The winter 2026 anime season promises to be one of the most competitive in recent years. Less than a month before the beginning of January, the Japanese portal Animate Times has published the provisional results of its survey on the most anticipated anime by the Japanese audience. The list is packed with high-profile sequels returning to television.
The Top 10 Winter 2026
According to the results of the survey, these are the series that Japanese fans have marked on their calendars:
- Sousou no Frieren - Season 2 (Premiere: January 16).
- Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 - Season 3 (Premiere: January 6).
- Oshi no Ko - Season 3 (Premiere: January 14).
- Medalist - Season 2.
- Golden Kamuy - Final Chapter / Season 5 (Premiere: January 5).
- Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku) - Season 2 (Premiere: January 11).
- MF Ghost - Season 3.
- Fire Force - Season 3, Part 2.
- High School! Kimengumi.
- Yuusha Party wo Oidasareta Kiyoubinbou.
The big favourites
The undisputed first place goes to the second season of Sousou no Frieren. The series, which combines slice-of-life and high fantasy, has cultivated a devoted fan base in both Japan and the West thanks to its melancholic and leisurely narrative about the life of the elf Frieren after defeating the Demon King.
He is closely followed by Jujutsu Kaisen, who returns with the long-awaited arc of the Culling Game. And rounding out the podium is Oshi no Ko, the psychological drama about the entertainment industry that will continue Aqua Hoshino's quest for revenge.
Cult Gems and Epic Endings
The list also highlights the ultimate ending of Golden Kamuy, a mix of story, survival, and Ainu cuisine, as well as the return of MAPPA's supernatural action with Hell's Paradise, where Gabimaru the Void continues his quest for the Elixir of Life.
