Classroom of the Elite Season 4 Tops ABEMA Weekly Anime Rankings

Classroom of the Elite season 4 claimed the top position on ABEMA's Weekly Anime Ranking for the week of March 30 to April 5, according to data published by the streaming platform on April 9. The title secured the No. 1 spot during the same week the Spring 2026 anime season began its rollout, with the fourth season premiering on April 1.

The season continues the narrative following the events in season 3, covering the initial portion (first semester) of the original light novel’s Year 2 arc. Classroom of the Elite season 4 launched with a special 90-minute extended broadcast spanning the first four episodes.

ABEMA’s data shows the franchise momentum among popular isekai and franchise shonen titles. Classroom of the Elite is the only high-school psychological thriller series on ABEMA’s top 5 list, while the isekai genre accounted for three titles for the week.

Following behind Classroom of the Elite, the isekai title The Strongest Job is Apparently Not a Hero or a Sage took the second spot.  Other two isekai on the list, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too, and Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing took the third and fourth positions, respectively.

The only title from the Winter 2026 anime season to appear on the list is Jujutsu Kaisen. The popular shonen IP took the fifth spot, showing endurance within the Spring slate.

Thriller Classroom of the Elite Season 4 Breaks Isekai's Grip on the Charts

Classroom of the Elite, a high-school psychological thriller, ranking at the top is notable because four of the top five titles on ABEMA that week fell under the isekai or franchise shonen categories. These genres have consistently dominated Japanese and global anime streaming charts.

A high-school psychological thriller surpassing popular titles, particularly in its premiere week, reflects viewers' appetite for genre diversity even though isekai output remains high within the anime industry.

Classroom of the Elite's premise, centered on strict meritocracy and psychological competition at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, sets it structurally apart from the power-fantasy template most isekai titles follow. Previously, Bushiroad’s study analyzed how Japan’s anime sector is getting saturated with isekai and shonen due to Western demand, often resulting in Japanese youth disengaging from these titles.

ABEMA’s weekly rankings show that structurally different anime narratives are gaining popularity in Japan’s domestic market. However, the franchise's current visibility is a sharp reversal from years of doubt surrounding Classroom of the Elite’s continuation. After season 1 concluded in 2017, fans waited years without an announcement.

It was not until February 2022 that Studio Lerche confirmed season 2 was in production, alongside a simultaneous announcement of season 3. In November 2025, Classroom of the Elite season 4 was officially announced on Kadokawa's MF Bunko J’s Fall School Festival 2025 broadcast. Crunchyroll is streaming the fourth season of Classroom of the Elite across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, India, and Oceania.