Anime Winter 2026 Weekly Ranking January 16th to January 22nd
Jan. 16, 2026
Ranking for anime episodes released Jan. 16, 2026 to Jan. 22, 2026
Seems I will be leaving for Japan next week. I'll do my best to stay updated, but forgive me if I fall behind some.
S: Must Watch
Episodes I believe you must watch or are missing out on.
1. Trigun Stargaze. Ep.2
SUMMARY
Is that Ano singing the opening?
Seems the convoy is facing issues of their own and Vash is the one that can help. Unfortunately, the man playing the piano is Vash, or what remains of the person we once knew.
I know I'm supposed to care for Vash here, but Hoppered was sensational. Such incredible writing, to think the woman he cared for was killed in the aftermath of Julai, a disaster with Vash near its center. The despair and anger in his voice was fantastic, and he may have gotten his revenge by keeping Vash in the cruel world that took everything from him.
Vash has returned, though to the news that his home is under attack. With his return, I'm sure Meryl is off to find him and hit him a few times. That's not the real scoop however, Wolfwood is back! He may also be dead, but he was back!
9/10, WHY IS THE MUSIC SO GOOD AND WHEN CAN I LISTEN TO THE OST?
2. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2. Ep.1
SUMMARY
Being greeted by that wonderful soundtrack was just what I needed, it's good to be back with this incredible anime.
The journey to Ende continues, but it seems the biggest challenge facing the crew at the moment are funds! Along their travels, they are sent into a cave filled to the brim with the magic nullifying crystal. It's difficult to mine, even Stark can't make a dent in it.
As the girls are powerless in this cave, it's up to Stark to protect them. I know Stark doesn't think highly of himself, but the guy is way more capable than he believes; unfortunately the dragon that approaches them is a bad match up and he grabs the girls as we get sent to a flashback.
It's incredible how good of a character Himmel is. Every single time he is on the screen he steals the episode with ease, and it is no different here. Even the hero group faced challengers, but they were a team and stuck together, a great parallel to where Frieren finds herself today, in the company of people she can trust once more.
Even a team that trusts each other has their awkward stints, though we don't get the resolution to this just yet as we run into Wirbel! Wirbel brings up his offer once more, but Stark rejects the idea. His reason for being in the party is because of what they mean to him, and how they helped him during his roughest period.
It's difficult to describe the smile the writing in this anime gives me. All I can say is that it is a joy to watch and I am very happy we get more of it so soon.
9.3/10, yes Even Call, I would like more delicious OST please
3. Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1. Ep.3
SUMMARY
Yea, we've been waiting for this one.
Maki has had a terrible relationship with her family forever, but I think her mother's words were the worst I have ever heard from a mother in a long time. She may not be the worst parent however, Maki is defeated by her father and dragged away alongside Mai to be devoured by curses.
I enjoy JJK, it's not my favorite, but it is a lot of fun. One thing I do wish we got more of was scenes between Mai and Maki. Maki is a fan favorite, and the relationship between her and Mai is one of, if the best, dynamics in the entire series. Now that I think about, JJK is stellar in writing sibling relationships.
Mai sacrifices herself to allow Maki to grow stronger. And so, we have the return of the the Zenin clan's greatest terror. After Maki kills Ogi the entire Zenin clan is sent to kill her, and so is their fate written. I don't know how Mappa has done it; this was a massacre in the manga, and it is somehow even worse in the animation, I love it.
Just when we thought the fight against the peons was nice, Maki turns it up a notch for the named characters of the Zenin clan. This culminates into a fight against Naoya who doesn't hold back.Maki takes victory by adjusting to the frame technique, but it is her mother that deals the killing blow. In the end, she couldn't keep her love to herself.
9.5/10, it feels good when source material is done justice.
4. Sentenced to Be a Hero. Ep.3
SUMMARY
Xylo and the team are back and make it in time to save the trapped miners from a Faerie attack.
Tatsuya, Xylo, and Norgalle make for a great team together. Unfortunately for them, trouble seeks them out and they are forced on the defensive before tehy can even get the miners moving. This gives us another great scene of the king himself, I find it really hard to not glaze this guy to no ends after he delcares that his own life is worthlesss campared to that of the people of his kingdom. I love this guy.
Norgalle continues to be the best character in the show and inspires the miners back to their feet. Although they have been inspired, another onslaught from the faeires drives them into a corner until Teoritta arrives.
The deaths of his old team keep Xylo hesitant to make use of Teoritta. It saddens me that it has affected him as much as it has, though Teoritta has found a way past this by forcing him to protect her instaead of pushing her away. He agress to this, and just in time as the final boss arrives.
The source of the demon lord blight is demon lord Lotus who uses sound to drive their targets near insanity. Tatsuya has long since been here however and chargers forwad with some back up from Xylo, Teoritta, and the king himself.
