The latest Japanese animation TV rankings are in, covering the period from February 24 to March 2. Several popular anime series maintained strong viewership, while a recent anime film also made its mark on television. Here’s a breakdown of the top-rated programs during this period.
Top Anime TV Rankings
Here’s the list of top-rated anime programs in Japan for the week of February 24 – March 2, along with their respective household ratings:
- Sazae-san (Fuji TV, March 2 (Sun), 18:30, 30 min) – 7.8%
- Detective Conan (NTV, March 1 (Sat), 18:00, 30 min) – 6.5%
- Chibi Maruko-chan (Fuji TV, March 2 (Sun), 18:00, 30 min) – 5.8%
- The Apothecary Diaries (NTV, February 28 (Fri), 23:00, 30 min) – 3.8%
- Blue Miburo (NTV, March 1 (Sat), 17:30, 30 min) – 3.6%
- You and Idol Precure♪ (TV Asahi, March 2 (Sun), 08:30, 30 min) – 2.9%
- Dragon Ball Daima (finale) (Fuji TV, February 28 (Fri), 23:40, 30 min) – 2.8%
- Doraemon (TV Asahi, March 1 (Sat), 17:00, 30 min) – 2.5%
- One Piece (Fuji TV, March 2 (Sun), 09:30, 30 min) – 2.4%
- Crayon Shin-chan (TV Asahi, March 1 (Sat), 16:30, 30 min) – 2.2%
Sazae-san Remains on Top
Sazae-san, a long-running and beloved family-oriented anime, continues to hold the top spot in the rankings with a 7.8% rating. Its consistent popularity highlights its enduring appeal to Japanese audiences.
Detective Conan Stays Strong
Detective Conan, another highly popular series, secured the second position with a 6.5% rating. The series’ captivating mysteries and engaging characters keep viewers hooked.
Other Notable Mentions
- Chibi Maruko-chan secured third place, maintaining its consistent presence in the top rankings.
- The Apothecary Diaries continues to perform well, earning a 3.8% rating. The series has gained significant popularity, even influencing the sales of its source material.
- Dragon Ball Daima aired its final episode during this period, earning a 2.8% rating.
Anime Film on TV
The 2024 film Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Chikyū Symphony aired on TV Asahi on Saturday, March 1, at 6:56 p.m. and garnered a 3.9% rating. This shows the appeal of bringing theatrical anime releases to television audiences.
Understanding the Ratings
It’s important to note that these television ratings are an estimate of the percentage of the population watching a particular program, based on a survey of households in Japan’s Kanto region. The ratings do not account for viewers who watch recordings at a later time. The data is provided by Video Research (Kanto region).
Spring 2025 Anime Anticipation
As the Winter 2025 anime season comes to a close, Japanese fans are eagerly anticipating the Spring 2025 lineup. A recent survey conducted by Animate Times asked readers to recommend their top anime picks for the upcoming season.
Top 10 Anime of Spring 2025 (According to Animate Times)
Here are the top 10 overall picks from the Animate Times survey, listed in order of popularity:
- From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman
- Wind Breaker Season 2
- Fire Force Season 3
- The Dinner Table Detective
- I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2
- Witch Watch
- Uma Musume Cinderella Gray
- Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc
- The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom
- My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Highly Anticipated Series
- From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman is set to premiere on April 6 and tells the story of Beryl Gardinant, a swordmaster who becomes an instructor for the Knights of the Liberion Order.
- Wind Breaker and Fire Force are two popular shonen series with large fanbases in Japan. Season 3 of Fire Force is scheduled to premiere on April 4.
- The Dinner Table Detective stands out as the only detective/mystery anime on the list and follows Reiko Hosho as she solves cases with the help of her butler.
Live-Action Film Adaptations in Japan
Live-action adaptations of popular manga series continue to perform well in Japan.
- TRILLION GAME, a live-action film based on the manga series by Riichiro Inagaki and Ryoichi Ikegami, held the number one spot for two consecutive weekends before dropping to third place. The film has earned 1.44 billion yen (9.52 million USD) from 1.05 million ticket sales.
- UNDER NINJA, a live-action film adaptation of Kengo Hanazawa’s action manga, jumped to fifth place in its sixth weekend and has surpassed one billion yen in earnings.
Conclusion
The Japanese animation TV rankings for February 24 to March 2 showcase the continued popularity of long-running series like Sazae-san and Detective Conan, as well as the successful transition of anime films to television. The anticipation for the Spring 2025 anime season is high, with several new and returning series generating excitement among fans. Live-action adaptations of manga series also continue to make a mark in the Japanese entertainment industry.
