Netflix has been into anime for years, not just adding well-known ones but also making its own. 2023 is a big year for them, adding new anime like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Black Clover: Sword of The Wizard King, and Pluto, and also doing some live-action adaptations.
Last week (on December 12), Netflix shared viewing data from January to June 2023, listing the most-watched anime. Popular anime like Baki and Seven Deadly Sins are there, but the most-watched isn’t the most famous one. There’s an underrated masterpiece with the most watch hours on Netflix.
Vinland Saga is The Most-Watched Anime on Netflix Worldwide in 2023
Netflix’s big report called “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report” was released on December 12, 2023. It’s a huge collection of data, including information on 18,000 titles, representing 99% of all viewing on Netflix, and almost 100 billion hours viewed, according to the site.
AnimeNewsNetwork listed the top 20 most-watched anime from January to June 2023. They separated them into two categories: “available worldwide” and “not available worldwide.”
In the “globally available” category (anime that’s available worldwide on Netflix), some popular ones made it to the top 20. This includes various seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and several Baki entries. Baki Season 1 Part 1 had the most views, with 18.8 million hours in these Baki entries.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement secured the second spot with 22,000,000 hours viewed. It’s noteworthy that an underrated anime masterpiece, Vinland Saga, claimed the first position, surpassing all others in Netflix’s top anime list. The top ranker was Vinland Saga: Season 1, with a whopping 49,300,000 hours viewed, more than double the second place.
Another list ranks Vinland Saga: Season 2 among the top 5 in the “NOT globally available series” with 55,100,000 hours viewed, indicating that this masterpiece is expected to be a hit in 2024 with its season 3.
Also Read: Mushoku Tensei is More Similar to Vinland Saga Than Fans Might Think
Demon Slayer is The Most-Watched Anime on Netflix This Year With an Incredible Number of Hours Viewed
This list shows most watched anime series that are available on Netflix globally. Another list includes anime not on Netflix worldwide. In this list, Demon Slayer tops the chart with 95.8 million hours viewed on the Unwavering Resolve Arc.
Record of Ragnarok Season 2 is close behind at 78.2 million hours, and three entries from The Seven Deadly Sins franchise made the chart: The Seven Deadly Sins with 31.9 million hours, Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments with 27.3 million hours, and The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of The Gods with 24 million hours.
However, Demon Slayer is making a big comeback in 2024 with a fourth season and a new movie. After the Swordsmith Village Arc, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and friends will face the Hashira Training Arc, where the Demon Slayer Corps’ strongest members test them. It’s an exciting time for fans as they anticipate the upcoming developments in the anime series.
