Spectrum #40: Order these anime by US-known premiere — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from September 23, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these anime by US-known premiere, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Sailor Moon
- Dragon Ball
- Speed Racer
- One Piece
- Naruto
- Astro Boy
Nothing was in its place; Astro Boy opened 5 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Astro Boy is the earliest of the six at 1963 and Naruto the latest at 2002. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Speed Racer (1967) and Dragon Ball (1986) — 19 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. One Piece (1999) and Naruto (2002) are only 3 years apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Earliest to Latest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astro Boy | 1963 |
| 2 | Speed Racer | 1967 |
| 3 | Dragon Ball | 1986 |
| 4 | Sailor Moon | 1992 |
| 5 | One Piece | 1999 |
| 6 | Naruto | 2002 |
Previous: Spectrum #39 (Tue, Sep 22)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.