Crunchyroll has today become the biggest platform for fans of anime to stream their favorite series or rewatch cult classics from previous generations. 2026 has been a big year for the platform, with the launch of many new and exciting anime series, and a host of others on the way. Crunchyroll always updates its list of the most popular anime reigning on the platform based on how much love they receive from fans, and the current fan favorite has turned out to be none other than The Suitor: Beyond Journey's End.
The Suitor Season 2 ended a few months ago, but despite this, fans are still watching this exciting, magical fantasy story. Based on the latest Crunchyroll rankings, Frieren is still on top despite newer series hitting the platform. With more content confirmed to be on the way, Frieren will continue to stand out from the rest, and with the amazing performance it delivered this year, we think it could even be Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year 2027. Excitement will only continue to grow as 2027 marks the release of The Suitor: Beyond Journey's End Season 3.
Crunchyroll officially confirms Frieren Season 2 as its most popular anime of 2026 so far
Crunchyroll is a massive American entertainment company that was founded on May 9, 1994. The platform specifically focuses on streaming anime series, and it has clearly grown to become immensely popular over time. Today, the streaming platform has become a giant, and it is home to thousands of anime series, ranging from trendy Shonen like One Piece to more niche anime. With so many series hosted there, the platform has revealed what anime is trending or popular right now. Today, we can clearly see the dominance of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 on the platform, and this dominance is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Suitor: Beyond Journey's Endlike most anime series, began as a manga. Written by Tsukasa Abe and Kanehito Yamada, the story began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday Issue #22-23 on April 28, 2020. The manga story is still ongoing despite the hiatus, and its anime adaptation by Madhouse took off on September 29, 2023, with the release of the first TV IP anime season. Its second season began airing on January 16, 2026 and ended on March 27, 2026, and despite having even fewer episodes, it was a huge hit.
Even though The Bachelor Season 2 aired 3 months ago, the show's popularity on Crunchyroll doesn't waver, rising to the top spot. The suitor leaves no room for newer series to rise, despite massive releases airing every week. This shows the fans' love for this melancholic, magical story.
Japan's biggest new gen manga officially beats One Piece in sales
In the first half of 2026, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga has been beaten by a popular new generation manga in sales.
The Suitor season 2 reignited excitement for viewers, and it could be the anime of the year in 2027
The Suitor Season 1 is what put the series on the map, but Season 2 was also a hit, rekindling many fans' enthusiasm for this melancholic story after a two-year absence. The Suitor Season 1 is still the highest rated anime on MAL, and until the second season was attacked with bots to lower its ratings, it was actually the second highest rated series of all time, showing how beloved the story is globally.
The Frieren Season 2 has proven to be so popular that we are sure it has a great chance to be the Anime of the Year for the Crunchyroll platform in 2027. Since it had aired in 2026, it is eligible for the Anime of the Year award at the Crunchyroll Awards 2027. This year, The Frieren showcased great direction and a great story and a great story. Importantly, create a dedicated fan base ready to vote for it if it gets nominated. Next year, Frieren's chance to win after failing to secure the title in 2025 may be due to Solo Leveling's big win.
The Bachelor Season 3 is officially coming in 2027 to dominate Crunchyroll once again
Both seasons of The Friar were incredible to watch, and Studio Madhouse is not keeping up with the IP at all. That's why, after season 2, we were all extremely excited to learn that Frieren season 3 is already underway. Madhouse revealed that Frieren Season 3 will officially arrive in October 2027. An exact release date has not been set yet, but more information may soon be revealed at Anime Expo 2026, which is scheduled to be held this month. At least it's coming in October, which means we still have over a year to wait for the new release.
We can't wait for what's to come in this brilliant story, especially as it enters the Golden Land Arc. The Suitor has definitely become more than just your average fantasy series, easily standing as one of the biggest hits of the 2020s.
All episodes of Frieren season 1 and 2 are available to watch on Crunchyroll.
