Image Credit: MAPPA
Although the first episodes of the second season of “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” received good ratings and reviews, the last three episodes have exceeded expectations, reaching a 9.3 on IMDb. Although it competes with “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” two of the most popular and anticipated anime of the 2026 winter season, it has managed to surpass them for three consecutive weeks. Does this make it the best shonen anime of the season?
The surprise began in the last week of January 2026, when, according to streaming analysis platform FlixPatrol, the anime based on the manga series written and illustrated by Yūji Kaku dethroned the third season of “Jujutsu Kaisen” and the second season of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in Japan.
“Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” surpasses “Jujutsu Kaisen” and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End”
Although “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” has lost the top spot in these and other rankings, it still remains in the Top 10. In fact, in early March, it ranks number 5 on Crunchyroll worldwide, while “Jujutsu Kaisen” is in first place and “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” is number 10. On IMDb, the difference in ratings for these anime series is more noticeable. While Hell’s Paradise achieved scores above 9 for its sixth, seventh, and eighth episodes of the second season, episodes 6, 7, and 8 of the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen received ratings of 8.3, 8.2, and 9.1, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 of the second season of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” received ratings of 8.7, 8.1, and 8.4, respectively.
What is the reason for the success of “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku”?
In addition to the plot that mixes frenetic action, dark fantasy, and deep character development, “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” stands out for its high-quality animation by Studio MAPPA. Fans even consider that the quality has improved even more in the last episodes of the second season. The dynamic between the protagonist Gabimaru and the other main characters also plays a key role in the anime’s success. But the ratings and reviews are also due to the fact that the series is in the midst of its biggest battle yet: Gabimaru, Shigeru, Yuzuriha, and the rest of the group against Lord Tensen.
This means that “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” could once again receive ratings higher than nine when they reach the climax of their respective seasons. In any case, “Hell’s Paradise” has proven that it can compete with bigger anime series and even surpass them.
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