I recently compared Attack on Titan to an 800-pound gorilla, since the smash hit anime has become so big and powerful it can do whatever it wants, such as actively forming partnerships with both Universal Studios and rival Marvel/Disney. But maybe the better analogy is to a cow.
Since the end of its broadcast run in September of 2013, the franchise has been spun off into side-story manga, novels, compilation movies, and live-action adaptations. For the most part, fans have happily lapped up the comparatively delicious offerings of all this milking, but what everyone has really been waiting for is some sort of timetable for a continuation of the anime TV series itself.
Thanks to its director, we finally have one.
While the wait for more Attack on Titan episodes has no doubt been excruciating for diehard fans, this sort of stop-and-go production schedule has become the norm for anime over the past decade. As a matter of fact, Attack on Titan getting 25 episodes right out of the gate was a pretty bold decision. 13 episodes has become the standard for new anime properties, and even with Attack on Titan’s double-long first season, the industry generally dictates a subsequent breather period in which DVD and Blu-ray releases, plus merchandising, are handled.
The first of the two animated Attack on Titan compilation films was released over the recent three-day weekend in Japan. On November 22, opening day, a fan event was held at the Wald 9 theater in Tokyo’s Shinjuku. Appearing in costume were voice actors Yuki Kaiji, Yui Ishikawa, and Marina Inoue, who portray the central trio of Eren, Mikasa, and Arumin, respectively. They were joined by a 1:100 scale model of the head of the 50-meter (164-foot) Colossal Titan and Attack on Titan TV series and anime movie director Tetsuro Araki.
While Araki brought the least visual appeal to the event, he had by far the most interesting thing to say. The director revealed that the second round of Attack on Titan TV episodes will go into production in 2016, and sounds like he’s as psyched as the series’ fans, judging from this comment he made:
“I’m looking forward to the new episodes too. Let’s do this!”
Unfortunately, there’s no firm premiere date yet set for Attack on Titan Season Two. TV anime production isn’t known particularly long production lead times, though, so in all likelihood if the episodes go into actual production in 2016, they’ll start airing that same year. This still means that you’re looking at a 14-month wait, at the shortest, before your first chance to watch the new episodes, but at least you’ve got a couple of movies to keep yourself occupied with while you’re killing time.
Source: Niconico News
Top image: Attack on Titan TV Series Official Website
Insert images: Gopixpic