Out of roughly 80 anime debuting this spring, Japanese fans have voted. Re:Zero Season 4 claims the top spot and Classroom of the Elite, back with a new studio, takes second. Below them, seven of the ten slots went to titles getting their first anime adaptation.
Japan's Pre-Broadcast Popularity Poll Results
Dengeki Online, one of Japan's major entertainment media outlets, conducted a reader poll from March 6–15, asking fans to vote for their most anticipated Spring 2026 anime. With around 80 titles set to launch in April, the results offer a fascinating window into what Japanese anime fans are buzzing about, and some picks might surprise you.
The Full Top 10
| Rank | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (Season 4) | Sequel |
| #2 | Classroom of the Elite 4th Season | Sequel |
| #3 | The Ramparts of Ice (Kōri no Jōheki) | New |
| #4 | Witch Hat Atelier | New |
| #5 | Steel Ball Run: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure | New |
| #6 | Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Yomi no Tsugai) | New |
| #7 | Akane-banashi | New |
| #8 | Kanan-sama Is So Easy to Tease | New |
| #9 | The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (Season 2) | Sequel |
| #10 | Nihon Sangoku (Three Kingdoms of Japan) | New |
The Standout Trend: First-Time Adaptations Dominate
What makes this ranking unusual is that 7 out of 10 titles are brand-new adaptations, not sequels. Typically, pre-broadcast polls favor established franchises with built-in fanbases. This season, manga and light novel titles that have been building grassroots popularity are finally getting their anime debuts, and fans are fired up about it.
A Closer Look at the Top Titles
1: Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (Season 4)
Tappei Nagatsuki's beloved isekai returns with a massive 19-episode arc split into two parts, "Loss" (11 episodes) and "Reclamation" (8 episodes). Following the devastating battle at Priestella, Subaru and his companions set out for the Pleiades Watchtower. Source material readers call this one of the most intense arcs in the entire series. Broadcast starts April 8 at 11 p.m., with AT-X airing it an hour earlier the same night.
2: Classroom of the Elite 4th Season: Year 2, Term 1
The mind-game school drama enters its second year arc. Transfer of production from Lerche to Seven Arcs has fans both excited and cautious. New first-year student Nanase Tsubasa joins the cast, adding fresh dynamics to an already complex web of strategies and alliances. Airing from April 1 at 10:30 p.m. on AT-X and TOKYO MX.
3: The Ramparts of Ice (Kōri no Jōheki)
A youth ensemble drama from Shonen Jump, following Koyuki Hikawa, a high schooler who's built walls around herself, and Minato Amemiya, a boy who refuses to respect those walls. The completed 14-volume manga by Kōcha Agasawa (also behind You and I Are Polar Opposites) is celebrated for its achingly real portrayal of awkward teenage connections. It airs from April 2, one season after the same author's You and I Are Polar Opposites aired in winter.
4: Witch Hat Atelier
Kamome Shirahama's award-winning fantasy manga (7.5 million copies in print) finally gets its anime adaptation after a delay from 2025 for quality improvements. The story follows Coco, a girl who discovers a dangerous secret about how magic works, thrusting her into the hidden world of witches. The promotional videos have generated enormous buzz for their stunning visual quality, drawing comparisons to Studio Ghibli's aesthetic sensibility. It airs from April 6 at 11 p.m.
5: Steel Ball Run: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The long-awaited Part 7 of Hirohiko Araki's iconic series, set in 1890s America during a cross-continent horse race. David Production handles animation duties. Netflix began its worldwide exclusive run with the 1st STAGE on March 19, a single 47-minute special, and the 2nd STAGE is slated to stream weekly from autumn 2026. For international JoJo fans, this is the adaptation they've dreamed about for years.
6: Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Yomi no Tsugai)
From Hiromu Arakawa, the legendary creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, comes a dark fantasy about twins separated at birth in a world where supernatural beings called "Tsugai" (paired daemons) shape human fate. The golden reunion of Arakawa and Studio BONES, the same partnership behind Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, has fans expecting something truly special. It runs two consecutive cours from April 4 at 11:30 p.m. on TOKYO MX and other channels, with streaming rolling out from midnight the same night.
