The end of 2024 has been a memorable moment for anime fans, with the emergence of several new IPs and the return of many favorite hits. Animate Times, a major publication in Japan recently released a ranking of its readers’ top 10 most popular anime picks of 2024.
According to Animate Times, some of the anime with the most voices come from the Shōnen Jump genre, such as Mashle: Magic and Muscles and My Hero Academia. However, the top-ranked anime was Season 2 of Oshi no Ko, a reincarnation drama about idols from Doga Kobo. Then, there’s the romantic comedy Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
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List of Popular Anime 2024 Based on Animate Times Survey
To see the full list of the 10 most popular anime in 2024, you can check it out below.
- Oshi no Ko Season 2
- Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
- Dandadan
- Mashle Season 2
- Oblivion Battery
- The Elusive Samurai
- Delicious in Dungeon
- My Hero Academia Season 7
- The Dangers in my Heart (Season 2)
- Blue Lock Season 2
Oshi no Ko Season 2
In 2023, the first season of Oshi no Ko made a deep impression by deconstructing the Japanese idol industry. The second season continues the story of protagonist Aqua Hoshino who infiltrates the entertainment world in search of her mother’s killer.
The franchise recently launched a live-action drama that captured the attention of audiences in Japan, breaking streaming records on Amazon’s Prime Video for 30 days. The final drama, which also became a feature film, premiered in Japan on December 20.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines is an adaptation of a light novel by Takibi Amamori that won the Light Novel Grand Prize at the 2021 Gagaga Award. The story follows Kazuhiko Nuzumizu, a lonely high school teenager, who is surprised to learn that Anna Yanami, the most popular girl in his class, has just been rejected by his crush.
Kazuhiko dubbed Anna and the other heroines as “defeated heroines.” They are all trying to win in the game of love. The anime airs from July to September 2024.
Dandadan
Dandadan, a series from Science Saru released in October, is a blend of comedy, supernatural action, romance, and science fiction that has garnered attention in Japan and abroad. The story begins with an argument between teenagers Momo Ayase and Okarun over the existence of aliens and ghosts. To settle the argument, they explore paranormal locations in Japan, which leads to Momo being abducted by aliens and Okarun being possessed.
After falling out, the two became closer by utilizing spiritual and paranormal powers to protect each other from a persistent enemy. Season 2 has been confirmed with a new trailer showing a release in July 2025.
Dandadan isn’t the only series changing genre conventions this year. Delicious in Dungeon, releasing in Winter 2024, offers an intriguing fantasy story about a group of adventurers who seek to create delicious recipes from the parts of the monsters they defeat.
The Elusive Samurai features the story of Hojo Toriyuki, a hero who prefers to avoid combat rather than participate. While the series has all been renewed for a second season, there has been no official announcement regarding its release date.
That’s the list of the most popular anime of 2024 based on an official survey from Animate Times which is a major publication in Japan. Hope this information is useful!
