“Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” are unquestionably the biggest names in the anime industry over the past decade. But does that mean they are undeniably the most-watched anime? According to data from 2025, the truth is that classics like “Detective Conan” and “Pokémon” still lead the pack.
Anime industry classics prevail over modern phenomena
PRTimes has shared a chart showing the most-watched anime series of 2025. The most surprising finding is that neither “Jujutsu Kaisen” nor “Kimetsu no Yaiba” dominated in any of the countries surveyed:
The rankings would look like this:
- Detective Conan was the most-watched anime in 2025 in Japan, China, and South Korea.
- Pokémon dominated viewership in the U.S., India, Germany, the U.K., and Brazil, with Naruto and Boruto also ranking very high.
- One Piece comes in third, ranking as the most-watched anime only in France (the country where One Piece is most successful in all of Europe).
It’s also worth noting the performance of “Dragon Ball Daima,” which, despite being a new “Dragon Ball” series that theoretically flew somewhat under the radar for many, ended up racking up tremendously positive viewership numbers.
That said, the reality couldn’t be clearer: even though some new anime enjoy the “BOOM” of the moment, the enduring popularity of the classics is something they still can’t compete with. And the explanation for these successes is very obvious.
Why Classics Continue to Dominate the Anime Industry
The simplest and most straightforward explanation is the ease of access to anime series like “Detective Conan” and “Pokémon.” These are classics available on multiple streaming platforms, and everyone considers them highly recommended for those new to the world of anime. But it’s not just that: in Japan specifically, and focusing on “Detective Conan,” we’re talking about an anime that isn’t simply seen as a “hit series.” It’s a cultural phenomenon, a hallmark of the country that airs regularly as a flagship of Japanese programming.
After all, we have to remember that in Japan, a large portion of anime premieres take place on television. This means that for many Japanese people, watching an episode of “Detective Conan” is just as much a tradition as watching “Cuéntame” was in Spain, to give a very clear example.
Although anime series like the aforementioned “Kimetsu no Yaiba” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” have that current appeal capable of filling entire movie theaters, they aren’t as deeply ingrained in the viewer’s consciousness. They’re still something you “should know,” whereas the classics are already familiar to everyone and widely accessible.
After all, the episodic nature of “Detective Conan” (and Pokémon) means you can jump into the series without any preparation, something that’s not at all feasible with shows featuring such a clear, central narrative as the stories of the Kamados and Itadori. It’s not a matter of being a better or worse anime; it’s what they represent historically.
Could it be that in 20 years, “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Kimetsu no Yaiba” will be the anime that surpass current phenomena by standing the test of time as timeless classics? Well, it’s possible—it’s definitely a scenario worth considering. However, as things stand today, anime isn’t dominated by the most viral titles… it’s dominated by the same old favorites.
