Sometimes,
what is said on Twitter does not reflect the reality of what people see in
their homes. To put an end to speculation, the company TVS Regza (famous
for its televisions and recorders in Japan) published its winter 2026 report,
based not on internet surveys, but on real data from 670,000
devices in the Tokyo area. The results are clear: while the networks argue,
people sit in front of the TV to watch fantasy and the return of the most
beloved elf of the decade.
Frieren
has no rival and the "exiles" triumph
In the
category of continuing series, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 is
the absolute queen. The data shows that it is "way ahead" of the
rest, beating the second place (which is none other than Jujutsu Kaisen)
with double points. Its Friday schedule at 11 p.m. seems to be the sweet spot
for the audience to connect with the story without revealing too much. It is
the definitive proof that a good narrative beats the hype of
constant battles.
On the
other hand, among the new releases, the undisputed winner was The
Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases. This anime led the ranking of
novelties, closely followed by Aristocrat Reincarnation and The
Magician Kunon Sees It All. A curious fact is the award for "Digestion
of Reserves" (how quickly you see what you record): Aristocrat
Reincarnation won there, which means that its fans cannot wait a day
to see the new episode. The trend is obvious: the Japanese want stories from
other worlds, protagonists with broken powers and light plots to disconnect
from daily stress.
Why does
this data matter?
Unlike
online charts where fans vote for their favorite even if they don't watch it,
Regza's "Anime Data Award" measures actual behavior:
whether you turned on the TV, stayed to watch the entire episode, and recorded
it for later. This shows that "silent hits" — those that aren't
always trending worldwide in X — can have a gigantic and loyal user base that
sustains the industry.
