Top 10 Most Popular Anime in Japan

WatchMojo

They're household names in their home country! Join Ashley as we look over the anime that are massive hits over in Japan

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the biggest anime among

00:10Japanese fans.

00:22In the time it takes to do a transformation sequence, Sailor Moon became one of the most

00:27iconic anime brands ever made, and to think it was only supposed to air for six months.

00:41However, the show's balance of cool fights, heartwarming characters, and optimistic themes

00:49extended it into a legendary five-year run, plus some spin-offs and sequels just for good

00:56measure.

01:06With overwhelming praise and record-breaking merchandise sales, it's no wonder that Sailor

01:11Moon is still ubiquitous to this day.

01:14At this point, it's basically the face of the whole magical girl genre, both in and

01:19out of Japan.

01:24Yuuji Itadori's cursed clashes are entertaining in every language, but something about the

01:37high-octane fights and devilish storylines have kept Japanese audiences in particular

01:43coming back for more.

01:53Maybe it's because the show takes place in Japan, or maybe seeing Yuuji clock someone

01:57with a black flash is just that cool.

02:10Either way, it's obvious Jujutsu Kaisen is a household name even among casual anime

02:16watchers.

02:17The manga is a best-seller, the movie made bank, and the show is ranked as one of the

02:22most in-demand in the entire world.

02:24Given that, it'd be strange if Japan didn't love Jujutsu Kaisen.

02:38In stark contrast to high-stakes battle anime, this is a simple story about a simple Japanese

02:47kid going about his simple, everyday life.

02:51Oh, and it's aired for over a thousand episodes and counting.

03:00While the set-up sounds mundane, Shin-chan's mischievous life is just zany enough to keep

03:05Japanese viewers glued to their screen.

03:17It's just a shame more people can't get on board.

03:20Since most of the series' humour relies on linguistic puns and cultural references,

03:25Prey on Shin-chan has never really caught on outside of its native country.

03:30Then again, considering it's aired almost non-stop for over 30 years, we'd say Shin-chan

03:36is doing just fine.

03:50If you thought Tanjiro and the others were prominent overseas, you may want to sit down.

03:55In Japan, Demon Slayer isn't just a hit show, it's a full-on cultural phenomenon.

04:14Each new episode is like a country-wide holiday, and it has the ratings to prove it.

04:20Demon Slayer is so impactful, it's even making it into Japanese textbooks.

04:31Although that makes sense when you remember how many records it's broken, including

04:35the title of highest-grossing Japanese film.

04:39Like ever.

04:40Live-action included.

04:42Given that Demon Slayer is still in its prime, odds are good it'll stay on top for years

04:47to come.

05:01When you look into the eyes of this time-travelling robotic cat, you're looking at a complete

05:06cultural celebrity.

05:08We aren't joking.

05:16While starring in three self-titled anime series definitely helped his brand recognition,

05:22Doraemon's success goes way beyond television screens.

05:26Its influence on Japanese media is unshakable, to the point we may not have had series like

05:32One Piece or Naruto without Doraemon.

05:45Then in 2008, Japan's foreign ministry appointed the earless cat as the country's first-ever

05:52anime ambassador.

05:53That's right, Doraemon is so absurdly well-known, it's capable of representing Japan as a

06:00whole.

06:01You can't get any bigger than that.

06:09Even a wish on Shenron himself wouldn't be enough to do Dragon Ball's legacy justice.

06:15Japan's tried, though.

06:23On top of several anime series, movies, video games and a truly staggering amount of merchandise,

06:30they officially anointed May 9th as Goku Day.

06:34So yeah, you could say Dragon Ball's pretty big over there.

06:48Its creative footprint is simply unmatched, especially in the anime industry.

06:53You'd be hard-pressed to find any modern shounen that doesn't owe something to Akira

06:58Toriyama's groundbreaking work.

07:01Even if Goku eventually retires from world-shaking fights, and that's a big if, Dragon Ball's

07:07impact on Japan isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

07:11Toriyama's legacy lives on.

07:27He may not be King of the Pirates just yet, but Monkey D. Luffy still stumbled on a massive

07:33treasure trove of success in Japan.

07:40Yes, the anime is an explosive trailblazer and yes, the series has off-the-charts name

07:49recognition.

07:50But the real kicker is that One Piece is the best-selling manga series of all time, and

07:56it's not even close.

08:10Luffy's swashbuckling adventures fly off the shelves faster than they can be printed.

08:14That demand has created a typhoon of a franchise, one where keeping up isn't just a recommendation

08:20anymore, it's a societal necessity.

08:24There may be other hit shows, but there will never be another One Piece.

08:34There's nothing to investigate here.

08:43The only mystery is why this show isn't bigger.

08:47Japan has the right idea.

08:49Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed in other territories, is the quintessential

08:54detective program.

08:58It's frequently dark, exceptionally smart, and always a good time from start to finish.

09:07Despite being transformed into an elementary kid's body, Conan has been solving cases

09:13on a weekly basis since 1996.

09:24The shtick hasn't even gotten old yet.

09:27If anything, Detective Conan's long-standing history just proves why it's one of Japan's

09:32best and brightest.

09:34There's always a new twist, a new culprit, and a new case to keep you hooked.

09:48This show lives and breathes on the idea that less is more, which is incredibly ironic when

09:54you look at how long it's been on the air.

09:56But there's a good reason Maruko's antics have stood the test of time.

10:13Chibi Maruko-chan isn't frivolous or shocking or anything like that, it's just honest.

10:29Sure there's a few laughs and usually a good moral at the end of the episode, but

10:33it's all tied into an earnest story about Japanese life.

10:37As a result, Chibi Maruko-chan has a uniquely broad appeal for all ages.

10:43And it's used that to stay at the top of the charts for decades now.

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11:10Number 1.

11:11Suzae-san Here it is, the undisputed champion of Japanese

11:16anime.

11:17Suzae-san is more than a show to its country, it's practically an everyday part of life.

11:23For one, it's stayed on the air for over 60 years, becoming the longest-running animated

11:28program of all time.

11:33Secondly, it's aired in the Sunday time slot for so long, it's created a phenomenon

11:44called Suzae-san Syndrome, where people associate new episodes with the end of the weekend.

11:58Something about the way it characterises traditional Japanese values through humour has clearly

12:02resonated with people, so it makes a lot of sense why Suzae-san is often cited as the

12:09national anime.

12:21Which of these series deserve more global recognition?

12:24Let us know in those comments below.

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