Anime Revolution: New Champion Overtakes Jujutsu Kaisen in Japan’s Rankings

Anime enthusiasts in Japan have declared a fresh champion in the realm of fist-fighting anime, and to the surprise of some, it isn’t the popular series Jujutsu Kaisen.

Recent findings from a survey conducted by AnimeAnime reveal the most beloved fist-fighters in the anime world. Unfortunately for Jujutsu Kaisen, this survey adds to a growing list of unexpected defeats the series has faced this year. Yet, in this instance, the winner is less of a shock given their formidable reputation.

Conducted between May 9 and May 14, the AnimeAnime survey posed the question, “Who are your favorite characters who fight with their fists?” The survey garnered participation from 660 anime fans, with around 55% being male and a similar percentage under the age of 30. Dominating the list, unsurprisingly, is Saitama from One Punch Man. Known for his unparalleled ability to vanquish any foe with just a single punch, Saitama’s victory in this poll seemed almost inevitable.

The Top 10 Strikers in Anime According to AnimeAnime’s Latest Survey

Image via J.C Staff

1. Saitama (One-Punch Man)
2. Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star)
3. Yuji Itadori (Jujutsu Kaisen)
4. Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
5. Ran Mouri (Detective Conan)
6. Akaza (Demon Slayer)
7. Anpanman (Anpanman)
8. Makoto Kyogoku (Detective Conan)
9. Mash Burnedead (Mashle)
10. Gon Freecs (HUNTER×HUNTER) and Haruka Sakura (WIND BREAKER)

This new AnimeAnime survey was conducted from May 9 to May 14, and asked participants, “Who are your favorite characters who fight with their fists?” The survey drew responses from 660 people, with approximately 55% of respondents male and about the same percentage under 30. Unsurprisingly, the number one spot on the list went to One Punch Man‘s Saitama, who is effectively known solely for crushing any and every opponent with a single strike.

In second place on the list is Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, who is also another blatantly obvious, if objectively correct, choice for one of the survey’s top spots. Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Yuji Itadori appears at the number three spot on the list, which is still plenty more than enough to beat out competition such as One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy and HUNTERxHUNTER‘s Gon Freecss.

The AnimeAnime fist-fighters survey is just the latest that Jujutsu Kaisen has failed to claim the top spot this year, much to the surprise of fans of the franchise. March saw Jujutsu Kaisen manga sales fall well behind One Piece, as did every other title released that same month, when One Piece Vol. 114 sold more than 612,629 units inside just its first few weeks in stores.

In April, Jujutsu Kaisen lost the top spot on the manga sales ranking for the United States, being beat out by Chainsaw Man Vol. 20. Although Jujutsu Kaisen didn’t make its way to the top of that particular list, it did manage to claim half of the top 20 spots in total, far beyond what it needed to confirm its staying power in spite of such hot competition.

The one major loss Jujutsu Kaisen suffered this year, which came as a genuine shock to many fans, wasthe recent “Top Battle Anime” survey conducted by AnimeAnime in early May. While Jujutsu Kaisen tied for second place with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Dragon Ball, the number one battle anime, as decided by fans, was the wildly underrated Bungo Stray Dogs.

Video Game(s)

Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash

First TV Show

Jujutsu Kaisen

Cast

Junya Enoki, Yuma Uchida, Yuichi Nakamura, Asami Seto, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Adam McArthur, Robbie Daymond, Lex Lang (English), Jun’ichi Suwabe, Kaiji Tang

Created by

Gege Akutami

First Episode Air Date

October 3, 2020