An Immortal Detective Holds the Crown
Fushi Tantei Reidō Momiji, a school mystery published under SB Creative's GA Bunko imprint, claimed the top spot with roughly 15% of the vote. Written by Rei Shizuku (零雫) with illustrations by Miwano Ragu (美和野らぐ), the series follows high schooler Haruma Amanai as he teams up with mysterious transfer student Momiji Reidō to crack locked-room murders. The hook: Momiji herself is immortal, and her own impossible locked-room death sits at the center of the larger mystery.
This is the second consecutive term at No. 1 for the title, which also topped the second-half 2025 edition of the same poll. Volume 4, subtitled "YOU CAN REDO," went on sale June 16, 2026, the same day these results published.
Respondents praised the blend of fair-play detective logic and flashy action. One voter described it as packed with "real deduction plus motorcycles and explosions." Others pointed to heroine Momiji's "mysterious aura and overwhelming presence" as ideal material for animation, arguing that voice acting would only enhance her appeal.
Dark Fairy Tales and a Talking Cat Round Out the Top 3
At No. 2 with about 13% support, Grimm Connect (グリムコネクト) has been climbing steadily. Published by BookBase's Dangan Bunko label, the dark fantasy by 十利ハレ (likely Jūri Hare) follows Mahiru Misora, a former juvenile detainee who opens a crimson book in a library and gets dragged into a twisted fairy-tale world. Each volume reimagines a different story: Volume 1 tackles Little Red Riding Hood, followed by Cinderella and Rapunzel. A death-loop mechanic forces Mahiru to die and restart until he can set each corrupted tale right.
The series ranked 9th in the first-half 2025 edition of this Anime Anime poll, climbed to 3rd in the second half, and now sits at 2nd. Voters highlighted the tonal contrast between storybook visuals and brutal stakes, with one respondent calling the combination of a fairy-tale atmosphere and a die-and-repeat death loop "perfect."
Debuting at No. 3 with roughly 6%, Omawarisan to Maneki Neko (おまわりさんと招き猫) offers the gentlest pitch on the podium. Published by Micro Magazine's Kotonoha Bunko imprint, the slice-of-life fantasy by Midori Uehara (植原翠) with illustrations by Shōichi (ショウイチ) centers on police officer Yūsuke Komaki, newly assigned to a seaside shopping district called Katsubushi-chō. There he meets a talking cat named Omochi-san and gets pulled into quiet supernatural happenings around town. Readers called it "the most healing book I've read" and said they wanted to hear Omochi-san's voice and see the seaside town brought to life in animation. A manga adaptation launches June 22, 2026 in the web magazine Comic Ride ivy.
More Titles on Fans' Radars
Several other entries drew passionate write-ins. Asobi no Kankei (あそびのかんけい), a romantic comedy set in a board game café, already has promotional voice reels featuring Hikaru Tōno and Hina Yōmiya and swept three awards at the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2026 rankings, an annual industry guidebook. Fans hoped a full anime would keep its existing voice cast.
Ōja no Bankuruwase (王者の盤狂わせ), a shogi underdog story about a player trained entirely through a mobile app, drew praise for a premise "nobody's done before." Sengoku Komachi Kurōtan (戦国小町苦労譚), a time-slip tale where a modern agricultural student rises through Sengoku-era politics, and Meikyū Kusotawake (迷宮クソたわけ), a gritty dungeon crawler that rebooted after an earlier cancellation and has racked up 60 million page views on Kadokawa's Kakuyomu web-novel platform, also earned voter support. Meikyū Kusotawake's second volume arrives June 25, 2026.
Looking Ahead
The poll, which ran from May 28 to June 7, 2026 and drew 928 respondents (roughly 55% male, 45% female, skewing toward readers in their 20s and 30s), comes at a strong moment for light novel adaptations. The first half of 2026 brought Fate/strange Fake (A-1 Pictures), All You Need Is Kill (STUDIO4°C), and Kusunoki no Bannin (A-1 Pictures) to screens, all drawn from novels.
None of the top three poll winners have announced anime projects, and none have official English-language releases. International fans will need to follow along through Japanese imports for now. The survey carries no formal weight with production committees, but it does track reader enthusiasm in a way publishers notice: Fushi Tantei's two consecutive No. 1 finishes and Grimm Connect's steady climb from 9th to 2nd over three polling cycles both make a visible case for adaptation.