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While Naruto is often considered one of the most famous anime series all over the world, recent official poll data titled “Anime Global White Paper 2026” by GEM Partners (via PR Times) revealed that, despite its global popularity, it did not come under the top 10 popular anime titles in its native country, Japan.
As per the report, the most-viewed anime in Japan included Detective Conan, followed by One Piece, Demon Slayer, Pokémon, and Dragon Ball, while Naruto/Boruto is ranked 15th in the list of the most-viewed anime in Japan. Let us explore in detail.
Japan’s Official Ranking Shows Naruto Still Behind Major Rivals
The detailed poll data was published on the Japanese media platform PR Times. The report revealed that it surveyed over 15,000 individuals in 15 different nations over the period from 2020 to 2025, thus providing one of the broadest studies on anime viewership worldwide.
Naruto and Sasuke from a still. | Credit: Studio PierrotIn the nine major markets, which included Japan, China, the US, UK, South Korea, India, France, Germany, and Brazil, Naruto had an impressive performance in all markets. Below you can see Naruto‘s ranking in different countries as per the poll data.
| United States | 3 |
| China | 4 |
| India | 3 |
| France | 3 |
| Germany | 3 |
| Brazil | 2 |
However, in Japan, surprisingly, the same series only managed to get 15th place. This is something the report clearly mentioned, saying Naruto ranked high in other markets but not at home.
One Piece and Dragon Ball Continue Their Grip on Japan
According to the same report, both One Piece and Dragon Ball, on the other hand, are still enjoying consistent popularity in Japan due to their TV shows, movies, merchandise, and so on.
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Credit: Shueisha
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Credit: Shueisha
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One Piece, which was created by Eiichiro Oda, was already huge in Japan and has recently grown into an even bigger global cultural export. The recent live-action adaptation performed strongly on Netflix globally. Adding to that, frequent anime episode releases of the Elbaf arc and the ongoing buzz of the final saga in manga probably ensured its massive popularity within Japan.
Similarly, Dragon Ball has managed to retain its relevance for decades, thanks to its spin-off series and special episodes, making it a household name in Japan. All these things partly explain why Naruto, despite its legendary status worldwide, could not outshine these two in its own country.
Naruto Remains Huge Worldwide Despite Boruto Fatigue
From the beginning, Masashi Kishimoto’s series has inspired millions of fans and managed to become an introductory title for lots of anime fans worldwide. Thus, despite failing to overtake both One Piece and Dragon Ball in Japan, in terms of ranking in the newest poll, its global influence remains impossible to ignore.
Naruto and Boruto from a still. | Image Credits: Studio PierrotAlso, it should be noted that, although Boruto still has its own dedicated fanbase, it did not manage to create a similar kind of craze as the original series or its follow-up series, Naruto Shippuden. Thus, it might have impacted the franchise’s performance in Japan in comparison to its competitors.
Meanwhile, it should also be kept in mind that in many markets around the world, anime catalogues used to be rather limited and focused on mainstream titles. Thus, Naruto had a lot of benefits in terms of accessibility.
On the other hand, the Japanese anime market has always been much more competitive, and the country’s domestic viewers get acquainted with multiple titles each year. Apart from the anime popularity ranking, the report also provided information on anime market penetration at the country level, with Japan coming on top, followed by China and India.
The US failed to be among the top three countries. This demonstrates how fast the Asian markets are dominating the anime space. The GEM Partners’ report also revealed that when it comes to anime streaming services, in Japan, YouTube dominates, while for other regions such as India, the US, Brazil, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Netflix leads. However, in China, the main platform for anime watching is bilibili.
Why was Naruto rated lower in Japan compared to abroad?
In Japan, there is a highly competitive market for anime, comprising established series such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, and new popular titles; meanwhile, many foreign nations viewed Naruto as the first step into anime.
What was Naruto‘s rating in Japan according to the Anime Global White Paper 2026?
The anime ranked 15th among all titles airing in Japan, as revealed by the report.
Is Naruto one of the largest anime franchises across the world?
It is. Despite its lower rating in Japan, Naruto is definitely one of the major anime franchises worldwide, enjoyed both in the United States, India, France, Germany, and Brazil.
So, now the big question – do you think Naruto deserves to rank higher in Japan than One Piece or Dragon Ball? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are both currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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