9 anime records that might never be broken

Anime records might not come to mind as the most popular topic since this media is not as diverse worldwide. While some parts of the world still consider it a media for little children, anime can be impressive with the art and storytelling.

While the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes some records, some are not universally proclaimed. But fans are aware these anime records might never be broken for a long time.

In this article, such anime records will be compiled. While these anime records are not eternal in any way, the time these anime series have retained these records indicates that beating them in their game would be pretty hard.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author and not Sportskeeda.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood's #1 ranking, Miyazaki's Oscars, and 7 other anime records that might never be broken

1) Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood's ranking as the highest-rated anime (11 years)

Edward and Elric, as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

The story of two boys who lost everything during a forbidden spell and travel the world looking for a remedy for their sins, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood was the #1 anime series on the biggest anime database on the internet, MyAnimeList, for almost 11 years, achieving one of the most impressive anime records.

Released in 2009, the series attained the top spot in 2010. It was momentarily surpassed by Gintama and Owarimonogatari season 2, but it again achieved the top stop in 2023, bested by Freiren: Beyond Journey's End. Although this is one of the unofficial anime records, beating the record of 11 years of dominance might be a tough nut to crack.

2) Demon Slayer Mugen Train film highest-grossing film ($500 thousand)

Rengoku as seen in the anime film (Image via Ufotable)

The movie that started the trend of TV arc movie adaptations, Demon Slayer Mugen Train, is the highest-grossing anime film in Japan, achieving one of the most impressive anime records. The movie featured the Infinity Train arc, which introduced the Flame Hashira, who helped Tanjiro and his team save the Infinity Train from killing its passengers.

Moreover, what makes this one of the most magnificent anime records is that it beat the previous top-spot film, Spirited Away, in a mere 72 days of its airing. The Infinity Castle arc is also set to adapt into a trilogy of films, so it would be interesting to see if Infinity Train gets beaten by a film of its own anime.

3) Pretty Cure's All-Star Memories movie for the most magical warriors in an anime film (55) (Guinness Book of World Records)

Pretty Cure's movie poster (Image via Toei Animation)

One of the most decadent anime records, Pretty Cure's All-Star Memories was a 15th-anniversary film project that featured all magical girls from every generation of the series, thus featuring 55 characters in a single anime film. The film features all the generations of Pretty Cure fighting against monsters to save the day.

Moreover, this record is also recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, making it an official record that could as well be impossible to beat as it was released in 2018 and is yet to be beaten by any other anime film, making this one of the grandest anime records.

4) Skelter Heaven is the lowest-rated anime (rating: 1.89)

The monster as seen in the anime (Image via Idea Factory)

One of the anime records no one is expecting to beat in reality, and due to production mishaps and low-standard animation quality, this record is one of the most unbeatable ones. Skelter Heaven is a 1-episode OVA series that follows the story of the Alta Mira Agency fighting against an extra-terrestrial monster.

The anime features an unreal amount of 'bad' CGI mixed with low-standard 2D animation, thus creating a mess that fandoms worldwide hate. Ex-Arm gave this series a good competition, but some anime records can never be crossed, be it the lowest-rated anime on MyAnimeList.

5) Sazae-san is the longest-running anime series (2740 episodes currently) (Guinness Book of World Record)

The Sazae san family as seen in the anime (Image via Eiken)

The anime series, which has a massive fandom locally and is loved by the elders in Japan, Sazae-san is a series not that well-known. However, it has one of the most impressive anime records, with little chance of getting beat. Sazae-san has the Guinness World Record for the most episodes in an anime TV series, 2740 episodes.

The series follows the everyday life endeavors of the mother Sazae. Where most fans still consider anime series like Detective Conan and One Piece to be the contenders for the most episodes, this hidden gem holds the records for the past few years.

6) Hayao Miyazaki is the only holder of the most Oscars (2 Films)

Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron (Image via Studio Ghibli)

One of the greatest anime filmmakers in the anime industry, Hayao Miyazaki is known for his children's films that have inspired numerous writers in the industry. He holds one of the greatest anime records that will not easily be broken in the future.

The filmmaker has two Oscar-nominated films that won the award. The first is Spirited Away (2001), the story of a girl who gets separated from her parents during a festival and tries to get them back. The second is The Boy and The Heron (2023), which tells the tale of a boy who learns how to live properly after facing the calamities of war.

7) Anpanman with the most number of characters in an anime franchise (1768, as of 980 episodes) (Guinness Book of World Records)

Anpanman as seen in the anime (Image via TMS Entertainment)

An anime series some fans might remember watching during some time in their childhood, Anpanman is the story of a superhero made from bread filled with red bean paste as he strives to save anyone, rather it be from a villain or from hunger.

The anime holds one of the finest anime records that will hardly ever have a competition and that is the record for most characters in an anime series. Where most fans consider a series like Bleach worthy of this title, the series doesn't even hold a light to Anpanman.

8) Jujutsu Kaisen is the most in-demand anime (Guinness Book of World Records)

The main protagonist team as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen is the modern-day recommendation for people to get into anime. The series has one of the most accomplished anime records to its name which fit its reputation as the Guinness Book of World Record's most popular anime series.

Although it is still far behind Attack on Titan in the popularity ranking on MyAnimeList, it was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for its popularity and demand amongst the fandom. The series follows the story of a normal human who enters the world of sorcery and learns new things about himself and the demon he holds inside him.

9) Pokémon is the most successful anime franchise (approx. $100 billion worth of revenue)

Ash and Pikachu as seen in the anime (Image via OLM)

Some fans might remember playing its games on game consoles, some fans might remember collecting its cards, and the majority of the fandom might remember watching the series. It showcased the journey of Ash Ketchum (Japanese: Satoshi), who embarks on a journey to become the Pokemon master.

Fortunately, he reached his dream after 25 years worth of episodes, and during this time, the series generated billions of revenue from every kind of media (games, manga, anime, spin-offs), becoming the franchise with the most generated revenue, Ever in anime. This is one of the coolest anime records, if not the coolest one.

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Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali