‘TAAF2025’ Anime of the Year Awards Announced – Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe Wins Big!
The winners of the Anime of the Year category at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2025 (TAAF2025) were announced today, January 31.
Covering all 417 anime titles released between October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024, the awards are chosen by top industry professionals, including producers, creators, media experts, and anime merchandise retailers. Categories include Best Work Awards, Individual Awards, and the Anime Fan Award, the latter determined by fan voting.
‘Look Back’ and ‘Frieren’ Take Best Work Awards
🏆 Best Theatrical Film: Look Back
🏆 Best TV Series: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
TAAF2025 Best Theatrical Film Award Winner: Look Back (C) Tatsuki Fujimoto / Shueisha (C) 2024 "Look Back" Production Committee
TAAF2025 Best TV Series Award Winner: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (C) Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe / Shogakukan / "Frieren" Production Committee
‘Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe’ Wins 3 Individual Awards & the Anime Fan Award!
The Individual Awards recognized outstanding contributions in different creative categories, with Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe dominating the selections:
🏆 Best Original Work/Screenplay: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
🏆 Best Animator: Tōko Yatabe (Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe, Character Design & Chief Animation Director)
🏆 Best Art/Color/Visuals: Mai Ichioka (Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe, Art Director)
🏆 Best Sound Performance: Evan Call (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Music Composer)
🏆 Best Director/Direction: Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Look Back)
In addition to these three major individual awards, Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe also won the Anime Fan Award, chosen by 21,316 fan votes, making it the most beloved anime of 2024!
TAAF2025 Anime Fan Award Winner: Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe (C) "Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe" Production Committee
What is the Tokyo Anime Award Festival?
TAAF2025 marks the 12th edition of this international animation festival. The event features:
🎬 Competition Section – Showcasing unreleased international animation works.
🏆 Anime of the Year Section – Recognizing top anime titles and creators.
🌟 Anime Achievement Section – Honoring industry veterans and pioneers.
Beyond the awards, TAAF2025 hosts special screenings, symposiums, and workshops for children, aiming to nurture future talent and promote Tokyo as an animation hub.
Under the slogan "Tokyo, the Global Hub of Animation", the festival celebrates creative excellence and fosters exchange between anime lovers and creators worldwide, sparking new waves of animation culture from Tokyo to the world.
Source : ORICON NEWS