The Winter Season 2026 has begun in the Anime industry, and some major series are back. One of the newcomers even takes the top spot among the greatest animes of all time, surpassing itself.
Which anime is it about? In this season, Frieren kicks off its 2nd season. The anime follows an elven mage who wants to journey to the end of the world, accompanied by several people she wants to get to know better.
Many years ago, she undertook a similar journey and regrets to this day that she didn’t spend more time with her human companions.
How successful is it? On the rating platform MyAnimeList, fans can rate all animes. Shortly after its release, Frieren landed at the top of the list of the best animes, leaving hits like Full Metal Alchemist behind.
Many fans were upset that Frieren did not win the award for the best anime in 2025. The award went to Solo Leveling instead.
However, on MyAnimeList, users still have a clear favorite. There is now an anime that replaces Frieren as the best anime two years after the release of the last episode of Season 1.
Frieren lands at the top of the best animes but also at 2nd place
What is it all about? On the rating platform, each season is rated separately. Since the 1st episode of Season 2 has now been released, fans could submit their ratings for the episode. Here it shows: With over 330,000 votes, Season 2 of Frieren holds a rating of 9.33 out of 10 stars (as of January 19, 2026, at 1:00 PM).
Since the 1st season is rated with 9.28 stars, it currently sits in 2nd place. A similar picture is also emerging on IMDb. The entire anime is rated 8.9 out of 10 stars. The first episode of Season 2, on the other hand, receives 9.0 points, making it rated better than the entire anime.
However, it must be said that over a million votes were cast for Season 1, while only one episode of Season 2 has been released so far. So it can still change that the placement alters and Season 2 drops in the ranking.
Why is episode 1 so well received? In the comments, viewers praise the animation quality and how beautiful the storytelling is, especially in the flashbacks. Additionally, Frieren maintains its cozy vibe, and it feels like returning home.
A fan recently attempted to draw Frieren from another perspective. This resulted in a legendary meme that even reached the voice actress: Fans of Frieren witness the birth of a new meme, and even the voice actress joins in
