The second season of “Jujutsu Kaisen” emerged as the big winner of the Anime Awards 2024, a Crunchyroll event held in Tokyo, Japan, last Saturday (2/3). The adaptation of Gege Akutami’s work secured 12 awards, including the coveted Anime of the Year, Best Action Anime.
The plot follows Yuji Itadori, a young individual who confronts supernatural entities drawn to negative human emotions. The narrative incorporates a philosophical reflection with a message of “positivity” – those who nurture negative feelings may end up cursed. Due to its typical shounen genre elements (targeted at young males), the series is often compared to “Naruto.”
It’s important to note that the Anime Awards does not encompass all anime productions but focuses solely on titles available on the Crunchyroll platform. This excludes works from competitors, such as Netflix and Disney/Star+, as well as Japanese TV programs.
In addition to “Jujutsu Kaisen,” the event highlighted “Chainsaw Man,” which secured five awards, dominating the international dubbing categories. This adult and ultraviolent production was considered due to the comprehensive airing period set by the organizers, as it was released in 2022. For similar reasons, “Frieren e a Jornada para o Além,” considered the current best anime on Crunchyroll, will be evaluated in the next award edition. Both series are from the Mappa studio.
Other award-winning anime from Crunchyroll included “One Piece,” “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba,” and “Spy x Family.” In the film segment, the winner was “Suzume,” an animated feature directed by Makoto Shinkai, known for the blockbuster “Your Name” (2016). This film was considered a strong contender for the Oscars but ended up being excluded from the Academy Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States.