2026’s Biggest Anime Has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score (And It’s not Jujutsu Kaisen)

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This post contains spoilers for Frieren and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Even though 2026 has just begun, anime fans have already seen some amazing new shows. While many knew what was coming out in January, the high quality still surprised them. The biggest challenge now is simply finding time to watch everything!

Everyone expected MAPPA’s Jujutsu Kaisen to be a top-rated anime, particularly with its adaptation of the Culling Game arc. But surprisingly, another show, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, has taken the lead, earning a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Frieren Has The Perfect Score On Rotten Tomatoes

Image via Madhouse.
  • Frieren has a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes
  • JJK is not too far behind

Frieren Season 1 has earned a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a popular review site, showing it’s been a hit with critics. Surprisingly, it’s even outperformed other highly-rated shows like Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Oshi no Ko Season 3, and the latest Fate anime. Viewers clearly love the series too, giving it a 95% approval rating.

The greatest joy of magic lies in searching for it.

The new season has already delivered four amazing episodes. A powerful new character, known as the Hero of the South, has emerged, single-handedly defeating three of the Sages of Destruction and seriously weakening the Demon King’s army. Romance is also taking center stage, with a surprising connection developing between Fern and Stark. They’ve been playfully bickering from the start, but it wasn’t clear their relationship would become romantic. In Episode 3, Stark jokingly asked Fern on a date, expecting a rejection, but was shocked when she accepted. They went out in the following episode and really enjoyed themselves.

As the episode neared its end, Frieren, Fern, and Stark reached the Northern Plateau. Fern’s skill as a mage allowed them to pass through the checkpoint without issue. However, they were quickly ambushed by powerful monsters. It took the group three days of constant fighting and travel to finally reach an inn. The innkeeper offered them a room in exchange for defeating a monster that had been troubling the locals. They accepted, but underestimated the challenge. The monster seemed unfazed by their combined strength – even two skilled mages and a powerful warrior couldn’t easily defeat it. The trio had to work together seamlessly, something they hadn’t done in a long time, to finally overcome it. This encounter suggests the Northern Plateau will be a significant test of their abilities.

Fans Are Upset With The Episode Count

Even before the new season of Frieren started, I noticed a lot of fans were worried, and a big concern was the number of episodes. Ten episodes just seemed too short to some, especially since the first season had 28. It seemed like the animation studio, Madhouse, had to keep it brief because the original manga isn’t currently being updated. The manga has been on hold for months, and the studio likely didn’t want the anime to outpace it and cause delays for a potential third season.

Jujutsu Kaisen Isn’t Too Far Behind Frieren

Although Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 isn’t currently as popular as Frieren, it’s still a fantastic season – some even believe it’s better than the first two combined. This season adapts the highly anticipated Culling Game arc, delivering exciting battles and a compelling story. It’s important to note that this season will be split into two parts, with a total of 12 episodes. The first six episodes have already aired and have been very well-received by fans.

The anime has spent its time building up to the Culling Game, before Itadori Yuji and the other heroes travel to the colonies to compete. Tengen explained a lot to Itadori and his friends, but only if two of them stayed with him. Choso and Tsukumo volunteered to remain, allowing the others to pursue their individual goals.

The Preparation For the Culling Game Is Complete

Maki went to the Zenin clan’s treasury to find tools for the competition, but her father attacked her and left her for dead alongside Mai. Mai then made the ultimate sacrifice, removing all cursed energy from Maki, which unlocked her unique ability, Physically Gifted. This allowed Maki to defeat almost all of her clan, including Ogi and Naoya. After the battle, Maki left the Zenin clan grounds.

While Maki dealt with issues concerning the Zenin clan, Itadori and Megumi went to the Gachinko Fight Club to try and get Kinji Hakari to join them. Yuta had suggested Hakari might be interested if he knew Itadori was more powerful. Itadori needed to impress Hakari, and he did manage to find him, but someone soon discovered their connection to Jujutsu High. After a beating, Hakari finally agreed to help.

The Culling Game Will Decide The Fate Of Humanity

Those who’ve followed Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 know that Kenjaku’s ultimate goal, the Culling Game, is designed to forcefully evolve humanity. It’s now up to Yuji Itadori and his allies to stop him. While they’ve found some help, they must still enter the Culling Game to figure out how to prevent Kenjaku from achieving his plan.

The heroes also need to rescue Tsukimi from a terrible fate, as entering the Prison Realm would likely end her life. Beyond that, Gojo Satoru’s life is also at risk. Being trapped inside, he’s a significant loss for their team, so freeing him is crucial. Currently, the only way to do that is to persuade Angel to use her cursed technique. It remains to be seen if she’ll agree to help, but we should find out in future episodes.

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2026-02-11 21:39