We are barely entering the third week of Spring 2026, and Japan has already made it clear that the No. 1 anime this season is the successor to one of the greatest anime ever made. The series in question is the shonen classic Fullmetal Alchemist, adapted from the manga of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa. It has held the top position on one of the most popular anime community websites, MyAnimeList, for years. Fullmetal Alchemist is the kind of anime that comes with almost no major shortcomings; its intriguing narrative and top-quality animation have made it one of the most recommended series to watch at least once in a lifetime.
It is so good that fans have struggled to find anime of the same caliber. Many series have attempted to match what Fullmetal Alchemist achieved, but most have fallen short. Those waiting for its follow-up or true successor didn’t realize they were simply waiting for a new story from the same author. Eleven years after Fullmetal Alchemist ended, Hiromu Arakawa released a new manga, Daemons of the Shadow Realm. Spring 2026 saw the debut of its anime adaptation by Bones Film, the same studio behind Fullmetal Alchemist, and the series has already become Japan’s No. 1 anime, with multiple sources backing it up.
Image courtesy of Bones Film
According to Niconico’s latest rankings for the best anime of the season, Daemons of the Shadow Realm has been crowned the top series, with rankings generated from various metrics. The anime competing for the top spot is Dorohedoro Season 2, a popular choice globally, while Witch Hat Atelier holds third place and is arguably the top anime this season in Western regions. While this is one source highlighting the success of Daemons of the Shadow Realm in Japan, another shows how the anime has boosted other areas as well.
Recent manga sales recorded by the Shosekiranking blog reveal that all 12 volumes of the manga have seen a surge, with each volume ranking between 29th and 166th among the top 500 weekly manga sales. This is perhaps the clearest sign of an anime’s success, when it significantly boosts manga sales, and having every volume within the top 200 among hundreds of titles reflects that impact. It was evident that Daemons of the Shadow Realm would become a popular entry, especially considering its creative origins.
With the narrative coming from Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, and Bones Film handling the adaptation, the combination feels ideal, giving fans a similar experience to Fullmetal Alchemist in its prime. While Japan has already indicated it as the No. 1 anime of Spring 2026 so far, its influence could spread to Western regions as well, especially as the narrative becomes more engaging with each episode. If this consistency continues, Daemons of the Shadow Realm might even become the best anime of 2026 across all regions.
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AloJapan.com