The highly anticipated second season to the 2016 breakout anime Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World has been delayed due to the coronavirus. According to the studio, the batch of new episodes will be getting a new air date later in 2020.
2016 was a stellar year for anime as breakout shows like Re:Zero sent shockwaves in the medium. Viewers connected to the series’ dark adventure story about protagonist Natsuki Subaru suddenly being taken away from modern Tokyo to a fantasy land.
However after exploding in popularity and receiving critical praise, fans have been waiting anxiously for four years for new episodes. Now they will have to wait a little bit longer as the second season has been delayed.
Re:Zero season 2 delayed
In March 2019, a second season for the show was officially announced by Crunchyroll. But up until 2020, there still had been no concrete release date for when the anime would be making its return.
However after months of silence, the official website for the series finally released an update on March 9. The post announced that season two has been delayed.
It revealed that the new episodes were originally going to air in April, but were pushed back due to the coronavirus crisis. “Coronavirus infection (COVID-19), which is a global problem. Since the schedule has been greatly affected, we have to postpone the broadcast start,” it says, according to Google Translate.
The creators, however, stated that while they will be missing the original air date, they are still looking to get the new episodes out in July 2020.
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“Currently, we are planning to broadcast from July, so if the details of the broadcast date and time are decided, we will inform you again on the official website and official Twitter,” it read.
The studio finished off the letter on their blog by thanking their fans for their patience and concern over the delay. Crunchyroll, who licenses the series in the US, also commented on the delay on Twitter.
NEWS: Re:ZERO Season 2 Has Been Delayed Due to the Ongoing Coronavirus Crisis
✨ More: https://t.co/63zZLK1jpi pic.twitter.com/gZ699Ee9KP
— Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) March 9, 2020
For now, fans will have to wait just a little bit longer. But it will be worth it, and of course the delay is understandable as the health and safety of the studio should be the biggest priority.
Despite the delay, the Re:Zero community finally has an official release window for the next season. The most popular anime of 2016 will officially be making its epic return this year.