Our rankings are released only after thorough automated checks and a final manual review by our team. We monitor repeated voting, investigate suspicious patterns, and discard any ballots flagged during this process. This vetting has been applied to the Summer 2026 results that have already been announced.
This season, we aim to give you deeper insight into our vetting work: which polls showed the highest invalidation percentages, which titles appeared on those flagged ballots, and how the patterns varied. Week 10 recorded the greatest weekly ballot rejection rate, whereas Week 11’s invalid votes were heavily focused on a single series.
No voting system is flawless. We treat spam with seriousness and are committed to giving the community a transparent look at our review procedures before results are published, clarifying the limits of what we can confirm from the data we have.
The integrity percentages presented here are based on the invalid ballots that were recorded, not on every spam attempt detected throughout the season.
What the percentages mean
A ballot documents a single poll entry and may contain choices for several items such as anime titles, characters, songs, or other nominees. Voters who take part in multiple polls generate separate ballots for each, meaning that ballots cannot be treated as distinct individuals over the whole season.
Two types of percentages are presented in this article:
- Ballots invalidated: the proportion of ballots found in the review records that were marked as invalid. This figure compares both the rejected ballots and those that remained approved for the given poll or scope.
- Share of invalidated selections: the percentage that a particular option represents of all selections made on the invalid ballots within the specified poll or scope, covering even those options not listed individually.
These breakdowns of titles and nominees reflect the selections that appeared on invalid ballots. They do not reveal the identity of the voters or assign blame to fans or creators.
For instance, Mushoku Tensei made up 81.18% of the invalid selections recorded in Week 11. This figure does not indicate that 81.18% of all votes cast for Mushoku Tensei were invalid.
The anime titles and other nominees stayed eligible. It was the individual ballots and their chosen options that were removed, not the options themselves being barred from the contest.
All percentages are rounded, which means the summed totals may not exactly reach 100%.
How recordkeeping changed during the migration
In Summer 2026 we switched from our previous polling platform to a newer system that offers additional features and more robust spam detection. The enhanced checks now consider a broader range of signals when evaluating potentially suspicious votes.
Transferring the voting data was a major component of this upgrade. At the start of the season we typically eliminated spam entries and documented our findings by hand. Beginning with Week 10 we started logging detailed invalidation records inside the new platform, enabling us to monitor activity and provide a fuller transparency report to our readers.
Comprehensive ballot details for weeks 1‑7 are not present in the data used for this analysis, and the records from the migration phase do not give a full picture of invalidations for those earlier weeks. The earlier polls still employed spam filters and pre‑publication review; the shift was mainly in how we documented that process.
Shows such titles as Re:ZERO, Mushoku Tensei, Though I Am an Inept Villainess, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime also appeared near the top of the early weekly standings. This merely reflects the competitive landscape; it does not indicate the level of invalidation or point to specific voters who may have acted improperly.
Consequently, the week‑by‑week breakdown presented here is limited to weeks 10‑12. The available data does not allow us to generate comparable invalidation rates for the earlier weeks, nor does it support a season‑wide assessment of spam trends.
Looking ahead, we intend to store these review details inside the platform at least through the close of each season. This approach will let us monitor the voting patterns we examine and communicate our findings to the community on a more regular basis.
The weekly polls showed different patterns
The data we have for weeks 10‑12 reveals variations not only in how many ballots were rejected but also in how those invalid votes were spread among the nominated titles.
| Weekly poll | Ballots invalidated |
|---|---|
| Week 10 | 62.06% |
| Week 11 | 33.75% |
| Week 12 | 56.10% |
Week 10 showed the greatest proportion of ballots marked invalid in this snapshot. Week 11 had a smaller rejection rate, yet its invalid votes clustered around a limited set of titles. Week 12’s invalid selections were dispersed across a broader field of nominees.
| Weekly poll | Leading three options’ combined share of invalidated selections | Other options |
|---|---|---|
| Week 10 | 58.55% | 41.45% |
| Week 11 | 100.00% | 0.00% |
| Week 12 | 44.38% | 55.62% |
During Week 10, the top three options appearing on invalid ballots were Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 at 40.77%, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4 at 10.45%, and Though I Am an Inept Villainess at 7.33% of that week’s invalid votes.
In Week 11, Mushoku Tensei made up 81.18% of the invalid selections, followed by Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers Part 2 at 12.30% and Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 at 6.52%. Together, these titles explain every invalid vote recorded for that week.
In Week 12, the top three options on invalid ballots were Mushoku Tensei at 21.72%, Though I Am an Inept Villainess at 11.58%, and Re:ZERO at 11.08%. Over half of that week’s invalid votes were distributed among a variety of other nominees.
