Demon Slayer Season 4 premiered only last week, and it’s already slaying the anime TV rankings for the second week of May 2024 (May 6 to May 12). Titled ‘To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji,’ the one-hour-long first episode of the Hashira Training Arc finally kicked off the highly anticipated comeback anime chapter of the beloved series based on Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga.

Ufotable’s TV series has climbed the ranks as one of the indisputable shows fleshed out by the Japanese animation industry in the contemporary timeline. Its source text material reigns as one of the best-selling manga series ever. Taking the cake, the cumulative combination of all pop culture content derived from the manga—TV anime, movies, and video games—has also bolstered Demon Slayer’s dominance as one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history.

Upon Season 4’s premiere on Sunday, May 12, the Hashira Training Arc opening episode banked an average household rating of 6.9%, earning the 2nd rank. These figures were based on the Japanese marketing research company Video Research’s audience measurement for TV in the Kanto Region.

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Household anime staples Sazae-san, Detective Conan, Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, One Piece, and Wonderful Precure firmly held onto their constant weekly stations on the chart.

Worldwide Otakus also particularly cheered for yet another shonen anime’s May premiere: My Hero Academia Season 7. The superhero series based on Kohei Horikoshi’s manga launched its seventh installment on Saturday, May 4.

Nippon Television aired the second episode of the latest season on May 11. It earned an average household viewership rating of 3.2% and ranked No. 5 on the weekly anime TV chart.

Anime films/drama on air during May Week 2

Some prominent anime movies also graced the small screens during the week. Nippon Television played Studio Ghibli’s 1995 romantic drama film on Friday, May 10, at 9 p.m. Despite being a years-old premiere, the heartwarming broadcast earned a 6.5% rating.

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Rohan at the Louvre, the live-action film based on the popular anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s spinoff manga, played on NHK on May 6 at 3:55 pm. It secured a 2.4% rating.

Lastly, an episode of the Blue Moment manga live-action series adaptation aired on Fuji TV on May 8 at 10 pm. It also earned a top-ranking spot in the Drama category with a 6.9% rating.

May Anime TV Rankings (Week 2 for Kanto region)

Source: Video Research