{"rewrite":{"id":"r_4b2202fffac14e825c214acd","clusterId":"c_9e4a5ec1992978d439bd8998","slug":"sequels-dominate-u-next-s-first-half-2026-anime-viewership-ranking","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Sequels Dominate U-NEXT's First Half 2026 Anime Viewership Ranking","summary":"U-NEXT released its viewership ranking for the first half of 2026, covering January 1 to June 8. The top 10 is heavy on sequels, with Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (Part 1) taking first place, followed by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4. Spring premieres Yomi no Tsugai and Nihon Sangoku also made the list.","whyItMatters":"The ranking confirms the continued dominance of established franchises in streaming viewership, with sequels occupying seven of the top 10 spots.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eU-NEXT, a major Japanese streaming service, published its anime viewership ranking for the first half of 2026. The aggregation period ran from January 1 to June 8. Sequels dominate the top 10, with Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (Part 1) at number one, followed by Frieren: Beyond Journey\u0026#39;s End Season 2 and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4. Two spring 2026 premieres, Yomi no Tsugai and Nihon Sangoku, also cracked the list.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYomi no Tsugai\u003c/strong\u003e: 10th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHell Mode: The Gamer Who Likes to Grind Becomes Unrivaled in a Broken World\u003c/strong\u003e: 9th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Easygoing Lord\u0026#39;s Fun Territory Defense: Using Production Magic to Turn a Nameless Village into the Strongest Fortress City\u003c/strong\u003e: 8th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNihon Sangoku\u003c/strong\u003e: 7th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOshi no Ko Season 3\u003c/strong\u003e: 6th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNoble Reincarnation: From a Blessed Birth to Obtain the Strongest Power\u003c/strong\u003e: 5th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Jack-of-All-Trades Who Was Kicked Out of the Hero\u0026#39;s Party\u003c/strong\u003e: 4th place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4\u003c/strong\u003e: 3rd place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrieren: Beyond Journey\u0026#39;s End Season 2\u003c/strong\u003e: 2nd place\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (Part 1)\u003c/strong\u003e: 1st place\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","blueskyPost":"U-NEXT's first half 2026 anime viewership ranking is out. Sequels dominate: Jujutsu Kaisen Culling Game Arc takes 1st, Frieren S2 2nd, Slime S4 3rd. Spring shows Yomi no Tsugai and Nihon Sangoku also made the top 10.","twitterPost":"U-NEXT's first half 2026 anime viewership ranking is out. Sequels dominate: Jujutsu Kaisen Culling Game Arc takes 1st, Frieren S2 2nd, Slime S4 3rd. Spring shows Yomi no Tsugai and Nihon Sangoku also made the top 10.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"U-NEXT released its viewership ranking for the first half of 2026. Sequels dominate the top 10, with Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (Part 1) at number one. The list includes two spring premieres, Yomi no Tsugai and Nihon Sangoku.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Magmix\",\"url\":\"https://magmix.jp/post/364389\",\"title\":\"Jujutsu Kaisen: Culling Game Arc (Part 1) Takes 1st Place in First Half of 2026 Anime Ranking TOP10, 2nd Frieren, 3rd That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4414,"outputTokens":2808,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783926934,"createdAt":"2026-07-13T07:06:37.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-13T07:07:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-13T07:06:37.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_9e4a5ec1992978d439bd8998","canonicalTitle":"2026上半期「アニメランキング」TOP10の1位に輝いたのは『呪術廻戦』「死滅回游 前編」　2位『フリーレン』3位『転スラ』","representativeArticleId":"a_9b4912eb66dd9fc31f474a95","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Jujutsu Kaisen\",\"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End\",\"That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-13T03:35:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-13T03:35:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-13T07:07:29.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Magmix","url":"https://magmix.jp/post/364389","title":"2026上半期「アニメランキング」TOP10の1位に輝いたのは『呪術廻戦』「死滅回游 前編」　2位『フリーレン』3位『転スラ』"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Jujutsu Kaisen","Frieren: Beyond Journey's End","That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"anime","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":null}