Remember when Lazarus dropped on Toonami in 2025 and the internet collectively lost its mind — in the worst way possible? Shinichiro Watanabe, the legendary director behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, was accused of losing his touch. Fans called the sci-fi thriller confusing, over-stylized, and a disappointing follow-up to his legendary filmography. Fast forward to May 23, 2026, and that same “failure” just won Best Original Anime at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo. The plot twist nobody saw coming.
Why Fans Hated Lazarus When It First Aired
Let’s rewind to April 2025. When Lazarus premiered on Tokyo TV and Adult Swim’s Toonami block, expectations were sky-high. This was, after all, Shinichiro Watanabe — the man who gave us jazz-infused space cowboys and genre-defining samurai epics — teaming up with Studio MAPPA and bringing in the action choreographer behind John Wick for the fight sequences. The hype was nuclear.
But the reality hit differently. Lazarus wasn’t a straightforward action series. It was a slow-burn, cerebral thriller about a team of five elite agents scattered across the globe, pulled together to stop a conspiracy orchestrated by a genius neuroscientist threatening humanity’s future. The narrative structure was non-linear. The pacing was deliberate. The characters were morally ambiguous to the point of frustration.
For viewers expecting Cowboy Bebop part two, it felt like getting served a complex puzzle when they ordered a meal. Social media flooded with complaints: “Too slow.” “I don’t understand what’s happening.” “Watanabe lost it.” On Reddit and X, the consensus was brutal — Lazarus was Watanabe’s first real misstep.
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Changed Everything
Then came the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo on May 23, 2026. The ceremony itself was packed with surprises — The Weeknd showed up to present the Anime of the Year award (which went to My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, beating out heavy hitters like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle for Film of the Year). But the real shocker came when Lazarus took home Best Original Anime.
The win wasn’t just a participation trophy. Lazarus beat out genuinely strong competition in the original anime category, and the victory signaled something bigger: the anime community had done a collective re-evaluation. The show that everyone dismissed as a flop had quietly built one of the most dedicated fanbases of 2025-2026, with fans rewatching episodes, dissecting hidden details, and piecing together the conspiracy that Watanabe had been laying out all along.
This wasn’t a case of voters rewarding the director’s reputation. It was the community finally catching up to what the show was actually trying to do.
5 Reasons Lazarus Deserves Every Award It Gets
So what changed between the initial backlash and the award-winning redemption arc? Here’s why Lazarus is genuinely one of the best original anime of the decade:
1. The John Wick Action Director Delivered
Remember the John Wick connection? Watanabe didn’t just bring in a name for marketing. The action choreographer behind Keanu Reeves’ legendary kill count brought real-world tactical combat design to Lazarus. Every fight scene in the show is grounded, brutal, and meticulously choreographed. Once you stop expecting cartoon anime brawls and start watching Lazarus like an action thriller, the combat becomes genuinely breathtaking. The later episodes showcase some of the most fluid, visceral hand-to-hand combat sequences ever put to screen in anime.
2. The Conspiracy Actually Makes Sense on Rewatch
Here’s the thing about Lazarus that haters missed: the plot is airtight. The neuroscientist’s conspiracy, the team dynamics, the reveals — everything clicks on a second viewing. Watanabe planted clues in the opening episodes that only pay off in the finale. Reddit threads dedicated to connecting the dots have exploded, with fans pointing out foreshadowing details that most viewers glossed over during initial broadcasts. This is the kind of rewatchability that separates good anime from great anime.
3. MAPPA’s Visual Ambition Is Unmatched
Studio MAPPA is already known for pushing visual boundaries with Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, but Lazarus takes it to another level. The cyberpunk-meets-realist aesthetic blends photorealistic backgrounds with expressive character animation in ways that feel entirely fresh. The color grading shifts with the narrative’s mood — cold blues during investigation scenes, warm amber tones during character flashbacks, and a sickly green wash when the conspiracy’s darker elements surface. It’s visual storytelling at its finest.
4. The Soundtrack Is Peak Watanabe
What’s a Watanabe anime without a legendary soundtrack? The music in Lazarus blends atmospheric electronica with haunting orchestral arrangements, creating a soundscape that feels both futuristic and deeply emotional. If Cowboy Bebop gave us jazz, Lazarus gives us a synth-driven soundscape that perfectly complements its sci-fi thriller DNA. Several tracks have already charted on streaming platforms independently.
5. It’s the Rare Original Anime That Earns a Second Season
Most original anime get one season and fade into obscurity. Lazarus is building a universe. With the conspiracy revealed but larger forces still at play, Watanabe and MAPPA have laid groundwork for a continuation that could expand beyond the initial team of five agents. If the award win and growing fanbase are any indication, a second season isn’t just possible — it’s inevitable.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for Anime
The Lazarus story is actually bigger than one show. It’s a reminder that the anime community sometimes rushes to judgment, especially when it comes to creators with massive reputations. Watanabe didn’t lose his touch — he challenged his audience in a way they weren’t initially ready for. The same thing happened with Cowboy Bebop, which was divisive when it first aired before becoming universally recognized as one of the greatest anime ever made.
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards also highlighted the incredible diversity of what’s happening in anime right now. Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle dominated the ceremony in multiple categories, while the upcoming summer 2026 anime lineup promises even more groundbreaking shows. But Lazarus stands out because it dared to be something different — an original, ambitious, challenging work that asked viewers to think instead of just consume.
Final Verdict: Lazarus Is the Redemption Story of the Decade
If you dismissed Lazarus when it premiered, you’re not alone. But the Best Original Anime win at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards isn’t just validation for Watanabe and MAPPA — it’s an invitation. Go back. Watch it again. Pay attention to the details you missed. Let the conspiracy unfold properly this time.
Because sometimes the anime you love the most isn’t the one that clicks on first watch. It’s the one that stays with you long after the credits roll and slowly rewires how you think about the medium itself. Lazarus is that show for an entire generation of fans who are finally realizing what they almost missed.
What do you think — was Lazarus genuinely misunderstood from the start, or did the award win owe more to Watanabe’s reputation than the show itself? Drop your take in the comments below.
