[LINE Research] Fixed-Point Survey on Youth Trends (March 2026)

LY Corporation (hereinafter referred to as LY) operates 'LINE Research,' a smartphone-dedicated research platform based on one of Japan's largest active survey panels with over 7 million members. At 'LINE Research,' a questionnaire survey (free-text format) regarding recent trends is conducted quarterly targeting young men and women aged 15 to 24 nationwide. We are pleased to announce the results of the latest survey from March 2026. *Details of the survey results can be viewed on LINE Research's media platform, 'Research Note.' https://lin.ee/Vb3qRwl/pr *Please refer to 'Press Release Material Download' for the graph images within this release. ■SUMMARY 'M!LK' took the #1 spot for the first time. Their song 'Sukisugite Metsu! (M!LK)' also ranked 9th, gathering attention for both the group and their music. Additionally, 'Sticker-related' items surged into the TOP 5, including 'Bonbon Drop Stickers' (3rd). 'Jujutsu Kaisen' (4rd) and 'WBC' (6th) also saw a rapid rise. 'Super Kaguya-hime!' (12th), 'Dubai Chocolate' (19th), 'Milano Cortina Winter Olympics' (22nd), 'Riku-Ryu Pair' (25th), and 'Monaki' (26th) made their first appearances. For females across all age groups, 'M!LK' ranked 1st, and 'Bonbon Drop Stickers' entered the TOP 3. For males aged 15-18, the game 'Brawl Stars' was 1st. For males aged 19 and older, 'WBC' took the 1st place. ■Overall TOP 10 for March Let's look at the overall TOP 10 results. There was some movement in the top rankings this time. The overall 1st place for March 2026 was the 5-member dance vocal group 'M!LK'. They significantly moved up from 14th place in the previous survey (December), achieving 1st place for the first time. Their song 'Sukisugite Metsu! (M!LK)' also ranked 9th. 'Sticker collecting' at 2nd, 'Bonbon Drop Stickers' at 3rd, and 'Sticker book' at 5th occupied three of the TOP 5 spots, all being 'Sticker-related'. 'Bonbon Drop Stickers' are stickers released in March 2024 characterized by their plump, three-dimensional feel and transparency. Next, 'Jujutsu Kaisen', which also rapidly rose, came in at 4th. The manga by Gege Akutami has ended its serialization in 'Weekly Shonen Jump', but the TV anime 'Culling Game Part 1' started broadcasting in January 2026. 'WBC' ranked 6th. The survey period overlapped with the excitement surrounding the Japanese national team's exhibition matches, drawing interest to the team's performance. 'Pocket Monsters / Pokemon' ranked 7th. In February, there was much buzz around Pokemon, including the opening of Pokemon's first permanent outdoor facility 'PokePark Kanto' and the 30th anniversary of the release of 'Pocket Monsters Red & Green', demonstrating the enduring popularity of Pokemon. ■Overall 11th to 30th for March Next are the results from 11th to 30th. Let's focus mainly on new appearances. At 12th, 'Super Kaguya-hime!' is a feature-length animated film exclusively distributed on Netflix since January 2026. It is an original musical animation fusing elements of 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' with live music, and its theatrical release also began in February. 'Dubai Chocolate' ranked 19th. Originating from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is a sweet where pistachio cream and kadaif are coated in chocolate. In a survey conducted last March about 'Sweets and drinks high school students think will become popular next', it ranked 8th among female high school students. Furthermore, the 'Milano Cortina Winter Olympics' ranked 22nd, and the figure skating 'Riku-Ryu Pair' ranked 25th. 'Monaki' at 26th is a 4-member Japanese male vocal chorus group. Many new items appeared in the TOP 30. On the other hand, 'Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita' (14th) and 'Gacha Gacha' (capsule toys) (21st) ranked higher than last time. Other diverse categories such as gourmet food, anime, games, artists, and characters continued to rank in. ■TOP 10 by Gender and Age for March Finally, let's look at the TOP 10 trends by gender and age. The male rankings showed differences depending on the age group. For males aged 15-18, the game 'Brawl Stars' was 1st. Additionally, 'Exams/Entrance exams' came in 3rd. Meanwhile, for males aged 19-22 and males aged 23-24...