Japan’s No. 1 Spring 2026 Anime Is the True Successor to an All-Time Great

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It’s only the third week of Spring 2026, but Japan has already crowned its most popular anime of the season: the new continuation of the beloved classic, Fullmetal Alchemist. Based on Hiromu Arakawa’s manga, Fullmetal Alchemist has consistently ranked as a top series on popular anime sites like MyAnimeList for years. The show is widely considered nearly flawless, with a captivating story and excellent animation making it a must-watch for anime fans.

Fans loved Fullmetal Alchemist so much that finding another anime quite like it has been difficult. While many shows have tried to reach the same level of quality, most haven’t succeeded. Those hoping for a sequel or similar series didn’t realize they were actually waiting for a new story by the same creator. Eleven years after Fullmetal Alchemist concluded, Hiromu Arakawa released a new manga called Daemons of the Shadow Realm. In Spring 2026, Bones Film—the studio behind the original Fullmetal Alchemist—adapted it into an anime, and it quickly became the top-ranked anime in Japan, according to multiple reports.

Fullmetal Alchemist‘s Successor Becomes Japan’s No. 1 Anime of Spring 2026 So Far

Niconico recently ranked the best anime of the season, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm came in first. Dorohedoro Season 2 was a close second, remaining popular with fans worldwide, and Witch Hat Atelier took third place, particularly gaining traction as a top pick in Western countries. Beyond its success in Japan, Daemons of the Shadow Realm is also proving to be beneficial in other areas.

I’m absolutely thrilled to see how well Daemons of the Shadow Realm is doing! The latest sales numbers are incredible – all twelve volumes are flying off the shelves! Shosekiranking reports that each one is currently ranking between 29th and 166th in the weekly top 500 manga – that’s a huge achievement. To me, this is the best proof an anime can get – when it drives manga sales like this, it really shows how much people are loving the story. I always had a feeling this series would be a hit, especially knowing how unique and imaginative it started as!

Created by Hiromu Arakawa, the author of Fullmetal Alchemist, and animated by the studio Bones, Daemons of the Shadow Realm feels like a natural successor to her previous hit. It’s already the top anime in Japan this spring, and its popularity is expected to grow internationally as the story develops. If it maintains this quality, Daemons of the Shadow Realm could be the best anime of 2026, worldwide.

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2026-04-19 16:12