2026 is going to be a huge year for anime, and we’ve got our eyes on a few titles that we can’t wait to see. From re-imaginings of classics to new seasons of recent favorites, here are the 11 anime we’re most excited to watch in 2026.
Hana-Kimi
Studio: Signal.MD
Ah yes, the “girl dresses like a boy to get into a boys’ school but then falls in love with a boy but then another boy falls in love with her” — classic trope. Hear me out, if you haven’t heard of Hana-Kimi before, also known as Boys Over Flowers, then you are in for a treat. Mizuki Ashiya disguises herself as a boy so she can attend the same all-boys school as her high jumper idol, Izumi Sano. They become roommates and antics ensue as she tries to keep her identity a secret, and multiple people are confused as they start to fall in love with each other. The classic tale is being rebooted for a fresh audience, and my millennial-anime-loving brain is ecstatic. There’s a reason this manga series has been adapted into several live action adaptations in Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, and TWICE in Japan. It will stream on Crunchyroll.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run
Studio: David Production
The legend of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure lives on! The massively popular series is gearing up for its seventh iteration of the legend of the Jostars as we follow them through the generations. This time around, it’s time to giddyup pardner because this season takes place in the American Old West. Steel Ball Run is the name of the world-renowned race that has contestants start in San Diego and race across America to win the grand prize of fifty million dollars. Johnny Joestar comes to view the race but encounters Gyro Zeppeli, a golden-toothed man who uses the power of two steel balls he carries at his waist (I cannot make this up, I swear this is accurate) to unleash the power to control another person. When Johnny comes in contact with the steel balls (I’m so sorry I have to keep typing those words), he regains his ability to walk, and ends up participating in the race himself. In an attempt to find out the secret of the power of the steel balls (oh boy), he begins his bizarre adventure across America on the Steel Ball Run. Obviously we all have to watch this, right? Tune in to Netflix for the release of the series sometime in 2026.
Magic Knight Rayearth
Studio: n/a
Magic Knight Rayearth
Why yes, we have been blessed by the anime gods by another remake of a classic. The chokehold this magical girl series had on me as a young girl is hard to describe, but let’s just say I knew all the words to the opening song in Japanese and English when I was 16 and was incredibly annoying about it. Tune in for the retelling of the tale of the three Japanese high schoolers who are transported to the realm of Cephiro and imbued with powers to help Princess Emeraude save her world. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are back to show the world that friendship, love, and a little bit of magic are all you need to save a kingdom. Fans of the original series from the ’90s are screaming (that’s me, screaming) for more details and an official trailer soon, as the series has already been confirmed for a release sometime in 2026. Streaming details have not been finalized yet.
Journal with Witch
Studio: Shuka
2026 is the year of the tear jerker, I fear. One look at the trailer for Journal with Witch will move you no matter what your stance on moody anime is. In this series, introverted novelist Makio Koudai finds she must adopt her 15-year-old niece Asa Takumi after a tragic accident, and the two help each other navigate their grief while still continuing onwards. Makio convinces Asa to begin journaling to help her through her loss, while Asa likewise encourages Makio to live her life outside of her books. Their lives clash as they each help each other grow despite their different life experiences. This one is sure to leave you in a sobbing mess, so get those tissues ready.
The best TV of the Year:
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3
Studio: Mappa
The wildly popular series Jujutsu Kaisen enters its third season, continuing the story of high schooler Yuji Itadori after the fallout of the Shibuya Incident where many allies fell, and Satoru Gojo was imprisoned. This season introduces the Culling Game arc, as Yuji must work together with other powerful sorcerers to stay alive and attempt to free Gojo from the Prison Realm. The trailer is a dramatic look at what the season has in store for us, and a peek at the incredible animation by the team at Studio Mappa. You can watch it on Crunchyroll.
Trigun Stargaze
Studio: Orange
Greetings, lovers of old school anime who have been pleasantly surprised by the high quality of reboots we’ve been witness to in the last few years! The newly adapted Trigun anime will be back with a new season, and the gang is finally all back together! Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly (FINALLY!! YESS!) must band together in the final confrontation with Vash’s brother, Millions Knives, who seeks the complete destruction of humanity. Season 1 was a pleasant surprise as the studio and writers handled the original content with a fresh take, and incredible animation. This reboot of the Trigun series, which will stream on Crunchyroll, makes adjustments to the original story and continues the tale past what the older series covered, so it’s a must-see for all Trigun fans, new and old.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2
Studio: MADHOUSE
The beautifully melancholy anime Frieren is back to tug at our heartstrings once again in the second season. Frieren the elf mage has long said goodbye to her past comrades as she has been both blessed and cursed by immortality, but her adventures continue on with new friends and adventures. The new season promises larger threats that loom over the band of heroes, and more memories to be made.
MarriageToxin
Studio: Bones Film
Marriage hunting and hitmen, a combo we never knew we needed in anime. Hikaru Gero is last in the line of hitmen who specialize in poison, and has only known a life of killing in the underworld. However, he finds himself in the awkward position of being forced to find a wife to help preserve his bloodline. Hilarity ensues as he recruits a professional marriage con artist to train him in the art of love. With a unique premise that blends action and romance, this new series is sure to be a hit next season.
Akane-banashi
Studio: Studio ZEXCS
The hit manga series now comes to the small screen in the anime adaptation of Akane-banashi. In her childhood, Akane had always admired her father’s rakugo performances, the Japanese art of solo storytelling on stage. But when her father is expelled from performing due to a dramatic incident, Akane vows to take revenge by one day becoming shin’uchi, the highest rank in the rakugo world. This series shows the fascinating world of rakugo, while also exploring how Akane breaks through the ranks of a male-dominated art to make a name for herself.
Darwin Incident
Studio: Bellnox Films
Based on the prestigious Manga Taisho award-winning manga series, The Darwin Incident has created buzz around the upcoming anime due out in January 2026. A half-human, half-chimpanzee “humanzee” named Charlie is born from an animal test subject, and put into foster care with human parents. When he’s of age, Charlie is sent to a regular human high school and begins to experience the world on his own. Exploring social constructs of identity, ethics and prejudice, this series delves into these issues while also having Charlie confront the meaning of his own existence.
Laid Back Camp / Yuru Camp Season 4
Studio: TBA
Laid Back Camp / Yuru Camp
The series that launched Japan into a camping craze is back for a new season in 2026! Although few details have been released about the new season, we can expect the continuation of the adventures of the Outdoor Exploration Club, a group of enthusiastic high school students who go camping across various real-life locations in Japan, highlighting camping tips, itineraries, and famous sights and foods that viewers have been following on their own IRL trips! So get ready for another season of relaxing stories and delicious looking camp food, heading to screens in the new year.
Special Mention: Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle 2 
Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle
OK we said we were only listing 11 titles, but here’s an extra one for fun. Anime fans and studio executives alike are foaming at the mouth for the second in the trilogy of Demon Slayer movies to drop sometime in 2026 in theaters. Check out our article on what to expect of the film here.