Crunchyroll’s Best Anime of Summer 2025 Has Been Decided (And It Signals a Change For the Industry)

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Summer has ended, bringing many anime series to a close. This summer was another exciting time for the anime world, with lots of new shows premiering and returning favorites making a comeback. Everyone was especially looking forward to the second seasons of Dandadan and Kaiju No. 8, with many predicting one of them would be the best anime of the season. But surprisingly, some lesser-known shows started gaining popularity, and viewers discovered Takopi’s Original Sin, one of the most intense and dark anime Crunchyroll has offered in years.

Despite Takopi’s Original Sin breaking records for anime viewership, the announcement on September 30th, at the end of the summer season, showed that it was actually the new shonen anime Gachiakuta that became the most popular show on the platform. The official Gachiakuta account on X (previously known as Twitter) shared that the series reached number one in the July season’s viewing charts. Starting with its debut episode this summer, Gachiakuta consistently had the highest viewership in over 200 countries, proving to be the platform’s most consistent hit. This success is noteworthy and may indicate a future trend for the anime industry.

Crunchyroll’s Top Summer Anime Is a New Dark Shonen Anime

アニメ『ガチアクタ』
Crunchyroll 7月クール視聴ランキングで第1位を獲得しました！

7月の配信開始以来、常に上位をキープし、1話あたりの平均視聴数で世界No.1となりました！！
現在200以上の国と地域で配信されており、Crunchyrollにて人気を集めています！#ガチアクタ #GACHIAKUTA

— TVアニメ『ガチアクタ』公式 (@gachiakuta_PR) September 30, 2025

Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta presents a grim and sweeping story of a classic shonen hero seeking revenge – a surprising direction for the genre. Though revenge stories are common, a shonen lead like Rudo is a fresh take. This suggests we’re moving away from the typical shonen protagonist focused on big dreams and world-changing goals. Instead, audiences are finding characters like Rudo, motivated by relatable and realistic emotions, much more engaging than the usual heroic formula.

However, the anime’s strengths go beyond just its story. The whole plot focuses on the strong contrast between the wealthy and the impoverished, a theme taken directly from real-world issues. This isn’t something added later; it’s present from the start, and it’s definitely connected with the audience. Additionally, Rudo is a unique shonen protagonist because his abilities aren’t fixed. His power changes based on what he’s using, which makes each fight exciting and new, as fans constantly see him unlock different transformations with different items. This variety keeps things fresh.

Given these compelling qualities, it’s understandable that Gachiakuta became incredibly popular, outperforming well-known series like Kaiju No. 8, Dandadan, and even One Piece in terms of consistent viewership. At the same time, Takopi’s Original Sin, which also achieved significant milestones, indicates that shows focusing on realistic, mature, and emotionally impactful stories are particularly appealing to viewers. These two of Crunchyroll’s most intense anime this year demonstrate that moving beyond traditional approaches and embracing innovative, distinctive storytelling is helping new shows stand out.

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2025-10-03 20:21