It's no secret that anime fans are always curious about what doesn't perform well in Japan, the home of anime, during each anime season. With the 2026 winter season off to such a strong start, there's no shortage of incredibly exciting anime, and Japanese fans have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to the best anime.
The #1 anime on Japan's streaming service has finally been released to fans, and surprisingly, it's none other than a hit series. Do a jujutsu Season 3. Despite some criticism in Japan, Jujutsu Kaisen is still a huge success worldwide, and depending on how the story progresses, fans will likely want to keep coming back for more. with Do a jujutsu Season 3 is gaining popularity both at home and abroad, showing that it has the potential to become the best anime of winter 2026 and already a contender for anime of the year.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is the #1 Japanese Anime of Winter 2026.
Animation that became a hit at home and abroad
Recently, Dwango Co. Ltd, via PR Times, has revealed some key information regarding Japan's top-rated anime for the winter 2026 season. Our streaming subsidiary allowed us to evaluate our initial rankings of anime for the winter of 2026. In other words, The most successful anime series in Japan has been revealed.
To find the No. 1 series, we accumulated views and comments to determine what the biggest hits of the 2026 winter anime season will be. With so many exciting anime currently airing, competition will always be fierce. One series stands above the others. This is Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.. Do a jujutsu Season 3 marks the return of the beloved franchise after a two-year hiatus, so it's easy to see why fans are incredibly excited about the series. With the comeback, the long-awaited curling game began, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was quite an intense ride from the first episode.
Now that we've reached episode 5, it's clear that it's a huge hit not only in Japan but also overseas. Fans can't wait for more Jujutsu Kaisen episodes to be released in the coming weeks and for the curling game to really heat up.
JJK Season 3 is still very popular in Japan despite heavy criticism.
Jujutsu Kaisen is the biggest modern boy
Fans who are familiar with Jujutsu Kaisen will know that the series has recently received a lot of criticism from Japanese fans, especially regarding the episodes focusing on Maki Zenin. Some Jujutsu Kaisen fans in Japan were upset with Season 3's creative and unique take on the manga.. The animation takes a lot of freedom in how it adapts the original source material, but in doing so it remains faithful for the most part.
Considering its quality, it's surprising that it's been criticized so heavily. In particular, Japanese fans were angry about Season 3 Episode 4 of Jujutsu Line. While this episode received low ratings in Japan, it received a near perfect score of 9.8/10 overseas. Japanese fans gave quite a few reasons for the low viewer ratings. Quite a few people didn't like the director's take on Toji Fushiguro's panels and the characterization of some of the genin characters, which they considered cut. As a result, this influenced the plot to massacre the Zenin clan.
Considering the actual quality the episode conveyed, these complaints are quite exaggerated in some cases. Anime adaptations like Jujutsu Kaisen, which feature at least 3 or 4 chapters per episode, cannot fit every single panel into the anime. Animation should focus on the essentials, and in that regard, the game of curling was all that and more.
Nonetheless, all faith has been restored as JJK currently remains the most popular series in the country. Despite all these criticisms, Japanese viewers still tune in every week, most of the time.Criticism may come from a few fans who are not satisfied with Episode 4 of JJK Season 3.
Other popular Japanese hits include Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 and Fate/strange Fake.
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is definitely the biggest hit in Japan, but it's definitely not the only one. JJK Season 3 was released alongside many other hit anime series in Japan. According to PR Times, the top 10 biggest anime in Japan are clear, and aside from Jujutsu Kaisen, there are other amazing anime series that fans would be happy to see getting some attention.
Currently the second most popular anime in Japan is Fate/strange Fake.. Fate has always been one of the most popular anime series in Japan and has received tons of additional content, games, and merchandise. The latest season of Fate has proven to be amazing, with the art, animation, and direction being on a whole other level.
Aside from Jujutsu Kaisen and Fate, fans can't forget Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Frieren returned in January 2026 and was a huge success, as evidenced by his number 3 spot on the list.. Fans couldn't wait for Frieren to make her grand return, and she certainly didn't disappoint. Even overseas, Season 2 of Frieren received rave reviews and was named the highest-rated anime of all time by MAL.
The rest of Japan's top 10 includes Oshi no Ko and a man declared a hero.
The top three most popular anime in Japan are Jujutsu Kaisen, Fate, and Frieren, but the rest of the top ten anime in Japan are just as good. Some of these series have been recognized by international fans, while others have yet to be picked up overseas. 4th place is Oshinoko Season 3. The anime's story captivated fans in Japan and became a sensation worldwide, so it's no surprise that it's rated so highly.
Hero Sentence appears in number 5.. This new series came out of nowhere and took the animation world by storm. In just a few episodes, this anime captured the attention of all anime viewers in Japan and abroad.
The rest of the top 10 may not be as well known to international fans, but they include the following popular series in Japan:
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Sibo Yugi: A game of death to put food on the table (6th place)
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Jack-Of-All-Trades, Party of None (7th)
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Wash it all away (8 times)
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high school! Kimengumi (2026) (9th place)
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‘Torture’ Princess Season 2 (10th) begins now.
Fans who haven't checked out this anime should definitely give it a chance. Because it definitely has a lot of potential.
Source: PR Times
- release date
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October 3, 2020
- network
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TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
- move
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Ryohei Takeshita, Masataka Akai, Chie Nishizawa, Daisuke Tsukushi, Tomomi Kamiya, Kakushi Fuku, Ken Takahashi
- author
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Seko Hiroshi
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Yuichi Nakamura
Gojo Satoru
