Netflix's latest data has revealed the platform's most-watched anime series during the first half of 2024, with a duel between master swordsmen and an unusual culinary team taking the top spot. “Dungeon Meshi”, adaptation by studio TRIGGER, was crowned the most-watched anime season between January and June 2024racking up an impressive total of 90.6 million hours watched, which equates to 8.8 million views.

In second place was “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Training Arc”, the fourth season of the successful franchise.with 25.9 million hours watched, which corresponds to 7.8 million views. This arc, broadcast in several regions by Netflix, lasted only eight episodes, making its numbers particularly surprising given the short time it remained on the platform.

Most-watched anime series on Netflix (January to June 2024):

1. Meshi Dungeon: Season 1 – 90.6 million hours watched (8.8 million views).
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Training Arc – 25.9 million hours watched (7.8 million views).
3. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc – 37 million hours watched (7.6 million views).
4. SPY x FAMILY: Season 1 – 72.6 million hours watched (7.2 million views).
5. Jujutsu Kaisen: Season 1 – 64.1 million hours watched (6.7 million views).
6. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train Arc – 18,700,000 hours watched (6,600,000 reproductions).
7. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc – 64,100,000 hours watched (6,200,000 plays).
8. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Swordsman Village Arc – 62 million hours watched (5,900,000 views).
9. My Hero Academia: Season 1 – 30,500,000 hours watched (5,800,000 plays).
10. Monsters 103 Mercy Dragon Damnation – 2,500,000 hours watched (5,800,000 plays).
11. Solo Leveling: Season 1 – 25,900,000 hours watched (5,500,000 plays).
12. Kaiju #8: Season 1 – 22 million hours watched (4,600,000 views).
13. Pokémon Horizons: The Series: Part 1 – 20,500,000 hours watched (4,600,000 plays).
14. Haikyu!! – 45,800,000 hours watched (4,500,000 plays).
15. My Hero Academia: Season 2 – 44,800,000 hours watched (4,500,000 reproductions).

“Dungeon Meshi” has been a global hit exclusively for Netflix, receiving near-universal praise for its storytelling, animation, and the dedication of the team at Trigger Studios to delivering a high-quality adaptation. It Its success was so great that the studio immediately announced a sequel after the season finale.

On the other hand, the numbers for “Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc” are impressive, especially since this season was also streaming on Crunchyroll in many regions. Additionally, the season had a very short airing window, airing between May and March 2024, leaving little time to rack up views for the final episodes.

Overall, Netflix data shows that over 94 billion hours of content were consumed on the platform during the reporting period. Live-action adaptations of animated series have also been a considerable success. Examples like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” with over 500 million hours watched, and the adaptation of “ONE PIECE,” which is still going strong with 92 million hours watched (12.2 million views), far surpass the anime series and films in terms of popularity.

This success has led other industry giants, such as Crunchyroll, to also consider live-action adaptations of some of their properties. According to the company's CEO, Rahul Purini, Crunchyroll has already been the third largest investor in anime series between 2022 and 2023, behind only AT-X and Kadokawa. Additionally, “Solo Leveling” publisher D&C Media is reportedly developing a live-action drama based on the popular series, though it has yet to be confirmed whether Crunchyroll is involved in that project.

Source: Official Website