7: Akane-banashi
A unique Shonen Jump series centered on rakugo, Japan's centuries-old art of solo comedic storytelling. Akane, a young woman inspired by her rakugo-performing father, pursues mastery of this traditional art form. For international viewers, this is a rare chance to discover a uniquely Japanese cultural tradition wrapped in the excitement of a shonen competition manga.
8: Kanan-sama Is So Easy to Tease
A lighthearted rom-com about a demon lord who's supposed to be intimidating but is hopelessly susceptible to embarrassment and affection. It's the comfort-food anime of the season, low stakes, high sweetness.
9: The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (Season 2)
The popular romantic comedy returns with protagonist Shū Fujimiya and the angelic Mahiru Shiina officially dating. Season 2 promises even sweeter moments as the couple navigates the early stages of their relationship. Airing from April 3 at 10:30 p.m. on TOKYO MX.
10: Nihon Sangoku (Three Kingdoms of Japan)
An original historical fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic Japan that has fractured into three warring states after nuclear war, natural disasters, and political collapse. A local bureaucrat aims to reunify the nation. The striking PV and unique worldbuilding have captured attention despite the series being relatively unknown outside Japan. Broadcast starts April 6 at midnight, with Prime Video streaming it a day early, on April 5.
Where to Stream
This season's windows are unusually fragmented. Steel Ball Run is a Netflix worldwide exclusive with no TV airing at all. Nihon Sangoku reaches Prime Video a day before it reaches television. Daemons of the Shadow Realm follows the more familiar pattern, hitting streaming services at midnight on broadcast night. Inside Japan, d Anime Store, U-NEXT and ABEMA cover most of the slate. Since the arrangements differ title by title, each show's official site remains the reliable source.
Notable Titles Outside the Top 10
Several heavy hitters didn't crack the Japanese ranking but are massive internationally:
- That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 4): Rimuru's next campaign for a human-monster coexistence zone
- Dorohedoro Season 2: MAPPA's grimy masterpiece returns after a six-year gap
- Dr. STONE: Science Future (Season 4, Part 3): The moon mission arc enters its climactic phase
- MAO: Rumiko Takahashi's latest dark fantasy
- ONE PIECE, Elbaf Arc: The pirate saga reaches the mythical island of giants
Japan vs. The World: Where the Rankings Diverge
This Japanese poll reveals some interesting contrasts with international anime expectations.
Witch Hat Atelier and Daemons of the Shadow Realm rank even higher in overseas anticipation than in Japan. English-language media consistently list Witch Hat Atelier as THE most anticipated new anime of the season, often comparing it to Frieren in tone and ambition. Arakawa's new series similarly generates enormous buzz abroad thanks to the Fullmetal Alchemist connection.
Classroom of the Elite at #2 is somewhat Japan-specific. While the series has fans worldwide, it doesn't typically crack the top tiers of international anticipation lists. This reflects the outsized popularity of light novel adaptations within Japan's domestic market.
Kanan-sama and Nihon Sangoku at #8 and #10 are virtually unknown to most international fans, these are deep-cut picks driven by Japanese manga readership.
Conversely, ONE PIECE's Elbaf Arc and Dorohedoro Season 2 are among the most-hyped titles globally but didn't make Japan's Top 10. For ONE PIECE, this likely reflects its status as such a fixture of Japanese culture that it doesn't generate the same "event" excitement for a poll. Dorohedoro's six-year gap may have dulled its momentum in a popularity-style vote despite massive critical acclaim.
What the Vote Reveals
Sequel loyalty takes the top two slots; seven first-time adaptations fill the space beneath. That shape says something about how closely Japanese readers follow a property before it ever reaches animation. Overseas anticipation, clustered around Witch Hat Atelier and Daemons of the Shadow Realm, runs on a different measure entirely.
What's topping your Spring 2026 watchlist? Does this Japanese ranking match what's trending in your country, or are there surprises? Let us know on social media, we'd love to hear what the anime community around the world is most excited about this season!
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