The Most Underrated Anime Of 2025 Is Officially Better Than Solo Leveling

2025 saw one of the most controversial Crunchyroll Awards ceremonies of the last few years take place. The Crunchyroll 2025 Awards had multiple incredible nominees for various awards lined up, but an abnormal number of these accolades went to Solo Leveling, including, but not limited to, Anime of the Year Award and even Best Main Character Award. This was definitely a shock to many fans, who expected Frieren to go home with the big awards. But Solo Leveling and Frieren aside, there was another anime that deserved the win far more, yet it wasn’t even nominated. This anime is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, the best, but most underrated, anime of 2024 and 2025.

Solo Leveling Won Anime of the Year

• A Major Success Internationally
• Won Many Other Awards

It’s no secret that, internationally, Solo Leveling has been a major hit. This anime came out of nowhere in 2024 and took anime fans by storm. It became the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll, and come 2025 when the Crunchyroll awards were announced, it won many titles. It won Anime of the Year, but also Best New Series, Best Action, Best Main Character, Best Score, Best Ending Sequence, Best Voice Artist Performance (Brazilian Portuguese), Best Voice Artist Performance (Castilian Spanish), and Best Voice Artist Performance (English).

“While thrilled with the response, I personally don't feel like the series is known by everyone at this point. Solo Leveling isn't as universally recognized in Japan yet. As a Japanese person living in Japan, the anime is not at the level of Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Naruto. But if season three happens, that’s when I want to truly break that boundary.” - Atsushi Kaneko

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Solo Leveling Is 2025's Biggest Anime, But These Anime Are Equally Good

Solo Leveling was 2025's anime of the year, but these series are just as good, if not better.

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By  Rei Penber

This was definitely controversial, especially with the tough competition it had with series like Frieren, The Apothecary Diaries, and Dandadan, among others. It isn't difficult to see why fans didn’t like these results. After all, Solo Leveling lacks lore and an intriguing plot. On top of that, it simply focuses on fast-paced episodes packed with intense battles.

“I think more than anyone, I am anxiously awaiting a Season 3! But in truth, between Season 1 and Season 2, 220,000 frames of animation were created. So, if it were up to me, I’d say let’s wait until the next Olympics (2028) to see what’s going to happen with a Season 3. But I think that’s more up to Kaneko and A-1 Pictures.” — Atsushi Kaneko

Solo Leveling is Huge, But Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is an Underrated Masterpiece

• Orb Was Largely Overlooked In 2025
• Orb Did Win Best Song In 2024

Many fans have somehow overlooked the gem that is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. However, it can be said that this anime was the best that dropped between 2024 and 2025. The story doesn’t really have any major battles or insane animation and is mostly focused on its characters and internal struggles, which it handled masterfully with only 25 episodes. This story is very underrated and wasn’t even nominated by Crunchyroll for any of its awards, which is shocking. At the very least, in Japan, its opening song, “Kaijū,” was awarded Best Song during the 2024 Anime Grand Prix, and it goes without saying that this is an award it definitely deserves.

Sadly, Orb will not have another chance to shine for international watchers, as the story wrapped up in those 25 episodes. It’s never too late to give this anime a watch, however, and experience for yourself what a true Anime of the Year should be like.

Solo Leveling has two seasons out right now, one with 12 episodes, and the other with 13, for a combined episode count of 25 episodes available to watch right now. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll for fans to enjoy while awaiting any more news concerning the third season. For fans who can’t wait for season 3 to come out, checking out the Manhwa might be a great option.