Victory comes at a heavy price after the useless knights show up. King Norgalle loses a leg and almost his life, though he could be revived I don't want him to lose any more of himself. I'm glad at least one person thanked Xylo and the team, maybe this could be the start of him relying on others once more.
9/10, I WOULD DIE FOR HIS MAJESTY!
A: Very Good
Good episodes, anime I would recommend to someone looking for something to watch.
5. Hell's Paradise Season 2. Ep.2
SUMMARY
Oh man!!!! I have so much good to say about the fight. Before that, it's interesting to see how Gabimaru of the village is indoctrinated into being nothing more than a weapon who is willing to die for the mission. We get a s snippet of hope with the spirit of his wife appearing, but it is not enough as these two go back into the fight more than ready to die.
The fight ends as Mei destroys the ground before Gabimaru can land a finishing blow to his confused opponent. Choubei is sent away for the time being, leaving Touma behind with Gabimaru's crew as the mam himself is on the brink of death. But the real surprise? It's Nel! Or, Mei has grown by a few, or maybe many years.
Not all is bad however, Sagiri and Gabimaru's group reunite by chance and do some quick cathcing up. There have been deaths, and betrayal which leads to immediate tension only quelled becuase of Gabimaru's less than stellar state.
Sagiri realizing that somehting is off about Gabumaru's memories was great. Their journey has changed their relationship, and even if we may never get more from this, it is very nice to see this side of Sagiri, and even nicer to have Gabimaru back.
Yuzuriha mentions the possibility of Gabimaru's wife not existing. He counters this however, remembering small details that may seem insignificant to others, but to him, and myself, they are the proof of existence. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET HER BE REAL. I'M BEGGIN YOU! PLEASE LET YUI BE REAL!!!!!!!
9/10, YUI IS REAL I DONT CARE WHAT YOU SAY!
![[Oshi No Ko] Season 3](https://efvedablogbucket.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/images/oshiNoKo.jpg)
6. [Oshi No Ko] Season 3. Ep.2
SUMMARY
I was wrong about the OP my bad. Speaking of the opening however, the song is good but what are those visuals man? They're jaw drpoping, wow.
We get to see more of dark Ruby to start off the episode. Turns out she's been visiting the guy and taking his advice to grow in popularity. With his advice, she continues to not only grow herself, but builds connections that will work in her favor in the future.
Director what's his face has some misled ideas about cosplayers and the community. While it is true that many use their looks for money, a larger part of the community does it for the love of the game. I'm sure there are some that would be willing to participate, but we may have to rely on some who aren't cosplayers in this case like Ruby.
I felt bad for Shun this episode. He's being worked to death with a very difficult and arrogant director over him. Furthermore, he's got Ruby manupulating him for her own mission. I'd be very interested to see if he becomes a recurring character under the control of Ruby's strings. But, for now, Ruby has succeeded in manipulating him as she wishes.
8.8/10, just when I thought the opeing was fantastic, we get an ending that is just as good. Wonderful job.
7. Digimon Beatbreak. Ep.15
SUMMARY
The mushroom squad has had it rough since facing the glowing dawn. Revenge drives the leader of the troupe to summon a new partner, Redvegimon! And they head off for the hunt.
After finding the glowing dawn's secret base, they begin their plan to cold heart each of the members. I think it's a messed up plan, and the other two members of the mushroom squad think the same. The main crew of partner digimon are captured before Tomoro is also grabbed, though I'm not sure if the guy is even aware of what is going on or if he was knocked out.
You know, I think the baby digimon should have been givem more of a chance. If anyone has ever played digimon dawn/dusk - some of my all time favorite digimon games by the way - then you'll remember the end game tournament you can join where one of the participants has a killer baby digimon on the team, I still have nightmares about it to this day.
Back to the anime! Poyomon starts launching himself like the hardest piece off dough to ever exist and becomes my favorite digimon of the series after his little cute roar of power. DO IT POYOMON! Well, he can only do so much but he has inspired the others to rally and bring Geckomon back into action.
8/10, everyone deserves a second chance
B: Good/Solid
8. The Darwin Incident. Ep.3
SUMMARY
What's the word for Charlie, emotionless? Apathetic maybe?
Eva was left a husk of herself after giving birth. Charlie doesn't care much for her, which is saddening in a way, it makes what is left of Eva even more tragic. Does she still have some of her old cognitive ability left? We may learn in time.
Lucy wondering if she should become vegan at dinner with Charlie's family and the following answers were interesting. Becoming Vegan won't end the suffering of animals since a plethora of other items used by humans require the sacrifice of humans, but is lessening their suffering by a miniscule amount still worth it? For some maybe so.
Despite Charlie being a humanzee, they are just a normal family, but I don't think his room is dirty at all. Of course, being a humanzee, Charlie has some physical capability that is above a regular human and I love how it is shown with the home invasion. The sound design on his strikes in particular were very well done; who trained him in combat?
