Frieren’s #1 Anime Spot Under Threat as Japan’s Top Isekai Rises

Since Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End first landed in Fall 2023, it’s turned into a true benchmark for modern anime—frequently cited as one of the greatest series in the medium. On fan-tracking hubs such as MyAnimeList, Frieren is still holding the overall #1 slot as the highest rated anime ever, sitting at a 9.26 score based on 907,195 votes. In Japan’s manga market, Frieren has also stayed hot: even with the manga currently paused, the story reportedly topped Japan’s sales charts in the first half of 2026, outperforming even One Piece during that window. With that kind of momentum, Frieren has looked difficult to dislodge—yet the series may finally face its stiffest test in 2026.

Release & platform tracker (2026): Re:Zero Season 4 schedule and ratings

Japan’s biggest isekai heavyweight, Re:Zero, is now moving closer to taking that top spot. Re:Zero Season 4 premiered on April 18, 2026, and has quickly built its own momentum—posting standout milestones and placing just behind Frieren as the #2 anime on MyAnimeList. Even more concerning for Frieren is the direction of travel: day by day, Re:Zero looks more likely to close the rating gap and potentially claim the highest-rated position.

Re:Zero Season 4 closes in on Frieren with a 9.20 MyAnimeList score

Re:Zero Season 4 has become an event in its own right, and the wait appears to have paid off. The anime officially began airing on Crunchyroll on April 8, 2026, then ran through June for the first cour. The second cour—expected to deliver an even sharper experience—is scheduled to kick off on August 12, 2026. For fans, the season’s appeal isn’t just hype; it’s backed by ratings that put it in direct competition with Frieren at the very top. With Frieren holding a 9.26 on MyAnimeList, Re:Zero is currently at 9.20—just 0.06 points behind.

The season’s run has been driven by a combination of storytelling and fight sequences that land with real impact. On top of that, the character writing continues to be a major strength, particularly for Subaru Natsuki, the series’ protagonist, and Emilia, the heroine. That blend is part of why Season 4 is resonating so strongly with viewers. It’s also drawing attention on other rating platforms; notably, multiple episodes have earned standout scores on IMDb.

IMDb figures for the first cour are already turning heads. Season 4 Episode 3 received a 9.8 out of 10 and has reportedly held that score to this day. Episode 4, released a week later, was also rated 9.8 out of 10. Episode 8, which many fans consider the high point of the first cour, scored 9.9 out of 10 after initially reaching a perfect 10/10—then dropping as downvotes came in. Episode 9 continued the strong trend with a 9.8 out of 10 score as well. With this kind of performance early on, Re:Zero is positioned to keep pushing past Frieren. And with the second cour arriving on August 12, 2026, expectations are high that the series could finally overtake Frieren and become the top-rated anime overall.

On the manga side of the conversation, One Piece has reportedly been beaten in Japan’s first-half 2026 sales by a newer generation title, reinforcing how fiercely competitive the charts have been this year.

Why more content in Re:Zero Season 4 could be enough to dethrone Frieren

Split-cour seasons are now the norm for bigger anime productions. That format typically gives studios a short downtime window where certain episodes are produced, refined, or polished before the next batch ships. At the same time, splitting the season helps build anticipation by holding the strongest material for the second cour. Re:Zero Season 4 looks set to follow that pattern. While the first part has already been described as sensational, it likely won’t match what comes next—particularly in terms of more intricate plot turns, higher intensity, deeper character beats, and larger overarching arcs.

Overall, the argument here is straightforward: Season 4 should keep improving. If the first cour already delivered such a strong showing, the second cour is expected to elevate things further and raise the season’s total score even more—potentially enough to replace Frieren. Frieren has spent roughly three years at the top, and it’s already positioned as a generational series likely to be remembered for decades. But with Re:Zero pushing hard through Season 4 and continuing to make waves episode by episode, the spotlight may be shifting sooner than many expected.

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Why Re:Zero could become the biggest modern anime hit in 2026

For years, Re:Zero sat in a tough spot: it was well known among isekai fans, but it didn’t receive the same broad recognition from the wider anime audience. That situation appears to be changing in 2026, driven by the response to Season 4. The first Re:Zero season ran for 25 episodes and began in September 2016, but at the time, it still functioned as something of a niche release. That’s part of why fans had to wait around four years before Season 2 arrived officially. Even after Season 2 aired in 2020, the series reportedly wasn’t as mainstream as it is now. Another four-year wait followed for Season 3, which premiered in 2024 as a 16-episode season—one that ultimately helped lock Re:Zero into the mainstream isekai conversation.

Then, just two years later, Re:Zero returned again with Season 4 in April 2026, and it’s now asserting itself at the top of the ratings conversation in both Japan and internationally. With multiple strong arcs rolling out one after another, the series’ popularity is expected to keep rising from here. Over time, it’s suggested that Re:Zero could surpass Frieren and other series from different genres, ultimately cementing its reputation among the best anime of all time.

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At the end of the day, whether Re:Zero can “beat” Frieren is likely to matter only to a subset of viewers, since anime ratings remain subjective. What’s harder to ignore, though, is that Re:Zero is positioning itself among the highest-tier series in the medium through those numbers. That momentum can also help push the broader isekai genre into the mainstream spotlight. The hope for many fans is that Re:Zero keeps its dominance going and expands its name recognition in the months ahead.

Re:Zero Season 4 will return to Crunchyroll on August 12, 2026.