It's Official, Mushoku Tensei Is Japan's #1 Anime Of Summer 2026

With the Spring 2026 anime season finally winding down, the Summer 2026 anime lineup is already heating things up in a big way. While fans around the world are still putting together their watchlists, viewers in Japan have already made up their minds. Keeping up its yearly tradition, Animate Times has released the results of its Summer 2026 popularity poll, offering an early look at the shows local fans are most excited to watch. With long-awaited sequels, major reboots, and fan-favorite franchises all arriving together, this was easily one of the most competitive seasonal lineups in recent memory.

Unsurprisingly, the series that easily took the number one spot is arguably one of the best isekai of all time, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 3, showing that Rudy's story still has plenty of momentum. Studio Bind's adaptation has grown into one of the defining fantasy anime of the past few years, and the latest poll makes it clear that Japanese fans are just as eager as ever to see what comes next.

That first-place finish becomes even more impressive when you look at the competition. The Saga of Tanya the Evil is finally returning for season 2 after nearly nine years, while Science SARU is taking on one of anime's biggest sci-fi classics with its new Ghost in the Shell adaptation. Either of those series could have easily topped the poll, but Mushoku Tensei held onto the crown, proving that it remains one of Japan's most anticipated anime heading into Summer 2026.

Japan's Latest Animate Times Poll Crowns Mushoku Tensei As The Most Anticipated Anime

Every season, Animate Times asks Japanese viewers which upcoming anime they are looking forward to the most, and the latest Summer 2026 poll offers one of the clearest snapshots of where the hype is right now. This time, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 3 came out on top. Even with long-awaited sequels like The Saga of Tanya the Evil season 2 and several other major returning series in the mix, Rudy's next chapter still claimed the number one spot.

Animate Times' Summer 2026 poll result is as follows:

1. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 3
2. From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman season 2
3. The Saga of Tanya the Evil season 2
4. The Elusive Samurai season 2
5. You And I Are Polar Opposites season 2
6. Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You
7. Skeleton Knight in Another World season 2
8. Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World With Garbage Balancing season 2
9. The Ogre's Bride
10. The Ghost in the Shell

Popularity Polls Reveal A Massive Divide Between Japanese And International Fans

Custom Image by Vanessa Piña

These rankings reveal just how different Japanese and Western audiences can be. In Japan, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman season 2 finished in second place, showing just how popular the series has become with domestic viewers. Overseas, however, it has never generated the same level of attention. Looking at MyAnimeList's most anticipated Summer 2026 anime, the picture changes quite a bit:

1. Saga of Tanya the Evil II
2. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 3
3. Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You
4. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity
5. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 2
6. Grand Blue Dreaming season 3
7. Skeleton Knight in Another World II
8. You and I Are Polar Opposites season 2
9. I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day
10. Clevatess season 2

On MyAnimeList, The Saga of Tanya the Evil season 2 takes the top spot, with Mushoku Tensei right behind it. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity also ranks among the most anticipated anime, despite not appearing in Animate Times' top ten.

That difference could be influenced by the fact that Bleach's first three episodes had already been screened theatrically in Japan before the poll, giving Japanese fans an early look that international audiences had not yet seen. Grand Blue Dreaming season 3 is another series that enjoys much stronger anticipation among Western fans, who have been waiting years for the comedy's return.

Despite those differences, there is still plenty of common ground. Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You ranked highly on both lists, showing that its grounded romance has found fans well beyond Japan. The same goes for You and I Are Polar Opposites season 2. While the biggest action and fantasy series may divide opinions from region to region, both audiences seem to agree that Summer 2026 is shaping up to be a great season for romance as well.

Release Date January 11, 2021

Network Tokyo MX, KBS Kyoto, BS11

Directors Sayaka Tsuji, Yoshitsugu Kimura, Ayumu Uwano, Yui Kanbe, Takahiro Tamano, Chihiro Kumano, Ouri Yasukawa, Mihiro Yamaguchi, Michiru Itabisashi, Kento Shintani, Nao Miyoshi, Shingo Fujii, Asahi Oka, Fumiaki Kataoka

Writers Kohei Urushibara, Atsushi Takayama, Hirohisa Saito, Muneo Nakamoto

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  Yumi Uchiyama

  Rudeus Greyrat's Former Self(voice)

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  Tomokazu Sugita

  Pilemon Notos Greyrat (voice)