Bleach Officially Loses Its Throne as Japan Crowns Its Top Anime Series of Summer 2026

After four action-packed years, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is finally nearing the release of its fourth and final saga: The Calamity. However, Bleach’s upcoming finale has officially been dethroned as Japan’s highest anticipated anime of Summer 2026.

The Japan-based marketing research group, CM Site Co. Ltd, recently conducted a survey asking anime fans to name which titles they were most looking forward to from the upcoming Summer 2026 season. The results were recently published by Ranking! — a Japanese site dedicated to media and pop culture.

From a pool consisting of 2,452 participants, the vast majority highlighted Science Saru’s upcoming reboot of Ghost in the Shell — an iconic science-fiction franchise initially conceived by manga artist Masamune Shirow. The top five winners from CM Site’s survey are listed below.

Ghost in the Shell Reboot Tops Bleach Final Season as Japan’s Most Anticipated Summer 2026 Anime

1. Ghost in the Shell (2026)
2. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4: The Calamity (alternatively titled as Bleach: Millennium Blood War Arc)
3. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3
4. The Elusive Samurai Season 2
5. From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Season 2

While Bleach performed relatively well, securing 110 votes and a second-place spot, Ghost in the Shell received 115 votes. Initially announced in May 2024, the latter work is a brand-new interpretation of Shirow’s titular manga series directed by Toma Kimura (alternatively credited as “Mokochan”).

A cyberpunk-style take on a futuristic civilization, Ghost in the Shell centers on a society where cyborgs and robots live alongside regular people. Additionally, human beings now freely wander the vast virtual universe of the internet through avatars known as “Ghosts.” In the heart of New Port City, a cybernetically advanced police agent named Motoko Kusanagi works to track down dangerous cybercriminals and tech-terrorists who have exploited the system’s weaknesses.

Motoko’s most elusive — and dangerous — target is “The Puppeteer” — a cyberhacker who specializes in tampering with the “ghosts” that tether human beings to cyberspace. The series’ unique universe and provocative existential themes have earned it a special place in the hearts of anime fans, leading to numerous follow-ups to Mamoru Oshii’s original 1995 anime film. The most recent series adaptation, Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2013), concluded its run in 2015 with the release of its cinematic finale, Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie.

As with past CM Site surveys, participants were allowed to submit comments to accompany their votes. “I’m happy to see that futuristic feel in modern animation,” commented one voter. Drawing attention to the work’s iconic female protagonist, another voter stated that they “want to experience the coolness of Motoko Kusanagi again.”

In addition to longtime fans, the comment pool also reflected the perspectives of newcomers who, having acknowledged Ghost in the Shell’s historic legacy, are eager to experience itfor the first time. “It’s a famous work,” one voter declared. “So I want to take this opportunity to watch it.”

Ghost in the Shell (2026) is slated to premiere on July 7, 2026. Viewers outside Japan will be able to stream the new series exclusively on Prime Video. Masamune Shirow’s original Ghost in the Shell manga is also available in English from Kodansha USA.