Lucy's mom forbid her from interacting with Charlie after the event. I understand why she would feel worried, though her distaste for Charlie is unwarranted, he's just a guy.
Calling him just a guy may be selling it short however. The Heterosis idea could make him an even stronger than I first believed. And, with him finding those that attacked his home with ease, it is clear that unrestrained he could be dangerous. But, would he lose control? That is difficult to say.
8/10, he is a humanzee not a monkey!
9. The Holy Grail of Eris. Ep.3
SUMMARY
Time for another party! Before that, Constance is beginning to change as she realizes that sincerity won't work if she wants to survive in this cruel world. I'm a little sad about this since she is a sweetheart, but this could be the beginning of a new Constance capable of protecting herself.
Before this party, we break into Scarlett's old home. We see her brother here, and learn of her lineage that once dominated an empire before falling. Finding Scarlett's mask was the reason for this mission, though I like to think Scarlett missed home as well.
Now at the ball, Eris enjoys some treats before the party is raided for human trafficking. Instead of fleeing, Constance tries to save another party goer who falls and injures themselves. Even if she has thrown some of her sincerity away, she can't change completely. Scarlett helps by using magic to stop a soldier grabbing her, but it is Randolph that saves her. In return, Constance gets engaged!
We get to meet the crown prince and his wife here. Cess has a very bright and cheerful personality, but there has to be more that we are not seeing of her if she played any part in the death of Scarlett. We get a glimpse of another personality here, and Scarlett''s retelling allows us to to see how their relationship went sour in an instant.
7.5/10, I wonder if the king will become an ally here
C: It's ok/ Fine
These are shows I happen to pick up but struggle to finish. Still watchable, but not without a good break in between episodes.
10. Chained Soldier Season 2. Ep.3
SUMMARY
Time for some coed training. Yuuki won't be participating to start, so it's nothing but eye candy for the audience, unless Yuuki is more your type that is. The girls are all giving it their all in their training, but it's the captains that show off the difference in skill they posses as leaders.
All the hard training is possible due a healing ability possessed by Kaiko. Nei wishes she could have an ability like this one but receives some much needed encouragement that boosts her confidence on just how useful her ability as well.
While everyone bathes, Yakumo takes the chance to ask Yuuki some questions. Yuuki stays loyal for some reason, but the guy is going to be loaned out more often as the season goes on it seems. His form with Yakumo gives him wings, and might be the coolest looking of the bunch so far.
Now for the discussion that matters as Yuuki receives his reward. Is this season beating the fake Ecchi allegations. Well, maybe? We're certainly not afraid to get spicy this season, so I'll give it that. The spicy moments have much better animation as well; this did great in the skin ship though I think the voice actress did very as well. I'll say that at the moment, yes, yes it is.
7/10, Yakumo has the best spicy scenes so far, justice for Tenka!
11. There was a Cute Girl in the Hero's Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her. Ep.3
SUMMARY
Even a man from the group of heroes is not immune to rejection. I thought it could be happiness, I'll give him some points for good taste here.
As Happiness has rejected Raven, Yoki is on a mission to discover why she has said no. This mission takes him to Kramen who is recovering from a deserved beating. He's married to the one and only Sophia! What a lucky guy, injuries and pain are worth life alongside your dream girl.
It's only natural to be down in the dumps after being rejected. Yoki encourages Raven to not give up so soon, we're moving onto to plan B in the quest for love! We meet Mikana here, and though I beleive she will be a villian at a point in the story, even she is facing troubles with love.
The conversations with Mikana and Yoki inspire Raven to try once more, giving us a cute scene of him giving Happiness a gift to end the episode. These two are cute, so I hope we see them together soon.
7/10, Kramen you lucky man!
12. Scum of the Brave. Ep.2
SUMMARY
We get more into the abilities of the Brave through Yoshiro this episode. The abilities aren't free, for the man himself it makes his thoughts far more violent though the exchange is fair for the power he gets.
Onto the mission to save Sara, we see that Yoshiro has experience necessary for the youth at his side at the moment. Using Ino's rampage to sneak in, Yoshiro and Aki make their way though the base to fight the demon lord hidden deep within. The lackeys aren't trouble, though they serve to give us a hint of Aki's ability.
Now against the demon lord of spiky vines, Yoshiro has the advantage to start off. His abilities give him the huge advantage of time to keep it simple, and his opponent is as outmatched as his subordinates. Still, a sudden burst of strength leaves Yoshiro on the brink of death after saving the girls. It's not a bad way to go, but Aki won't let that happen today!
6.5/10, Aki can read minds though I wonder if they will use this in interesting ways
D: Do Not Recommend
Shows I do not recommend you watch for various issues.
F: Bad
Anime with glaring issues that make them not only difficult to watch, but the watcher angry at times.