These numbers only indicate which choices were present on the rejected ballots. They do not reveal the voters’ identities, assign fault to fans of any series, or gauge the amount of legitimate support each title earned. The week‑to‑week variations also highlight why the overall invalidation percentage should be considered distinct from a given title’s proportion of those invalid selections.
The seasonal voting round had a broader distribution
The seasonal voting round—a final poll that accounts for 55% of our weighted Anime of the Season score—registered an invalidation rate of 49.79%. The remaining 45% of the total score comes from the weekly results.
The 49.79% figure represents the portion of ballots that were marked invalid during the seasonal voting round itself; it does not reflect a share of the final weighted outcome.
The leading options by their share of invalid selections in this round were:
| Option | Share of the seasonal voting round’s invalidated selections |
|---|---|
| Though I Am an Inept Villainess | 13.82% |
| Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia | 13.33% |
| Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 | 11.22% |
| Saga of Tanya the Evil II | 8.68% |
| That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4 | 7.41% |
| Other options | 45.54% |
Which side categories had the highest invalidation rates
Side categories operate as independent polls; their ballots are not included in the primary Anime of the Season scoring calculation.
Best Supporting Female Character recorded the greatest side‑category rejection rate at 33.94%, just edging out Best Female Character at 33.92%. The top rates were:
| Side-category poll | Ballots invalidated |
|---|---|
| Best Supporting Female Character | 33.94% |
| Best Female Character | 33.92% |
| Best Female Seiyuu | 31.46% |
| Best Ending Theme Song | 30.86% |
| Best World Building | 30.20% |
| Best Fantasy | 29.63% |
Categories such as Best Opening Theme Song (0.87%), Best Ship or Couple (1.28%), Best Romance (1.64%), and Best Comedy (2.04%) showed considerably lower rejection rates. Best Music and Best Original currently have no invalid ballots in the dataset we are reviewing, which does not reflect their full voting history.
When all side‑category polls are considered together, the overall ballot invalidation rate stands at 22.46%. This figure is derived from the total pool of ballot records across those polls, not by simply averaging each category’s separate percentages.
Where side-category invalidated selections were concentrated
The categories with the highest rejection rates and the most tightly clustered invalid selections are not the same.
In Best Female Character, the dominant option on invalid ballots was Kou Reirin at 48.75%, with Emilia at 30.79% and Shu Keigetsu at 11.52% following. Best Supporting Female Character’s top three were Leelee at 42.29%, Shaula at 27.30%, and Ram at 27.11%. Each percentage accounts for all invalid selections within its respective category.
Elsewhere, a single option represented a much larger share:
| Category | Leading option on invalidated ballots | Share of invalidated selections | Other options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Adventure | Mushoku Tensei Season 3 | 94.87% | 5.13% |
| Best Animation | Mushoku Tensei Season 3 | 91.48% | 8.52% |
| Best Ending Theme Song | “Houkiboshi” by Rokudenashi | 90.71% | 9.29% |
| Best Action | Re:ZERO Season 4 | 90.62% | 9.38% |
| Best Male Character | Subaru Natsuki | 87.07% | 12.93% |
| Best Supporting Male Character | Julius Juukulius | 80.60% | 19.40% |
Best Adventure illustrates this point well. While its overall ballot rejection rate was only 19.05%, Mushoku Tensei Season 3 made up 94.87% of the invalid selections for that poll. Best Animation followed a comparable pattern, with a low rejection rate of 17.88% yet Mushoku Tensei Season 3 representing 91.48% of its invalid votes.
These categories each showed a high concentration of invalid votes for the two series. The totals do not reveal whether the same voters participated across the different polls or whether the activity was coordinated.
Best Male Seiyuu exhibited a distinct profile. The four top nominees—Sugita Tomokazu, Yusuke Kobayashi, Takuya Eguchi, and Kengo Kawanishi—accounted for shares between 23.57% and 24.86% each of the poll’s invalid selections, adding up to 96.34%. The remaining 3.66% belonged to other options, and the distribution among the leading names was fairly balanced.
The broader seasonal picture
When we look at the seasonal voting round together with every side category, Re:ZERO Season 4 accounts for 18.82% of the invalid selections and Mushoku Tensei Season 3 for 18.68%. Combined, they make up 37.49% of the total (before rounding). The weekly polls are not part of this aggregate view.
This total tracks each anime title across the various polls in which it was nominated, without automatically adding its related characters, songs, or voice actors, so it should not be interpreted as a full franchise score.
The figure reflects how many invalid votes were cast for each title, not what proportion of that title’s total votes were rejected. A series can appear frequently simply because it is entered in multiple categories, giving it more chances to be chosen on invalid ballots.
None of these patterns pinpoint the individuals behind the rejected ballots. Seeing a title, character, song, or voice actor among the invalid votes does not prove misconduct by its supporters or creators.
