The anime industry has a fickle relationship with new seasons. Factors such as manga sales and availability affect when fans get to have their continuations. Despite massive success, several classics, such as Spice and Wolf or Yuri on Ice, have been lacking sequels.
However, with the likes of Bleach returning to the airwaves this year with the "Thousand Year Blood War" arc over a decade later, things are looking up. For better or worse, these shows managed to continue their stories for fans to enjoy. Patience is a virtue, after all.
Note: This is specifically for series that directly continue a story with a clear cliffhanger. Sequels such as FLCL Progressive, Card Captor Sakura Clear Card, and Dragonball Super are not different seasons, as they are set after a completed story. They are sequels, not new seasons.
Chihayafuru 3 - 6 Years
Chihayafuru's third season picks up after the massive success of the Mizusawa members in the last tournament. All of them have reached great heights in their craft. Now with confidence, skill, and experience on their sides, they all gun for their personal goals. Chihaya Ayase sets her sights on the title of queen and Taichi Mashima is finally on par with Arata Wataya.
Chihayafuru has the distinct quality of remaining consistently amazing. Many shows struggle to reach the same levels of polish and craft that Chihayafuru does. The third season continues this by exploring the characters now that they are on the high of a great victory. Chihayafuru rivals the likes of Haikyuu in terms of competitive passion portrayed as an avenue of self-growth.
A Certain Magical Index III - 7 Years
After Academy City's destruction, Touma Kamijou finds himself embroiled in yet another political conflict. With both Academy City prepping for full-scale war against the Roman Catholic Church, Touma must find a way to protect his allies (and anti-hero acquaintance Accelerator) from the chaos about to unfold. Magic and science collide in this explosive final entry of the A Certain Magical Index light novel adaptation.
Despite that exciting summary, A Certain Magical Index III was a rushed-out mess. The series skimmed over the political thriller of the book and instead opts for the big battles. Several iconic arcs from the books are cut down significantly. Despite all the glowing frills, it's clear that this was an adaptation done by a corporation looking to fulfill a quota.
Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger - 7 Years
Ippo Makunouchi, the Japanese Featherweight Champion, has successfully kept his belt for the first time against a challenger. Meanwhile, his competitor, Ichirou Miyata, has returned to Japan, vying for his own Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation Featherweight title. This time, champions will transform into challengers, eager to show off their battling spirit on the world stage.
Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger doesn't skip a beat returning the viewer to Ippo's world of boxing. It tackles an important fact about both Ippo and Miyata, and that's that they're big fish in a small pond. To truly test their mettle, they're being trained to fight against world-class opponents. Hajime no Ippo is one of the best sports anime ever made, and New Challenger continues everything that made that possible.
D. Gray-Man Hallow - 8 years
D. Gray-Man Hallow follows directly after the last season's events of the Akuma attack. Allen Walker has suddenly pulled aside for a surprise meeting with his old master, General Cross Marian. Marian reveals that there is more to the enigmatic 14th Noah than meets the eye. As Allen is thrust into the middle of a massive conspiracy, he must fight to save not just himself, but his entire Order.
Many fans loved how closely the adaptation stuck to the source material. While the shift in art style bristled some older fans, it was good enough to warrant praise from everybody else. In particular, the focus on a conspiracy intrigued viewers in a way they haven't with the story before. Though a bit shaved down and a few years too late, it was a solid sequel.
Devil is a Part-Timer S2 - 9 years
Devil is a Part-Timer Season 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the hit isekai of 2013. Continuing exactly where the first series left off, Maou continues his ascension up the ranks of MgRonald's. As these slice-of-life shenanigans happen, however, Emilia continues to investigate how and why they were sent to this modern world in the first place.
The show is set to release next week, on July 14. Interestingly, the animation studios have changed over from White Fox to Studio 3Hz. Studio 3Hz is most well-known for animating the high-octane gun-based spinoff Sword Art Online Alternative. Fans should be excited about this action-oriented shift.
Mushishi S2 - 9 years
Mushishi Season 2 was the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Mushishi. Here, the mushi expert Ginko finds yet another strange natural phenomenon. After an eclipse, he finds a village where the sun still refuses to shine. In his investigations, he soon finds that the secret may be tied to the mysterious twins who live near the village.
Immediately, fans are enveloped in that familiar sense of melancholy, low-key energy that Mushishi is known for. The story is traditional, but it's the way it's executed through its visuals and sound design that elevate it. Much like Ginko, the strange phenomena are beautiful, but also dangerously mysterious. A lot of the excitement stems from wanting an answer and dreading the results.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - 10 Years
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War adapts the final arc of the manga, 6 years after the manga itself ended. Here, Ichigo, and all the allies he has gathered up to that point, must face off against Yhwach, the Father of all Quincy. With this mighty lineage, Ichigo is set for the most difficult battle of his life.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is set to release in October 2022. Once again, the show is animated by Studio Pierrot, which has animated several other shounen classics such as Naruto Shippuden and Yu Yu Hakusho. Many fans are excited to see their childhood shounen finally reach its conclusion. It's only right, especially since its fellow shounen classic Naruto got to end its run on a high note.
Tiger and Bunny 2 - 11 years
Tiger & Bunny Season 2 occurs right after the events of the Tiger & Bunny: The Rising movie from 2014. In the second season, the heroic actions of "Wild Tiger" and his young partner, Barnaby Brooks Jr. nicknamed" Bunny" changed the face of the hero business.
Points and popularity no longer limit heroes. Genuine heroism is now rewarded and even more valued. However, that means new villains are spurred to even greater depths of cruelty. Season 2 is significantly darker and more violent than the generally lighthearted first season. Still, fans love that the story continues its over-the-top action throughout it all.
The hot-headed Kaname Chidori and stoic soldier Sousuke Sagara enjoy the peace of their high school lives after the events of the first season. However, a new terrorist organization, known as Amalgam, shocks them back into action. Things get personal however when Amalgam targets their neighborhood first, and expand to the worldwide stage from there.
Despite the reservations of fans due to a change in studio and director, the show was a massive success. The art style change had its detractors, and the soundtrack was not quite as boisterous for some, but the story continued where it counts. The show gave new surprises and captured the nostalgic fun of watching a romance unfold between two classic anime characters.
Berserk (2016) - 19 Years
Berserk (2016) follows directly after the events of the horrifying Eclipse. Cursed to be forever haunted by demons, Guts defies his gruesome fate by murdering every monster that comes his way. On his journey, he is joined by two allies, the small Puck and shifty Isidro. Still, with Griffith but a hated mirage, Guts has a long way to go before finding peace.
Berserk (2016) was terrible. There's no real way to lighten that blow because it's the best way to describe it. Fans hated the stilted CGI, they hated that the Rosina Arc was skipped over, and the character writing is so butchered that many fans have even joked that this was their version of the Eclipse. Berserk (2016) is proof that fans should be careful of what they wish for.
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