Tokyo, Japan – The latest television rankings for Japanese animation from September 29 to October 5 reveal a familiar leader in Sazae-san, while the highly anticipated final season of My Hero Academia made its debut. The rankings, based on an estimate of household viewership in Japan’s Kanto region by Video Research, highlight consistent performers alongside new entries and special broadcasts.
The week saw traditional favorites continue to draw substantial audiences, underscoring their enduring popularity across generations. Meanwhile, the broadcast of a popular anime film and reruns of a live-action series also garnered notable ratings, adding to the varied viewing landscape.
Top-Ranked Anime Programs
During the week of September 29 to October 5, several anime series captivated Japanese audiences. The top positions were largely held by long-running family-friendly programs, a common trend in Japanese television viewership.
Consistent Chart-Toppers
- Sazae-san (Fuji TV, October 5, 6:30 p.m.) once again secured the top spot with an average household rating of 7.8%. This beloved slice-of-life anime continues its decades-long reign as a Sunday evening staple.
- Detective Conan (NTV, October 4, 6:00 p.m.) followed, achieving a 6.1% rating, demonstrating the detective series’ consistent appeal.
- Chibi Maruko-chan (Fuji TV, October 5, 6:00 p.m.) rounded out the top three, earning a 5.0% rating and maintaining its strong presence in family programming.
Notable Debuts and Airings
The week also featured significant airings that captured viewer attention:
- The final season of My Hero Academia (NTV, October 4, 5:30 p.m.) debuted with a 3.9% rating, indicating strong interest in the superhero saga’s concluding chapters.
- The film SPY×FAMILY Code: White aired on TV Tokyo on Sunday, October 5, at 8:50 p.m., achieving a 3.2% rating. This broadcast offered fans an opportunity to catch the popular movie on television.
- Doraemon (TV Asahi, October 4, 5:00 p.m.) recorded a 3.2% rating, continuing its run as a popular children’s program.
- Crayon Shin-chan (TV Asahi, October 4, 4:30 p.m.) garnered a 3.0% rating.
- Tougen Anki (NTV, October 3, 11:00 p.m.) saw a 2.6% rating.
- You and Idol Precure♪ (TV Asahi, October 5, 8:30 a.m.) achieved a 2.5% rating.
- Animated O-saru no George (Curious George) (NHK-E, October 4, 8:35 a.m.) had a 1.8% rating.
- Oshiri Tantei (NHK-E, October 4, 9:00 a.m.) registered a 1.6% rating.
Understanding Japanese TV Ratings
The television ratings presented are estimates of the percentage of the population watching a given program. This data is derived from a survey of households within Japan’s Kanto region by Video Research. It’s important to note that these ratings specifically account for live viewership and do not include recordings that viewers might watch at a later time.
While streaming platforms have gained significant traction, broadcast television remains a crucial indicator of mainstream popularity for anime in Japan, especially for long-running series and prime-time slots. The consistent performance of titles like Sazae-san and Detective Conan underscores their cultural embeddedness, while the strong debut of My Hero Academia‘s final season highlights the anticipation for popular contemporary series.
