A Traditional Sixties Anime Beats One Piece in Japan’s Newest Anime TV Rankings

Close to the tip of 2025, the statistics for anime viewership in Japanese TV got here in, and the details made it clear Luffy will not be TV king anytime quickly. Eiichiro Oda’s rubbery pirate hero is on monitor to become pirate king, but it surely’s not simply pirates who dominate the scores. Regardless of the bombastic motion and deep lore of One Piece‘s present anime arcs, much less is extra within the eyes of Japanese viewers as Sazae-San takes the lead.

As a result of large proliferation of anime lately and the fickle nature of the fandom, it is anybody’s guess which anime will make headlines in Japan or the West. In the long run, One Piece reliably has a spot among the many most-watched and most-loved anime as a real shonen juggernaut. However not even One Piece is invincible, as a result of for all its well-deserved hype, Japanese viewers are itching for one thing extra nostalgic and comforting. Whether or not or not followers name Sazae-San an iyashikei anime, its light, past-oriented narrative made it the crown jewel of anime TV close to the tip of December final yr.

Sazae-San Faucets Into the Less complicated Vibes of Put up-Battle Japan In Any Decade

This Sixties Anime Additionally Has Extra Momentum Than One Piece

Two characters in the Sazae-san anime. — Two characters within the Sazae-san anime.

As proven on Anime Information Community, a handful of wonderful anime ranked close to the highest from December Twenty second-Twenty eighth on Japanese tv. Some acquainted mega-hits made the minimize, such because the cerebral Detective Conan and the youngsters’s anime Doraemon, however the #1 spot is reserved for the legendary Sazae-San. In the meantime, One Piece ended up at #7, which continues to be a decent slot, but it surely’s removed from what Sazae-San completed. Whereas Sazae-San had an enormous common family ranking of 5.5 in that week, One Piece had a relatively tame 2.6.

After all, this is only one week of tons of the place One Piece has been on the air; week by week, after all it would typically yield to a different present for short-term causes. However there’s additionally a long-term cause why a cozy slice-of-life anime like Sazae-San will eclipse One Piece‘s viewership on Japanese TV. That is as a result of Sazae-San beats One Piece at its personal recreation when it comes to size and sheer familiarity as a long-running anime. For all its weight as a 27-year-old anime with over 1,100 episodes, One Piece nonetheless can’t examine to Sazae-San, an anime that is been airing since 1969. Sazae-San additionally has 7,000 episodes to its title and is a Guinness World Document holder.

Sazae-San is for Japan what The Simpsons is for Individuals, a comfy, family-oriented animated present that is been round so lengthy, a viewer looks like they’ve identified these characters all their life. On high of that, Sazae-San has distinctive nostalgia and comforting emotions in its homeland, making in the present day’s TV viewers fondly suppose again on the peaceable, affluent years following World Battle II. That warfare was devastating to Japan. Nevertheless, the “financial miracle” of the Sixties and Seventies made the warfare really feel like a distant, horrible dream that gave method to good instances for all. Sazae-San faucets into these good emotions with its easy, semi-historic setting the place the joys of on a regular basis life change motion and pressure.

One Piece is Robust, However It is Not Dominant Proper Now

The Elbaph Arc Could Make One Piece the King of TV in 2026 and Past

Not solely does Sazae-San have the nostalgic, feel-good vibes wanted to take the highest spot in Japanese TV late in December, One Piece lacked the proper stuff to say that slot for itself. Nobody would say One Piece‘s anime is shedding its contact, seeing how the Egghead Island story arc blew followers away with the battle against the Five Elders and Dr. Vegapunk’s world-shaking revelations. That being mentioned, sheer familiarity and easygoing tones allowed each Sazae-San and Doraemon to high One Piece from December Twenty second-Twenty eighth, and the anime is now happening a break. Merely put, Japanese TV viewers may really feel performed with One Piece for now.

The Egghead Island Arc has concluded within the anime, and it will be a number of months — till April — when the Elbaph Arc will carry One Piece‘s anime again. Till then, Egghead’s conclusion looks like an excellent stopping level for One Piece in each sense. It permits TV viewers to show their consideration to beloved classics from earlier many years till the time is true for the Straw Hats to return on the small display. Little doubt the Elbaph Arc, as soon as it is firing on all cylinders, will stand an excellent probability of taking #1 in Japanese TV viewership charges because the tales of the God Knights, Prince Loki, and the notorious Rocks D. Xebec take heart stage.

Supply: Anime News Network