Attack on Titan Tops Most Interesting Anime Poll In Japan, One Piece Fails To Make the List

Japanese ranking website Minna no Ranking recently published the results of a massive user poll (via Ranking.net) to decide the most interesting anime title of all time, placing Attack on Titan at the top, while One Piece, despite being one of the most popular anime in history, did not make the top 10.

The website is a community-driven database where users can vote and decide on various categories in the entertainment industry. The final rankings are determined entirely by cumulative user votes, aggregating the opinions of tens of thousands of anime fans across Japan.

The following are the anime in the top 10:

Attack on Titan Takes the Crown In Japan

Historia from Attack on Titan | Credit: Wit Studio

Among Japanese voters, the poll established Attack on Titan as the number one. The scale of this poll wasn’t small at all, featuring 55,647 participants who cast a total of 301,397 votes. In this, Attack on Titan maintained a big lead to secure the top rank. The anime, originally adapted by Wit Studio and later concluded by MAPPA, is well known for its adherence to the manga and consistent high-quality production.

Following Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia secured the second position on the list. Produced by Studio Bones, MHA has maintained steady popularity through its seasonal releases. Coming next at number three is none other than Jujutsu Kaisen, another MAPPA production. Thanks to its insane animation quality, gripping storyline, and global popularity, its third rank doesn’t surprise anyone.

There is another pattern that emerges when taking a closer look at these top three entries. All three anime utilized a seasonal production model rather than a continuous weekly broadcast. This approach allows animation studios to allocate higher budgets per episode and maintain a controlled production schedule. Furthermore, all 3 of these top 3 anime are action-heavy shows.

The Top 10 Breakdown: Why One Piece Missed the Cut

One Piece not being in the top 10 of this ranking is quite surprising. However, on a closer look, we can make a few speculations as to why that ended up being the case. One Piece is a weekly, continuous broadcast. To avoid overtaking the ongoing manga, the production studio, Toei Animation, frequently stretches single manga chapters across entire episodes, which gives birth to annoying pacing issues.

Among the top 10, most of the anime are the ones that have concluded their primary broadcast. The only two anime that are still going on are Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. But even among them, it’s worth noting that the manga for Jujutsu Kaisen has also concluded. This is another factor that we can consider as to why One Piece is not part of this ranking.

It seems like voters in this poll evaluated the quality of the anime itself, not the franchise as a whole. While the One Piece manga is an undisputed cultural pillar in Japan, the anime adaptation is frequently criticized for its slow progression. The anime has been going on for decades, and fans still have no idea how exactly Oda is sculpting the conclusion. It can be a major reason why many young fans tend to move away from the franchise sooner or later.

The contrast is sharp when placed next to anime like Attack on Titan or Jujutsu Kaisen, which adapt multiple chapters per episode to maintain the viewers’ attention. Moreover, in AoT’s case, every element in the story began to connect and move in a collective once it began heading to its conclusion, which is still lacking in the case of One Piece, even tho it has already entered its final saga.

That said, none can deny the fact that One Piece is a cultural phenomenon and is easily one of the best and most intricate anime series of all time. If the anime hadn’t gone on a hiatus for months, maybe it would have made the cut.

What are your personal top 10 anime of all time? Let us know in the comments.

One Piece is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, and so are Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen.