Takopi’s Original Sin just got nominated for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards — here’s why it should win

Every so often, an anime comes around that hits you where you hurt most, but few match the absurdity and emotional weight of Takopi’s Original Sin. It’s one of the saddest anime I’ve ever seen, and it just got nominated in Crunchyroll’s 2026 Anime Awards.

Despite sharing the spotlight with some of the year’s best anime — including The Summer Hikaru Died, Dan Da Dan season 2, and My Hero Academia’s finale — Takopi’s Original Sin is in a class all its own. Based on the manga by Taizan 5, the six-episode series follows a jolly pink alien-octopus hybrid named Takopi who lands on Earth with “a quest to spread happiness through the universe-pi.” (The lovable extraterrestrial ends many of its sentences with an extra “pi”.)

The packaging of the series feels lighthearted and sweet, styled as a sort of slice of life led by a fun and exuberant character. However, Takopi’s Original Sin is anything but for the faint of heart. It’s a very brutal depiction of depression, abuse, and isolation, punctuated by this soft levity that makes it all the more palatable. (Warning: the show depicts suicide and deals with some very serious, delicate topics. Viewer discretion is advised.)

While it will likely get snubbed for Anime of the Year given its dark subject matter, Takopi’s Original Sin remains one of the few anime that sticks in your head for years to come. Here’s why it’s a must-see for any anime fan.

The meeting of a lifetime

Takopi’s very first human interaction upon arriving aon Earth is with the noticeably gloomy elementary school student Shizuka Kuze. Struggling under the weight of constant bullying and neglect at home, Shizuka’s only beacon of hope in life is her pet dog Chappy — or was, before Chappy was euthanized following a dispute with a classmate.

Takopi recognizes this despair and offers Shizuka comfort with pieces of technology from its home planet, aptly called “Happy Gadgets.” Naively, the little pink octopus gives Shizuka an unbreakable Friendship Ribbon, which later plays a role in her untimely fate. It’s a gut punch of a pilot episode, one that gets even more harrowing after Takopi rewinds time to save Shizuka and fix his mistake.

The story of Takopi’s Original Sin inevitably unfolds through the eyes of our little pink octopus friend, but the underlying weight of the narrative is carried by the human characters he meets along his adventure, the good and bad among them.

Forks in the road

Crunchyroll

Where the story shines brightest is in its portrayal of Marina Kirarazaka, Shizuka’s menacing bully. Unlike in other shows, Takopi’s Original Sin shows you a side of its antagonist like never before, pivoting the once-evil little girl into something far more complex and deeply human. It’s a narrative filled with tragic characters, each offering a side of themselves rarely seen in anime.

And, all the while, who’s ever-present to soften the blow? Takopi makes every scene feel lighthearted and humorous. Plus, its satirical quips are as funny as they are emotionally poignant, with the true standout becoming a hallmark of the series: “Happiness is born through talking-pi.”

Throughout the series, lying deep beneath its dark subject matter, is a heartfelt message about connection and forgiveness, one that resonates now more than ever. There’s no other show that captures these dark subjects with such surgical precision while staying tactful in a relatively humorous setting.

I doubt Takopi’s Original Sin will win at the Crunchyroll awards, but it’s still my anime of the year.

Watch Takopi’s Original Sin now on Crunchyroll.