Jujutsu Kaisen, the dark fantasy anime from Shonen Jump, has returned with full force and is already dominating the streaming charts in early 2026. The series’ third season, which adapts the intense “Extermination Game” arc, had an explosive premiere with a one-hour special on January 9th. However, the immediate success brings a curious contrast: while the production reaches Netflix’s global top 10, this availability is restricted to selected Asian territories, leaving Western fans dependent on Crunchyroll.
The relevance of the phenomenon is clear, as the anime has become the only series of its genre to enter the platform’s global ranking, leading in countries like Japan. This feat is even more impressive considering that only the first episode of the new season has aired, demonstrating the immense anticipation from fans. The success is no accident, as the new plot raises the stakes to the maximum, placing the sorcerers in a deadly battle royale to try and free Satoru Gojo.
Box Office Success Fuels Premiere
The path to this triumphant return was paved by a powerful marketing strategy. In December 2025, the film “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” was released in theaters worldwide, serving as an epic prologue. Thanks to this initiative, the production grossed over 40 million dollars (approximately 215 million Brazilian Reais at the current exchange rate) globally, with nearly 12 million dollars in Japan alone. Thus, the film was not only a box office success but also warmed up the audience for the dark events of the third season.
Despite the frustration with the fragmented distribution, fans in the Americas were not completely without options. The new season is available via exclusive simulcast on Crunchyroll, while previous seasons and the film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 remain in Netflix’s catalog. This duality creates a peculiar scenario, where the global success on the world’s most popular streaming platform ironically highlights a missed opportunity for even greater reach in the West.
The cultural impact of Jujutsu Kaisen is undeniable. Since its premiere in 2020, the story of Yuji Itadori and his fight against powerful curses has broken records, including the title of “world’s most in-demand animated series” by Guinness World Records in 2024. With the narrative becoming darker and more complex, the series proves that its dominance in the anime scene is far from over. Therefore, even with streaming barriers, the Jujutsu fever continues to spread, attracting both new viewers and veteran fans eager for more supernatural action.
