Fans can't believe Demon Slayer's controversial win when "Bleach was right there"

Bleach fans went online to express their disapproval as Demon Slayer won the category Best Continuing Series at the 2025 Anime Awards. Several fans felt that Demon Slayer didn't have the best of seasons given the arc Ufotable was adapting and how author Tite Kubo's legendary series "was right there" as another candidate.

Granted, these awards are always going to be extremely subjective, but it goes without saying that a lot of Bleach fans felt that their favorite series deserved this recognition, especially regarding Studio Pierrot's excellent work with the third cour of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

On the other hand, Demon Slayer had a much more low profile fourth season, which adds to the frustration of a lot of people.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer and the people quoted.

Bleach and Demon Slayer fans discuss the Anime Awards and the former being ignored

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The Anime Awards took place this last weekend and Demon Slayer won the Best Continuing Series Award for the fourth season of the Ufotable adaptation that covers the Hashira Training arc, much to the disapproval of a lot of fans.

Bleach fans, in particular, were very vocal about how author Tite Kubo's series should have won the award, especially considering the success of the recent third cour.

The comparison makes a lot of sense when considering the aforementioned series focused heavily on the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, a climactic storyline in the manga, while Demon Slayer focused on the Hashira Training arc, which is more of a transition for Tanjiro and his friends.

Therefore, the level of stakes, visuals, and overall execution of each anime was massively different, hence why fans were left so frustrated.

More reactions online

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Moreover, another reason why a lot of people wanted Bleach to win was because it simply has a story that is widely regarded as better than the one Demon Slayer has.

This is also coupled with the fact that author Tite Kubo has contributed to these cours, adding new story beats, plot points, and making changes to improve the quality of the original story.

On the other hand, the Hashira Training arc is mainly a transition storyline where the main cast gets to train with the aforementioned Hashira so they can become stronger before facing Muzan in the final battle.

It doesn't do anything offensive but it is clearly a minor arc when compared to its competition at the Anime Awards.

"It's not about my faves losing, it's about the worst things winning the biggest awards. The worst season of Demon Slayer beat the best season of Bleach and a generational run of One Piece episodes. A vacuous flash in the pan SAO knockoff beat the highest rated anime of all time," someone said.

"If you want to use the anime awards to put demon slayer over shows like bleach, one piece or any other shows, i suggest reading the manga for yourself, and seeing how underwhelming the story is," another person said.

"I’m always gonna be mad that Bleach doesn’t win these anime awards and doesn’t get nominated in the categories that it should. Where’s the respect for my goat !?" someone else said.

It is also worth pointing out that, at the end of the day, things like the Anime Awards shouldn't have to play a role in people's perception and value toward their favorite series, whether it's Bleach, Demon Slayer, or any other.

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About the author

Kevin is an expert anime writer at Sportskeeda who endeavors to keep readers apprised with the latest news and trends in the genre via his content. The groundbreaking Dragon Ball series captured a young Kevin's imagination, introducing him to the entrancing world of Japanese animation. Since then, he has been a staunch follower of the works of many artists, including Berserk's creator, Kentaro Miura, who he admires greatly for his unparalleled work quality.

With a BA in Public Accounting, Kevin’s dip into the world of content began 7 years ago when he took up writing. Since then, he has written for numerous websites, including Nerdgenic, Stretty News, MusikHolics, and BookNerdection.

He maintains very high ethical standards in his content by placing a strong emphasis on transparency, and obtaining comprehensive information off the web to fully capture nuances.

Kevin has has had the privilege of interviewing several musicians, including metal band Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, and Saxon’s Biff Byford.

When not immersed in the anime world, Kevin writes comic book scripts and books for his own projects. He also enjoys reading and watching football.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande