Every Anime Series and Movie Releasing in January 2026

The winter anime line-up offers up the return of some anticipated series, including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2, and Oshi No Ko Season 3, alongside new spin-offs in Fate/strange Fake and Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1. These are certainly series that fans will be returning to. Still, we would like to highlight some of the new series releasing in January 2026 that you should not overlook, including our most-anticipated second season and a theatrical release you’ll want to see.

‘There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her’ (Season 1)

New Season Starts January 6, 2026

The title, There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her, may be a mouthful, but this isekai romantic comedy should be on everyone’s radar. Here, protagonist Yōki finds himself in a fantasy world after a meeting with truck-kun as a middle-tier demon. When he comes up against a hero party, he falls for their priestess and decides he must muster the courage to confess his feelings to her.

The new series from studio Gekkou (Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again) and the pairing of voice actors Kōhei Amasaki as Yōki and Kana Hanazawa make this a tantalizing prospect for fans of quirky romantic-fantasy series. Within the often-crowded yet beloved isekai genre, a new concept can also help take a series a long way, particularly when packed with fantasy, action, and romance. There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her streams on Crunchyroll starting January 6, 2026.

‘Trigun Stargaze’ (Season 1)

New Season Starts January 10, 2026

The beloved sci-fi Western series follows Vash the Stampede, Meryl Stryfe, Wolfwood, and Milly Thompson as they navigate the world after the devastating “Lost July” events of Trigun Stampede. Trigun Stargaze takes place 2.5 years after the previous series, with old conflicts flaring and new threats emerging from the fallout of the Millions Knives and the Plant robberies.​​​​​​

Not only do we have a continuation of a beloved franchise, but Studio Orange returns from Trigun Stampede with their distinct CGI style. With a final chapter to a fan-favorite series, Stargaze promises an engaging conclusion. Fans will want to check out Stampede to get the most out of Stargaze, but fans have time to binge that series on Crunchyroll before its January release. Trigun Stargaze streams on Crunchyroll starting January 10, 2026.

‘Hell’s Paradise’ (Season 2)

New Season Starts January 11, 2026

While it may not be the most discussed series this Winter, Hell’s Paradise has built a dedicated following. Indeed, the dark fantasy anime oozes style in abundance and certainly knows how to get the blood pumping with its action sequences. The series takes place in the late Edo period and follows Gabimaru the Hollow, a ninja who escapes execution to embark on a mission to recover the Elixir of Immortality from the mysterious and deadly island of Shinsenkyo.

Strong world-building and stylized action are now synonymous with MAPPA-produced series, and Hell’s Paradise is no exception. Here, fans can expect new challenges as executioners from the Yamada Asaemon clan emerge to challenge Gabimaru. Hell’s Paradise (Season 2) streams on Crunchyroll starting January 11, 2026.

‘All You Need Is Kill’ (2026)

In Theaters January 16, 2026

One of many soldiers tapped to fight an alien invasion, Rita Vrataski finds herself trapped in a time loop, reliving her death on the battlefield countless times. Rita uses each experience to build up her skill as a fighter, as she tries to figure out the reason behind her predicament. She eventually finds an ally in Keiji Kiriya, who is going through the same experience, and the two try to break the cycle.

Does the plot sound familiar? All You Need Is Kill is a light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, adapted into one of the best sci-fi action movies of the 2010s: Edge of Tomorrow. Here, the movie offers a different perspective on events through Rita (Emily Blunt in the Tom Cruise-led live-action adaptation), and a distinct visual direction from STUDIO4°C. Moreover, the movie has already generated some buzz ahead of its theatrical release, following a screening at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival, to a positive reception. All You Need Is Kill gets a limited theatrical release on January 16, 2026.

Every Anime Series and Movie Releasing During the Winter Season, January 2026

January 1, 2026

• Meikyuu no Shiori (Movie)

January 3, 2026

January 4, 2026

• Tamon’s B-Side
• MF Ghost Season 3
• Journal with Witch
• Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None

January 5, 2026

• My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2
• Golden Kamuy: Final Chapter

January 6, 2026

• Mayonaka Heart Tune
• There was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her

January 7, 2026

• Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table

January 8, 2026

• Chained Soldier Season 2
• The Holy Grail of Eris
• The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife

January 9, 2026

• All You Need Is Kill (Movie)
• Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1

January 10, 2026

• Fire Force Season 3 Part 2
• Trigun Stargaze
• Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing

January 11, 2026

• Hell’s Paradise Season 2
• You and I Are Polar Opposites
• In the Clear Moonlit Dusk
• Akuyaku Reijou wa Ringoku no Outaishi ni Dekiai sareru

January 12, 2026

• ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess Season 2

January 14, 2026

January 16, 2026

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2

January 25, 2026

January 30, 2026

• Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway – The Sorcery of Nymph Circe (Movie)
• Kusunoki no Bannin (Movie) — The Keeper of the Camphor Tree

TBA January 2026

• Sentenced to Be a Hero
• The Darwin Incident
• Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I’ll Obtain Ultimate Power