An option can appear on invalidated ballots and still win
Even if a choice shows up often among invalid votes, it can still enjoy a strong base of legitimate support. Consequently, an invalidated‑selection breakdown should never be used to invalidate a nominee’s final standing.
The Summer 2026 side categories provide examples:
| Category | Pattern among invalidated selections | Winner in our announced results |
|---|---|---|
| Best Adventure | Mushoku Tensei Season 3 represented 94.87% | Mushoku Tensei Season 3 |
| Best Male Character | Subaru Natsuki represented 87.07% | Subaru Natsuki |
| Best Supporting Male Character | Julius Juukulius represented 80.60% | Julius Juukulius |
| Best Supporting Female Character | Leelee led with 42.29% | Shaula |
| Best Female Seiyuu | Aoi Yuki led with 32.83% | Rie Murakawa |
| Best Ending Theme Song | “Houkiboshi” represented 90.71% | “Rasen” by 9Lana |
| Best Action | Re:ZERO Season 4 represented 90.62% | Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity |
| Best Animation | Mushoku Tensei Season 3 represented 91.48% | Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity |
Mushoku Tensei made up 94.87% of the invalid votes in Best Adventure, yet it also won that category after our review. Its appearance among rejected ballots should not diminish the genuine backing it received from voters.
For Best Supporting Female Character, Leelee topped the list of invalid selections, but Shaula ultimately claimed the win. Similarly, in Best Female Seiyuu, Aoi Yuki led the invalid votes, whereas Rie Murakawa was declared the winner.
In the song contests, “Houkiboshi” comprised 90.71% of the invalid votes for Best Ending Theme Song, yet “Rasen” emerged as the official victor. Likewise, Re:ZERO dominated the invalid selections in Best Action and Mushoku Tensei did the same in Best Animation, while Bleach captured the wins in both categories.
These disparities do not prove that the invalidation process altered any final outcomes. The table simply juxtaposes the choices seen on invalid ballots with the winners we announced; it does not represent a sequential ranking before and after the review.
There is no justification for singling out a fan community or questioning a winner’s legitimacy. Our investigation focuses solely on voting behavior, and eliminating certain picks during the review does not erase the authentic support an option garnered.
What the recorded country information showed
A distinct demographic analysis looked at the country information attached to the rejected ballots. For the week‑by‑week review (Weeks 10‑12), Germany appeared most often among the known labels. When we combine the seasonal voting round with all side categories, Iraq leads the known entries, with Germany in second place.
Similar patterns emerged in side categories such as Best Fantasy, Best Drama, and Best World Building, where Iraq and Germany were the most frequent known country labels. Because some ballots lack a recognized country field, the known entries do not capture the full picture of geographic distribution.
These are just the location tags that were logged, not confirmed details about the voters themselves. Connections through Tor or proxies can influence the recorded location. The tags are not proof of a voter’s actual home, nationality, or affiliation with any fan group, nor do they indicate the likelihood that votes from a given country would be rejected.
How voting is reviewed before publication
We aim to keep Anime Corner’s polls accessible and open to everyone without mandatory sign‑ups. This openness, however, requires us to vigilantly monitor repeat voting and automated attempts. Our review process is a key step in readying the results for release.
The polling system applies automated caps, blocks, and duplicate detection, and it is backed by community oversight as well as our team’s manual review. Some illegitimate attempts are stopped before a ballot is logged, while others are caught later and discarded, ensuring they have no impact on the final tally. The percentages we present here reflect the invalid ballots that were recorded, not every attempt our defenses intercepted.
During Summer 2026 we tightened our handling of coordinated voting efforts. We examined repeated votes from a single IP address and similar behaviors that persisted when the address changed, such as consistent selections at regular intervals. When a coordinated campaign was detected, our team removed the associated ballots from the count.
We also noted that a large portion of the suspected automated voting seemed to route through the Tor network. This insight stems from our manual review, not from the overall percentages shown here. Using Tor by itself does not prove misconduct, and an IP address does not reveal the actual voter; it was the repeated voting pattern that triggered the investigation.
Ahead of publishing, our team conducts a final manual check. The top ten entries receive especially close attention, and the review often expands to other spots as needed. The Summer 2026 outcomes were subjected to this process before they were released.
Why we are sharing this review
The invalid votes detailed above were not counted in the final rankings. By publishing this information, we aim to give readers a clearer view of the behind‑the‑scenes work involved in preparing a ranking: spotting suspicious behavior, evaluating it, and discarding the affected ballots.
No public voting platform can guarantee flawless detection. We are continually tightening defenses against repeat and automated voting, analyzing the tactics we uncover, and refining our safeguards as those tactics evolve. Our goal is to maintain this pre‑publication work and to share the reliable insights we gather.
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