After Solo Leveling‘s controversial win at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, fans had lost all hope that Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries would ever get justice. And they were right. Both of these brilliant series have been undermined once again, and this time it’s by Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Both Solo Leveling and Dragon Ball DAIMA are great shows, no doubt. But they are nowhere near as complex as Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries. It seems like typical Shonen anime is what all award shows are rooting for, without any regard for the actual plot and development.
Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries lose two award shows in a row
The 5th Astra TV Awards announced its nominees on May 15 and aired its winners on June 10. The nominees for the Best Anime Series were The Apothecary Diaries, Dandadan, Fire Force, Lazarus, Solo Leveling, and Dragon Ball DAIMA. The winner of the award turned out to be DAIMA.
While Akira Toriyama fans have begun celebrating already, those who have kept a keen eye on the anime scenario as a whole are not satisfied. Plenty of otakus thought that at least this time, either Frieren or The Apothecary Diaries would get the recognition they deserved, but turns out they did not.
It seems like the awards are basing themselves on the biggest action Shonens of the year rather than series that actually offer something new to the audience. With Solo Leveling‘s win at Crunchyroll‘s Anime Awards, Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries have now lost twice in a row already. The competition is no longer amongst the greatest series of 2024-2025, but amongst DAIMA and Solo Leveling.
Did Dragon Ball DAIMA really deserve the award?
Dragon Ball DAIMA is a refreshing addition to the Dragon Ball franchise, but not to the anime world. It had a dramatic first episode and a somewhat attractive ending, but everything in the middle was the same old Shonen formula, just repolished and served on a plate. The show actually benefited from the nostalgia factor more than its plot.
Sure, it was cool to watch Goku fight battles again, and this time in chibi form, but a breakdown of the series will reveal that there was nothing remotely original about the show. The award seems to be honoring Akira Toriyama’s legacy and last work, rather than shows that came up with new plots and surprising twists.
If the competition really is between typical Shonen like DAIMA and Solo Leveling, then DAIMA is still not the best candidate to win. Solo Leveling excelled at its action scenes and animation, with a fast-paced and exciting narrative, while DAIMA dragged somewhat in the middle. Solo Leveling received much higher overall ratings and even managed to break the Internet and its streaming partners. DAIMA, on the other hand, has no such achievements to its name.
Dragon Ball DAIMA, Solo Leveling, Frieren, and The Apothecary Diaries are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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