Anime has had another massively successful year, producing hit after hit that spawned endless excitement and brought countless new eyes to the art form. Following a 2023 that saw the industrygenerate record-breaking revenue,anime continued its momentum and seemingly unending rise in popularity in 2024. Some series continued long and celebrated runs with new seasons, while newcomers stepped onto the scene and took the anime world by storm.
A boost in accessibility was also felt throughout the year, as certain shows found their way onto popular platforms like Netflix and Hulu, delivering anime to viewerswho might otherwise have never sought it out. To cap off the eventful year,a new poll was released by MyAnimeList, ranking the most popular series on their site. As it turns out,Solo Levelingtook the top spot by a wide margin, while the rest of the list is predictably dominated by shōnen action and isekai.
While some entries may be unsurprising to fans, what is surprising are some of the quality shows that didn’t quite make the cut. The results of the poll show that many of its entries finished relatively close to one another, though the top spot was taken by an exciting, new anime, and nothing else was really close. There will be stiff competition heading into 2025, but over the last year,Solo Levelingwas far and away the most popular series on the site.
2024’s Most Popular Ranking Features Both Expected and Unexpected Results
Both New and Familiar Names Feature Prominently in the Most Popular List
2024 was a year that was dominated by a few different anime series. Though no matter how much buzz a show might have generated, according to MyAnimeList,none even came close to the popularity ofSolo Leveling. A newcomer to the scene, the anime based on the original Korean web novel by Chugongroped fans in with incredible animation and exciting action, and never let them go. Finishing the year with north of 800,000 viewers on the site,Solo Levelingwon the number one spot comfortably.
With Season Two of the acclaimed anime having just premiered at the start of 2025,chances are the series will dominate this year’s popularity rankings as well, though it won’t be without competition.Dandadan, another new series and perhaps the most discussed anime on social media, finished in third place andis also gearing up for its second season this year. Science SARU knocked it out of the park with the adaptation’s first season, offering highly stylized visuals and breakneck pacing, and the series' follow-up is highly anticipated by anime fans.
What makesDandadan’s placement extremely impressive is that it only aired during the fall season,having the least amount of time to garner viewers on the siteof all the entries on the list. For comparison,Solo Leveling’s first season debuted in January 2024, whileDandadanpremiered in October. Entries also include expected names likeDemon Slayerat second, andKonosubaandMushoku Tenseiin the fifth and sixth spots respectively. Other notable series likeKaiju no.8andDelicious in Dungeonalso enjoyed great success in their debut years.
A Few Popular Series Didn’t Make the Cut
Popular Anime Didn’t Make It, But For Good Reason
While many of the series to be featured in MyAnimeList’s most popular of 2024 are expected to be there, a few massively popular anime didn’t quite make the cut. Fans will noticea lack ofBleach: Thousand-Year Blood WarandRe:Zeroon the list, despite the massive popularity that both have. However, this is hardly an indictment on either show’s quality or following. Of the 10 series listed, only two premiered after the end of the spring season.
In a poll such as this one from MyAnimeList, that ranks based on how many of its site’s users have watched a series,those that released earlier in the year have an innate advantage. In fact, it may be more impressive that any series which debuted following the spring was able to crack the top 10.Dandadancoming in third is only a testament to how popular the anime was on release.
10 Best Solo Leveling Season 1 Fights, Ranked
Solo Leveling season 1 delivered many great Jin-Woo fights, including Kang Taeshik, Blue-Venomed Fang Kasaka, and Cerberus.
2024 was another huge year for anime, and its top-ranked series are only a fraction of the incredible shows that were released. Fans should keep on the lookout forSolo LevelingandDandadanto continue their success through 2025, though new seasons from series likeMy Hero AcademiaandOne Punch Manwill make tough competition for any anime aspiring to reach the top spot.
Solo Leveling
Cast
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
