Two weeks of fall data are in, and the new arrivals have settled. In Video Research's Kanto household ratings for October 12–18, The Apothecary Diaries season 3 held 3.6% for a second straight week, while the season's two big Saturday and Sunday newcomers, The Vermilion Mask (3.1%) and Dragon Ball Super: Beerus (2.8%), matched their premiere numbers exactly, per Anime News Network's weekly chart.
Quick answer
The most-watched anime on Japanese TV heading into November 2026 are Sazae-san (8.2%), Detective Conan (6.2%) and Chibi Maruko-chan (5.5%), followed by The Apothecary Diaries season 3 (3.6%), The Vermilion Mask (3.1%), Doraemon (2.9%), Dragon Ball Super: Beerus (2.8%) and a Demon Slayer rebroadcast (2.6%). According to SenpaiRanks, Demon Slayer (8.36) is still the best-scored show on the chart, and the two new fall series have no community score yet. Their boards open once votes come in.
The ranked list
Leaving out the family-hour staples (Sazae-san, Chibi Maruko-chan, Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan), here is the chart for anime fans, ordered by rating.
1. Detective Conan: 6.2%, NTV, Saturday 6:00 p.m.
Up a full point from 5.2% the week before, and above the 5.6% it posted in the season's first week. SenpaiRanks has the TV series at 7.04. New viewers should start with our Detective Conan watch order and the films in order.
2. The Apothecary Diaries season 3: 3.6%, NTV, Friday 11:00 p.m.
The premiere opened at 4.8%. Two weeks later the show has settled at 3.6%, which is still the best late-night number in Japan. Seasons 1 and 2 score 7.67 and 7.69 on SenpaiRanks. Crunchyroll streams it, and the English dub is already running.
3. The Vermilion Mask: 3.1%, NTV, Saturday 5:30 p.m.
100Studio's adaptation of Dr. Poro and Nabana Naba's manga premiered at 3.1% on October 10 and held that number in week two. That is a strong start for a single-cour action fantasy that nobody outside manga readers had heard of. The trailer and theme songs post covers the cast. Crunchyroll streams it as it airs.
4. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus: 2.8%, Fuji TV, Sunday 11:15 p.m.
Toei's "enhanced" re-edit of Dragon Ball Super (7.45 on SenpaiRanks) is the late-Sunday bet that replaced One Piece's slot, and it is holding steady. It streams on Crunchyroll, Hulu and Netflix in the U.S., per our Beerus release-date guide. The Dragon Ball watch order explains where it fits.
Key visual for Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, Toei Animation
5. Demon Slayer (rebroadcast): 2.6%, Fuji TV, Sunday 9:30 a.m.
The full-series Sunday-morning rerun keeps edging up (2.4% to 2.5% to 2.6%). At 8.36 it remains the highest-scored anime on this chart.
6. Star Detective Precure!: 1.8%, TV Asahi, Sunday 8:30 a.m.
The franchise's year-long 2026 series sits at 6.78 on SenpaiRanks. If you want to know where it sits in the franchise, see our Precure watch order.
Holding steady is the story
Fall premieres usually lose viewers by week two. This season, both new shows on the chart held their debut rating exactly, and Apothecary stopped dropping after its first-week fall. Household ratings only count live broadcast in Kanto. They leave out streaming and overseas viewers. Even so, a flat line in week two usually means a show has kept its casual audience. The weak spot is the SenpaiRanks side: The Vermilion Mask and Beerus have no votes yet, so Japan's TV audience has reached a verdict before the rest of us have.
To compare, see the October ratings vs. ranking report, the most popular anime of October 2026 and the full season board in best fall 2026 anime ranked.
More SenpaiRanks guides: Tougen Anki Nikko Kegon Falls Arc English Dub: Where to Watch, What to Watch Winter 2027: Anime Release Dates & Where to Stream, Hirayasumi Anime: Release Date, Full Cast & Where to Watch (2027), Tetsuya Chiba Dies: Where to Watch Ashita no Joe & Megalobox.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the most-watched anime in Japan right now?
A: Sazae-san, at 8.2% for October 12–18, 2026. Among shows that anime fans follow, Detective Conan leads at 6.2%.
Q: What is the most-watched new anime of fall 2026 in Japan?
A: The Vermilion Mask, at 3.1% in both of its first two weeks. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus follows at 2.8%.
Q: Are The Apothecary Diaries season 3 ratings dropping?
A: It opened at 4.8% and has held 3.6% for two weeks running, still the top late-night anime on the chart.
Q: Where can I watch The Vermilion Mask?
A: Crunchyroll streams it worldwide as it airs in Japan.
Q: Do Japanese TV ratings count streaming?
A: No. Video Research measures live household viewing in the Kanto region only; recordings and streaming are excluded.