This Netflix Hit Just Dethroned The Biggest Anime Around

3 weeks ago 20

Published Mar 19, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT

Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.

It took two years, but Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has finally lost its status as the biggest anime around to Netflix’s latest hit. Frieren has been a massive hit from the moment it premiered, and it was so big that it even became the top anime on MyAnimeList, a spot Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood had famously held for over a decade.

How JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Beat Frieren On MyAnimeList

While Steel Ball Run dethroning Frieren on MyAnimeList might seem shocking, it’s surprisingly easy to explain. The Steel Ball Run anime has been hotly anticipated by fans for years, arguably since JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure first received an anime, so it already had a built-in fanbase of people waiting to prop it up as a masterpiece.

Naturally, it helps tremendously that the series is living up to the hype; Steel Ball Run’s premiere has showcased all the same great visuals, direction, and writing that have made JoJo a massive hit, with it even being better than previous parts in some regard, and that level of quality is exactly what fans were hoping to see.

As for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, in addition to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End season 2 being divisive among fans for feeling somewhat repetitive, Frieren’s massive popularity has, conversely, earned it plenty of backlash from people who think it’s overrated, even if they don’t have any actual criticisms of the story.

With all of those factors coming together, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run likely dethroned Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End not simply on its own merit, but because Frieren’s detractors wanted to use Steel Ball Run to spite Frieren, thus resulting in Frieren losing its status as the top anime on MyAnimeList.

Can Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Reclaim Its Status As The Best Anime Around?

It’s easy to see how and why Frieren was dethroned on MyAnimeList, and that begs the question of whether it can reclaim its spot. With only one episode of Steel Ball Run out, Steel Ball Run’s ranking could easily go down once the initial hype dies out, thus allowing Frieren to reclaim its top spot.

However, not only does Frieren still have its own detractors to contend with, but considering how Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood never reclaimed its top spot after Frieren dethroned it, despite many instances of review bombing from fans, Frieren could now be in the same position where it’s unable to move up because of how modern MyAnimeList works.

That being said, MyAnimeList is hardly an objective indicator of quality; Netflix’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End both deserve their legendary statuses for one reason or another, and regardless of which one has the top spot on MyAnimeList, that doesn’t mean they can’t both be some of the best anime a person can watch.