Dwango Co., Ltd. announces the top 10 winter 2026 anime titles based on early viewer response on the Niconico video streaming service. This ranking covers all anime titles (both free and premium) that began streaming by January 20, 2026, and is compiled using proprietary metrics including view counts, comments, and access numbers to measure initial audience reaction.
Winter 2026 Anime Early Performance Ranking
1st Place: Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 (Season 3)
2nd Place: TV Anime Fate/strange Fake
3rd Place: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2
4th Place: Oshi no Ko Season 3
5th Place: Sentenced to be a Hero: Penal Battalion 9004
6th Place: Shigoku de Meshi wo Kuu (Death Game Dining)
7th Place: The Jack-of-All-Trades Kicked Out of the Hero's Party
8th Place: Kirei ni Shite Moraemasu ka (Can You Clean This Up?)
9th Place: High School! Kimengumi (2026)
10th Place: Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu Season 2 (The Princess's Torture Time Season 2)
1st Place: Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 (Season 3)
Taking first place is Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 (Season 3). Based on the manga by Gege Akutami with over 150 million copies in circulation, the third season depicts "The Shibuya Incident," an unprecedented large-scale curse battle. In Episode 50 (Season 3, Episode 3), comedian Kendo Kobayashi himself voiced "Ken-san," a character whose resemblance to Kobayashi became a topic of discussion even in the original manga. This surprise casting prompted comments like "Wait, is that really him?", "It's too perfect," and "Kendo Kobayashi playing Kendo Kobayashi..." creating significant buzz among viewers.
Work Page URL: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/detail/jujutsukaisen3/index.html
Latest Episode URL: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/so45857100
2nd Place: TV Anime Fate/strange Fake
Coming in second is Fate/strange Fake. The original work is a Fate series spin-off novel by Ryohgo Narita, known for works like Durarara!!. The publication was inspired by a prototype version Narita posted on his personal website as an April Fools' joke in 2008. The story is set in America years after the conclusion of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Japan, depicting a "false Holy Grail War."
The ending sequence, first shown in Episode 2, presented a stark contrast to the serious, intense main content by depicting all characters smiling and holding hands in friendship. This unexpected presentation drew reactions like "What is this lol", "The main story is so heavy though lol", "lol everyone's friends www", and "Ah, I see, it's Fake after all," with some viewers even returning specifically to watch the ending. This became a major talking point.
Work Page URL: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/detail/fate-strange-fake2/index.html
Latest Episode URL: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/so45864029
3rd Place: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2
Third place goes to Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2. Despite only one episode airing at the time of this ranking compilation, it quickly secured a spot in the top 10. The original work is a fantasy series serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday (published by Shogakukan), created by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, depicting "what comes after" for the hero's party that defeated the Demon King.
Even in the Season 2 premiere, Frieren's sleeping face scene drew comments like "so cute", "drool drool", and "she has the same face as the plushie lol", demonstrating the series' continued popularity.
Work Page URL: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/detail/frieren-anime2/index.html
Latest Episode URL: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/so45861473
4th Place: Oshi no Ko Season 3
Fourth place is Oshi no Ko Season 3. The original work is the manga Oshi no Ko by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, which was serialized in Weekly Young Jump (published by Shueisha). This season depicts events six months after Season 2's story.
When the B-Komachi insert song "B no Revenge" premiered in Episode 25 (Season 3, Episode 1), it prompted numerous excited comments like "This song is so addictive" and "I love this song so much I keep rewinding it."
Work Page URL: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/detail/ichigoproduction3/index.html
Latest Episode URL: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/so45853548
5th Place: Sentenced to be a Hero: Penal Battalion 9004
Fifth place goes to Sentenced to be a Hero: Penal Battalion 9004. The original work is a novel of the same name by Rocket Shokai, a dark fantasy depicting criminal heroes who received "hero sentences" (where being a hero itself is the punishment) fighting against the Demon King's army. This unique premise attracted attention even before the broadcast began.
The first episode was a one-hour special, featuring theatrical-quality action sequences that prompted surprised reactions like "Is it okay to have the climax in episode 1?", "Amazing animation", and "What's going to happen in the finale?" The biological weapon "Goddess" also showed an un-goddess-like side when she told protagonist Zairo, "If you annihilate the enemy, you may pat my head," drawing reactions like "so cute", "Is this goddess okay?", and "Go save her quickly" with a mix of concern and amusement.
Work Page URL: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/detail/yushakei/index.html
Latest Episode URL: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/so45860310
On Niconico's anime streaming platform, users enjoy each series in various ways using the comment feature, sharing impressions on-screen, reacting to subtle details, and adding commentary to every action of characters. Additionally, the platform features supplementary explanations for scene details and excitement through synchronized "barrage" comments, creating real-time interactions between viewers. Niconico continues to provide more users with a viewing experience unique to the platform where they can "enjoy anime together while sharing laughter and emotions."
Copyright notices related to this release
■ Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1 (Season 3): ©Gege Akutami / Shueisha, Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee
■ TV Anime Fate/strange Fake: ©Ryohgo Narita, TYPE-MOON/KADOKAWA/FSFPC
■ Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2: ©Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe / Shogakukan / Frieren Production Committee
■ Oshi no Ko Season 3: ©Aka Akasaka x Mengo Yokoyari / Shueisha, Oshi no Ko Production Committee
■ Sentenced to be a Hero: Penal Battalion 9004: ©2024 Rocket Shokai/KADOKAWA/Sentenced to be a Hero Production Committee
Related Links
● Niconico: https://www.nicovideo.jp/
● N Anime: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/
● N Anime Winter 2026 Anime Ranking: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/ranking/view-total.html
● N Anime Winter 2026 Anime List: https://anime.nicovideo.jp/period/now.html
