Staying at the top of the community’s taste after several years is never an easy task, especially when users tend to be extremely demanding with sequels to their favorite stories. Yet the fourth season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu has done something rather remarkable—shattering expectations and officially positioning itself in second place in history on MyAnimeList. This isn’t just a high rating; it’s a statement of endurance in a space that’s notoriously fickle.
According to the latest site update corresponding to , the new installment achieved an impressive score of 9.12. This places it immediately below the current absolute leader and ties or surpasses several of the most loved and respected titles globally. The leaderboard updates its data automatically twice a day, making this snapshot a living, breathing measure of community sentiment.
The Current Top Six on MyAnimeList
- 1. Sousou no Frieren — 28 episodes, . 9.26 with 1,461,407 members. A modern benchmark for melancholic storytelling and exquisite pacing.
- 2. Re:Zero Season 4 — 19 episodes, started . 9.12 with 257,234 members. The series that changed the game mid-run.
- 3. Steel Ball Run: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken — Web animation, started . 9.12 with 214,127 members. A legacy built on audacious style and generational scale.
- 4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — 64 episodes, . 9.11 with 3,699,438 members. The monument.
- 5. Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze-hen — Feature film, . 9.07 with 499,513 members. A cultural phenomenon on the big screen.
- 6. Steins;Gate — 24 episodes, . 9.07 with 2,825,373 members. A timeless sci-fi thriller.
Why This Feat Matters More Than It Looks
What’s happening here is a masterclass in sustained engagement. This isn’t a new franchise riding a wave of hype—it’s a sequel, years deep into its story, demanding its audience keep pace with increasingly complex narrative and emotional stakes. The user base on MAL trends toward the discerning, often brutally so, especially with continuations of beloved series. To not just meet but blow past those expectations is a significant feat.
The context is critical. Frieren and Brotherhood are complete narratives, their scores calcified over years into something resembling consensus. Re:Zero is doing this mid-run. Its 257,000 members are a dedicated core, not a casual crowd. That level of commitment, translating into a score that rivals titans, suggests the current season isn’t just servicing fans—it’s validating their long-term investment with payoffs that feel genuinely earned.
The Production Behind the Numbers
From a production standpoint, this kind of score reflects a specific alignment of craft and vision. The director’s grasp of the series’ nakige elements—the tragic emotional core that drives its tension—is clearly resonating with audiences. The visual language has to be evolving in step with the narrative’s ambitions; it’s no longer enough to just adapt, it has to elevate. This score is the community’s receipt for that work.
Managing to rub shoulders with fully completed cult productions and highly anticipated feature films demonstrates the enormous interest this franchise continues to generate as its new episodes progress through their broadcast window.
The Real Question: Staying Power
We should be clinical about this. High initial scores for a much-awaited season are common. The real test is staying power. Will this number hold as the season concludes and the wave of initial, fervent ratings balances out against broader criticism? Or is this a clean signal of a series hitting a new creative peak? It poses a few interesting questions:
- Does a score earned mid-series carry more weight than one for a completed classic, because it proves ongoing excellence rather than a finished product?
- What does it say about the evolving taste of the anime community when a series known for psychological brutality and narrative complexity climbs this high?
- If the system updates twice daily, how do we distinguish a genuine cultural moment from a temporary concentration of dedicated votes?
The debate about the validity of scores on these platforms always generates heated discussion. Do you believe the fourth season truly has the necessary merits to definitively surpass unshakable historical classics, or do you consider this enormous initial score a product of the excitement surrounding the premiere from its most loyal followers? Either way, Re:Zero has made its case—and the numbers are listening.
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