On March
16, 2026, the film industry will celebrate its most important night with
the Oscar Awards 2026. Although anime always has a technical
opportunity to shine, it rarely takes home the gold. However, after a
spectacular year at the box office, two titans of the industry Kimetsu
no Yaiba and Chainsaw Man, they have officially presented
their candidacies to try to break the historic curse that weighs on anime at
this event.
The list
of candidates and the great rival
It's
official: the movies Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Infinite Fortress and Chainsaw
Man: The Movie - The Reze Arc they appear on the initial selection
list for the Best Animated Feature category. They are not alone; Other Japanese
representatives include tapes of Studio 4ºC, PA. Works, HS
Pictures Studio and the new work of Studio Chizu directed
by the iconic Mamoru Hosoda.
But the
road will not be easy. In the international category there is a gigantic
obstacle: K-Pop Demon Hunters. This animated film by Sony it
has become a global phenomenon thanks to its soundtrack, emerging as the rival
to beat. We will know who makes the final cut on January 22, 2026.
The shadow of Studio Ghibli
Beyond specific rivals, there is a historical problem: the "Ghibli curse". To date, the only anime films to have won a Oscar belong to Studio Ghibli and the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away and The boy and the heron). Western critics often view commercial action anime with different eyes, detailing it differently than "art cinema". Winning this statuette would not only be a triumph for Kimetsu no Yaiba o Chainsaw Man, but proof that the Japanese industry can convince Hollywood beyond Miyazaki's style.
