro Umeda, Hikaru Toono, Shion Wakayama, Momoka Terasawa
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime, ANIPLUS Asia
Nominations:  Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Adapted Screenplay, Best in Character Design, Best in Voice Cast, Comedy Anime of the Year, Romance Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Meet the girls on the losing side of romance! First is Anna Yanami, the girl-next-door type who can’t say no to delicious food. Then there’s Lemon Yakishio, a beautiful and spirited athlete. Last but not least is Chika Komari, the cute yet shy heroine with gentle charm. Together, they navigate awkward setbacks hoping to finally find love! (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Bind
Directed by: Manabu Okamoto
Cast: Yumi Uchiyama, Tomokazu Sugita, Konomi Kohara, Ai Kakuma, Disuke Namikawa, Yuka Iguchi, Kenjiro Tsuda, Kujira
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, iQIYI
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Fantasy Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  When a 34-year-old underachiever gets run over by a bus, his story doesn’t end there. Reincarnated in a new world as an infant, Rudy will seize every opportunity to live the life he’s always wanted. Armed with new friends, some freshly acquired magical abilities, and the courage to do the things he’s always dreamed of, he’s embarking on an epic adventure—with all of his past experience intact! (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Doga Kobo
Directed by: Daisuke Hiramaki
Cast: Takeo Otsuka, Yurie Igoma, Megumi Han, Manaka Iwami, Rumi Okubo
Where to Watch: HIDIVE, Bilibili
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Animation, Best in Soundtrack, Drama Anime of the Year, Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Aqua’s desire for revenge takes center stage as he navigates the dark underbelly of the entertainment world alongside his twin sister, Ruby. While Ruby follows in their slain mother’s footsteps to become an idol, Aqua joins a famous theater troupe in hopes of uncovering clues to the identity of his father — the man who arranged their mother’s untimely death, and the man who may be connected to the same troupe Aqua hopes to infiltrate. (Source: HIDIVE)

Studio: WHITE FOX
Directed by: Masahiro Shinohara
Cast: Yuusuke Kobayashi, Rie Takahashi, Yuka Iguchi
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Action or Adventure Anime of the Year, Drama Anime of the Year, Fantasy Anime of the Year, Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he’s lost and confused in a new world where he doesn’t even know left from right, the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her somehow for saving him from his own despair, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for… (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Directed by: Shunsuke Nakashige
Cast: Taito Ban, Genta Nakamura, Reina Ueda, Daisuke Hirakawa, Hiroki Touchi, Banjou Ginga, Makoto Furukawa
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Animation, Action or Adventure Anime of the Year, Fantasy Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  They say whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but that’s not the case for the world’s weakest hunter Sung Jinwoo. After being brutally slaughtered by monsters in a high-ranking dungeon, Jinwoo came back with the System, a program only he could see, that’s leveling him up in every way. Now, he’s inspired to discover the secrets behind his powers and the dungeon that spawned them. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Toho Animation, OLM
Directed by: Norihiro Naganuma
Cast: Aoi Yuuki, Takeo Ootsuka, Katsuyuki Konishi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Yui Ishikawa, Hina Kino, Yuuko Kaida, Megumi Han, Ami Koshimizu, Hiroki Nanami, Misaki Kuno
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime,
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Adapted Screenplay, Best in Character Design, Best in Soundtrack, Drama Anime of the Year, Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries! (Source: Crunchyroll)

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Directed by: Hiroaki Akagi
Cast: Shun Horie, Hina Yomiya, Megumi Han, Ayaka Asai, Atsumi Tanezaki, Reina Ueda, Yuka Iguchi, Nobuhiko Okamoto
Where to Watch: HIDIVE, YouTube Movies and TV, Amazon Prime
Nominations: Anime of the Year, Boy of the Year, Girl of the Year, Couple or Ship of the Year, Supporting Boy of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year, Opening Theme Song of the Year, Ending Theme Song of the Year, Best in Voice Cast, Comedy Anime of the Year, Romance Anime of the Year
Synopsis:  Fascinated by murder and all things macabre, Kyotaro fantasizes about acting on his twisted thoughts to the detriment of his classmates. His heart was dark until an encounter with Anna lit a spark within it in a classic tale of antisocial boy meets popular girl. Now they must both navigate a blossoming relationship and defy the expectations they have of each other and themselves. (Source: HIDIVE)