Why two Chinese animated blockbusters were excluded from Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026

Crunchyroll's decision to exclude the Chinese animated series "Lord of Mysteries" and "To Be Hero X" from the Anime Awards 2026 has ignited a debate among fans regarding the fairness and consistency of the awards' selection process.

Despite achieving high viewership and impressive ratings on Crunchyroll during 2025, neither "Lord of Mysteries" nor "To Be Hero X" secured nominations. "Lord of Mysteries," adapted from a popular Chinese web novel, garnered a 4.8/5 rating from over 96,000 reviews, lauded for its unique Victorian-era setting and focus on intellect and mental fortitude. "To Be Hero X" also received similar acclaim, noted for its blend of 2D and 3D animation, reminiscent of Marvel's Spider-Verse, and its unconventional narrative structure.

The core of the controversy lies in Crunchyroll's stated policy: the Anime Awards are intended to honor Japanese animation. "Lord of Mysteries" is a wholly Chinese production by B.CMAY Pictures, and "To Be Hero X" was primarily developed by Chinese studio BeDream and the platform Bilibili. This classification as "donghua" (Chinese animation) renders them ineligible.

However, fans point to the continued eligibility and success of "Solo Leveling" as evidence of inconsistency. Although "Solo Leveling" is based on a South Korean webtoon owned by Kakao Entertainment, it is produced by a Japanese studio, A-1 Pictures, and is a regular nominee and past winner at the Anime Awards. This discrepancy has led many to question why a Korean work produced in Japan is eligible, while Chinese works are not, regardless of their quality or popularity on the platform.