Ask John: How Long Should Fans Wait for Anime Sequels?

Question:
My question is regarding announcements for second seasons. I know some shows never get a season 2, but for those that do (or most likely will), is there a general rule/time frame for the continuation and announcement of a second season? Do companies usually have an idea near the end of season one that they will do a second season, and if so, do they usually announce a second season shortly after the conclusion of season one? Or does it take longer to sort things out?

Answer:
There are always exceptions, but as a general rule of thumb, anime television series that are going to get more animation, either in TV or OAV/movie form, usually have that animation announced within about a year of the conclusion of the prior installment. There are countless examples of announced plans for new animation coming within a year of the previous animation, including Vandread first and second stage, Ai Yori Aoshi and Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi, Hare Nochi Guu and Hare Nochi Guu Deluxe, Mobile Suit Z Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, virtually all of the Slayers animation, Blue Seed and Blue Seed 2, the Rurouni Kenshin TV series and first OAV series, Eat Man and Eat Man ’98, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Revenge, all of the Galaxy Angel anime. And the list goes on and on. In all of these cases, the sequel series was at least announced, if not actually released, within roughly 12 months of the ending of the previous series.

With the amount of anime that’s released in Japan these days, and Japanese pop culture’s natural movement through trends and fads, most anime titles have a limited shelf life in the mainstream Japanese market. With the partial exception of Japan’s hardcore otaku population, most anime titles that are more than a year old are forgotten relics in the minds of the Japanese public. Older shows just can’t compete with the novelty appeal of trendy new releases. Even Japan’s hardcore anime consumer community may still cherish classics like Nausicaa and Nadesico and Cowboy Bebop, but these vintage shows get virtually zero market support and little, if any, contemporary merchandising. So an anime series that’s popular enough to get a second series has got to do so while it’s still popular in the consciousness of the Japanese mainstream public, which is usually no more than about 12 months.

There are also countless anime series that do get more animation after more than a year between releases, but in most cases the new animation isn’t really a sequel or continuations as much as it is a revival. Take for example the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 TV series, Macross 7, Macross Plus & Macross Zero series, the St. Seiya Hades saga OAVs and movie, the Slayers Premium movie, the City Hunter television specials, the Ghost in the Shell and Jubei Ninpucho TV series, the 2000 Vampire Hunter D movie, and the Hanaukyo Maid Tai La Verite TV series. In these cases, along with many others, the new animation was released so long after the original animation that these new productions are more appropriately considered entirely new stories or re-makes than direct sequels or continuations.

So it’s always possible that an older anime series like Dragon Half, Trigun, Berserk or Hellsing will suddenly get a new animated series or movie, but statistically an anime series that hasn’t had new animation released, or at least announced, within a year of the prior anime isn’t very likely to get new animation. Although anime is popular in America, and many English speaking fans may demand more Cowboy Bebop or Hellsing or Berserk anime, we have to remember that these shows are created primarily by Japanese artists for Japanese viewers. If Japanese viewers aren’t interested in seeing more Cowboy Bebop or Hellsing or Berserk anime, it’s very unlikely that such animation will get made.