Summary

• Record of Ragnarok beats Demon Slayer as the top anime on Netflix in 2023.
• Vinland Saga takes third place in Netflix's top anime ranking, showing the popularity of newer releases.
• Netflix's top ten anime includes a mix of genres, reflecting a wide variety of successful offerings for viewers.

The viewing figures for Netflix in 2023 have been revealed, revealing the number one anime was Record in Ragnarok - not Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The dark fantasy martial arts series saw a major resurgence in interest with the release of its second season. Tanjiro Kamado and his friends took the second place ranking, though they were still far ahead of many other anime.

Record of Ragnarok first released its anime on Netflix in 2021, though the second season debuted in two parts within 2023. It is based on the manga of the same name by Shinya Umemura, Takumi Fukui, and Azychika. The anime adaptation was produced by Graphinica for the first season and Yumeta Company for the second.

The series is centered around a tournament, called Ragnarok, which will determine if humanity survives the judgment of the gods. If the Einherjar, humanity's champions, can defeat the gods in a set amount of matches, mankind will be spared. Combining Norse mythology with a martial arts tournament has proven to be a victorious move for the series.

Record of Ragnarok, Demon Slayer, & Vinland Saga Make Netflix's Top 3 Anime in 2023

ComicBook shared Netflix's top ten anime ranking, which is based on statistics marking viewership per hour. The rankings reveal a close race was held between Record of Ragnarok and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba last year among viewers. The top five series also included Vinland Saga, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, and Oshi no Ko. While the those three rated very close to one another, the viewership of the top two was double, creating a large gap in the viewing statistics. Nonetheless, these are all impressive numbers revealing that anime is garnering a large following not just for classic or most popular series, but also for newer releases in the industry.

The lower half of the top ten ranking includes Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure, Chainsaw Man, Hell's Paradise, and One Punch Man. Chainsaw Man and One Punch Man have been staples among viewers for a little while now, arising as fan-favorite series. Of special note is the Netflix Original anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners which has continued to prove itself popular despite not having news about any future expansions to it. Released in September 2022, it was named Crunchyroll's 2023 Anime of the Year in March 2023, and maintained its viewership over the course of 2023. Contrarily, the anime adaptation of Hell's Paradise just began in April 2023, making it a newcomer alongside Oshi no Ko.

Netflix Anime Success Not Limited By Genre or Age

Netflix's top ten anime for 2023 are a mixed bag of mainly newer series, reflecting an embracing of new releases. The streaming service offers several classic and globally popular anime, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, One Piece, Inuyasha, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, none of which cracked the top ten for the past year. Seinen and Shonen series have made the rankings, along with a variety of lead characters, goals, and genres. From mysteries to futuristic sci-fi, historical fiction to martial arts action, anime is doing well on Netflix, providing viewers with a wide variety of successful offerings. Though Record of Ragnarok may not have been expected to take the top slot in viewership for Netflix, it is a well-earned achievement, suring Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Record of Ragnarok is available to watch on Netflix.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

Source: ComicBook.com