Anime trends in 2024 surprise: from romantic comedies to epic films like Demon Slayer
The Japanese platform U-Next, one of the largest streaming services in the country, has released its official ranking of the most popular anime of 2024. This list not only reveals fans’ preferences, but also marks an interesting shift in anime consumption trends. And yes, while Demon slayer is still at the top, other series have given an unexpected blow.
The Apothecary Diaries leads 2024
The big surprise of the year is The apothecary’s diariesan anime that has captivated fans with its mix of mystery, romantic comedy and historical setting. The plot takes us to fictional imperial China, where Maomao, a young expert doctor, is kidnapped and forced to work at the imperial court. With his unique wits and skills, he solves poisonings and other mysteries together with the enigmatic Jinshi.
The popularity of this series shows that audiences are looking for fresh stories and charismatic characters outside of typical action shounen. Furthermore, the arrival of its second season in January 2025 promises to maintain his favorite status.
The power of modern classics
Obviously, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira’s training arc is ranked second on the U-Next list. The franchise, which has won over fans for years, continues with its impeccable adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga. In this story arc, Tanjiro and his friends train together at Pillars to face the forces of evil. With the arrival of Infinity Castle Arc film trilogy in 2025Tanjiro fans couldn’t be more excited.
In third place there is Freezing: Beyond the end of the journeya more thoughtful proposal that touched the hearts of the public. The story of the elf Frieren, who grapples with human mortality as he relives his memories with the hero Himmeloffers a unique approach to life and the passage of time. This success of Madhouse has already confirmed a second seasonalthough the release date remains a mystery.
The 10 most popular anime of the year according to U-Next
- The apothecary’s diaries (Crunchyroll)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira’s training arc (Crunchyroll)
- Freezing: Beyond the end of the journey (Crunchyroll)
- Mashle: The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc (Crunchyroll)
- That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Temporada 3 Slime (Crunchyroll)
- Oshi no Ko Temporada 2 (Prime Video, first season)
- Kaiju No.8 (Crunchyroll)
- Jujutsu Kaisen Temporada 2 (Crunchyroll)
- Delicious in the Dungeon (Netflix)
- My Hero Academia Season 7 (Crunchyroll)
Changes in anime trends in 2024
This year’s list reflects a evolution of public preferences. While the Classic shonen style Demon slayer Yes My academic world of heroes remain pillars of the genre, titles like The apothecary’s diaries Yes Delicious in the Dungeon They show that viewers also bet on more varied and complex plots.
The combination of Romantic comedies, psychological dramas and light fantasies seem to be gaining groundproving that audiences are looking for exciting, fresh and original stories. Kaiju No.8 Yes Jujutsu Kaisenfor their part, they keep fast-paced action in the equationbalancing the offering with epic battles, impressive animations and characters that manage to capture the viewer’s attention, consolidating the success of the shōnen genre in this new era of anime.
2024 was a year to remember and this list only confirms the global power of these series as a narrative medium capable of transcending boundaries. Between the Expected sequels, new innovative proposals and unexpected twists in the stories, fans can rest assured that there’s still plenty to enjoy. Furthermore, this diversity of genres and styles promises to maintain the enthusiasm of viewers even in the coming seasons.