The anime winter season has arrived with a vengeance, offering up an exciting crop of new shows to enjoy. There’s something for everyone, whether you want frenzied action or a chill adventure, but which anime is the most popular right now? That’s a tough question to answer.
The Nielsen ratings still don’t track anime, making it difficult to determine which shows are most watched — especially since the majority of anime is streamed internationally. On top of that, major industry trades rarely bother reporting weekly viewership data. So, as anime fans are accustomed to, the audience has once again taken matters into its own hands.
One such example is AnimeCorner, which hosts weekly fan polls that draw thousands of participants. During the first week of the Winter 2026 anime schedule, more than 3,626 votes were cast, with Sentenced to Be a Hero emerging as the most popular series. The breakout hit — positioned as a potential next big success for Kodansha — edged out the highly anticipated third season of Jujutsu Kaisen, which landed in second place. Despite the much-praised intro and the memes it inspired, JJK couldn’t beat the splashy original anime from Studio Kai, which features incredible direction and animation.
While Sentenced to Be a Hero and Jujutsu Kaisen dominated the top 10 with 8.36% and 7.13% of the votes, respectively, Chained Soldier season 2 follows close behind with a solid 5.84% for the science-fiction shonen. A-1 Pictures’ anime special Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – The Stairs to Adulthood secured fourth place, with My Hero Academia: Vigilantes season 2 rounding out the top five at 4.92%.
That placement is somewhat surprising given the recent hype surrounding the conclusion of the main My Hero Academia anime, which wrapped late last year. With 2026 also marking the series’ 10th anniversary, a milestone that would seemingly boost interest in its spin-off, Vigilantes’ relatively modest showing suggests enthusiasm hasn’t carried over as strongly as expected to this prequel show.
Filling out the bottom five are Tune In to the Midnight Heart, Tamon’s B-Side, There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her, You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!, and SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table. Among them, Tamon’s B-Side stands out the most, thanks to its clever satire of idol culture and genuinely sharp jokes aimed at the fandom surrounding male idol groups.
What is your current favorite anime of winter 2026 so far? Let us know in the comments below.
