The Crunchyroll Awards 2025 that took place last year showcased a huge dominance of the Manhwa-based anime series, originally written by Chugong, called Solo Leveling. Sung Jinwoo's story resonated with many, despite being released alongside other massive hits in 2024, it managed to beat all competitors to win top awards. Due to the series' immense popularity, it was not only chosen as Anime of the Year, but its protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, was also chosen as the best main character from a hot selection.
In 2026, however, the results have reversed. Solo Leveling's the grip on the top spots has loosened and different winners have emerged. At the recent Crunchyroll Awards, held on May 23, 2026, in Tokyo, Solo Leveling faced stiff competition that saw it lose many awards. Much to my surprise, in the Best Main Character category, the big winner who has dethroned Jinwoo was none other than Apothecary Diaries's Maomao. The win is well deserved, but still shocking.
Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo was voted Best Main Character at the Crunchyroll Awards last year
The Crunchyroll Awards have been taking place on an annual basis since its inception 9 years ago in 2017. With such a massive anime streaming platform holding the awards ceremony, the results are always highly anticipated among fans. In 2025, Solo Leveling was nominated for many of the awards due to its popularity. It ended up as the biggest winner, taking home the vast majority of awards.
Solo Leveling follows the story of Sung Jinwoo, written by creator Chugong and brought to life by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. Ever since its debut in January 2024, it has become an instant hit. Its first season contained 12 episodes and was a sensational display of Jinwoo's early rise to power by acquiring the system and becoming the Shadow Monarch.
While the most notable award was won by Solo Leveling was Anime of the Year 2025, its main character, Sung Jinwoo, also stood out, claiming the title of Best Main Character. To win this title, Jinwoo had to get more votes than characters like the Friar from The Suitor: Beyond Journey's EndMaomao from Apothecary Diariesand Momo from Dandadan. This year, however, Maomao came out on top.
Solo Leveling is approaching legendary Crunchyroll disc to become its official biggest anime
Solo Leveling is closer than ever to setting a major Crunchyroll record, and this milestone will officially make it the biggest series on the platform.
Crunchyroll Awards 2026 Crown Maomao as Best Main Character
The 2026 Crunchyroll Awards announced the winners on May 23, 2026. Voting opened on April 2 and the nominees were also announced. Voting officially ended on April 14, 2026. On May 23, 2916, the results were finally revealed. During the voting period, a total of 73 million votes were registered, which is astounding and sets a new record in the process. This year, I was disappointed to hear that Solo Leveling was not nominated for the title of Anime of the Year, but at least it was selected for other awards, including the title of Best Protagonist. Unfortunately for the series, it lost out in this category to The Apothecary Diaries' Maomao.
The nominees besides Solo Leveling's Jinwoo and The Apothecary Diaries' Maomao were Deku from My Hero Academia, Okarun from Dandadan, Momo Ayase from Dandadan, and Rudo Surebrec from Gachiakuta. In the end, the amazing performance Maomao delivered last year with the second season of The Apothecary Diaries, where we saw her relationship with Jinshi and Shisui fully explored, saw her take the top prize. Maomao is a character that continues to evolve with each passing chapter, and I, along with millions of others, have grown to love her character arc, which particularly stood out last year in The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 which aired from January 10 to July 4, 2025.
Even though Maomao was the best character, I was surprised to see her beat out Jinwoo, especially since she lost to him last year. By doing so, Maomao took away Jinwoo's chance to become the first main character to win the title twice in a row, but she deserves it more than herself. The wit that sees her solve mysteries surrounding the Imperial Castle has made her a fan favorite character, and she doesn't need a hot fight to be loved by fans.
Who is that character?
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Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling remain rivals with new upcoming projects
Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling are two anime series that debuted around the same time in 2024. As such, the two are often compared, even though they fall into very different anime genres. While fans will always prefer one over the other, it's undeniable that both have been extremely popular and ranked among the best shows of the past year.
The Apothecary Diaries will return in October 2026 with its third anime season. In December 2026, it even gets its first official movie release based on a new original story by its creator, Natsu Hyuga. Meanwhile, Sung Jinwoo's story remains without any announced projects, although recent comments from its producer and the CEO of Crunchyroll suggest a big reveal is coming in the next few months.
Both The Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling are available to watch on Crunchyroll.
