The Erased franchise has kept us entertained with plenty of adaptations over the years. Author Kei Sanbe’s story has won millions of hearts from all around the globe. His manga series has won several awards throughout the years. Out of all adaptations of the original story, A-1 Pictures produced anime series has been one of the most praised. Years after the anime’s initial broadcast, Netflix picked up the first season for a re-release on its platform. This increased the popularity of the show, whereas the demand for Erased Season 2 has almost doubled. Will there be another installment of the critically-acclaimed show? What’s coming up next in the franchise? Here’s a look at all the details.
Erased, known as Boku dake ga Inai Machi in Japanese, is a popular manga series written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe. It began serialization back in June 2012 in Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace magazine and continued for a total of nine volumes. Due to the source material’s popularity, the story was soon picked up for several adaptations, including a television anime, live-action film, and a live-action series. A spin-off light novel series of the manga serialized between November 2015 and March 2016.
In early 2016, A-1 Pictures launched the anime adaptation of Sanbe’s acclaimed manga series. Right from its first release in January 2016, the show became a hit in Japan. During its broadcast, the series gained immense popularity and critical acclaim. Later on, after its English release, the anime gained international recognition and has a huge following today. Even today, Erased is remembered amongst some of the best time travel thrillers of recent times. Yet, after five years of debut, fans are still waiting for a second season.
Will Erased Get A Season 2?
For almost five years now, fans of the popular sci-fi anime have been waiting for its return. Viewers were already curious about the second season during the first broadcast of the series between January and March 2016. Like the original manga series, almost all adaptations of the franchise gained positive critical reviews. The 2016 anime series became one of the best shows of 2016 and received impressive ratings on almost all major rating platforms. However, despite heavy demands, A-1 Pictures has not greenlit the anime even today.
Well, anime adaptations are mostly produced to promote their source material. Hence, they only survive until they can advertise their respective light novel or manga series. However, this didn’t seem like the case with Boku dake ga Inai Machi anime. Although it helped sell off volumes of the Erased manga, the series featured a different ending than that of its source material. Besides, almost all adaptations of the franchise, including the live-action film and series, covered the entire story of the manga. Neither of them was initially supposed to return for another round.
Hence, unless the studio creates an original story for Erased Season 2, it may not get another chance. Besides, given A-1 Pictures‘ history, chances for the return of the anime are quite tough. However, if enough fans support the sequel, A-1 Pictures or any other company related to the show’s production might pick up the project. We will update this section once the green flag arrives.
Is There Any Hope For The New Season? Can Fans Save The Anime?
Even after four years of its initial release, the demand for a second season is relatively high. Besides, given that the series recently re-released on Netflix, its reach has already increased. Last, after its Netflix release, the popularity of the anime rose, and social media requests for Erased Anime Season 2 also surged. Fans began signing up petitions in support of the series’ return. Hence, at this point in time, it will be hard for A-1 Pictures or any other studio to not notice the hype around the sequel. The internet has given enough power to viewers to choose what they wish to watch. In the past, fan groups have saved plenty of shows from cancelation.
Thus, if the demand keeps rising, A-1 Pictures or Netflix might pick up the second installment. The international streaming platform has shown much interest in the anime industry in the last few years. Recently, it has released several Original anime series, including well-known names such as Devilman Crybaby, Ultraman, Little Witch Academia, and several others. Moreover, in 2020 alone, the streamer ended up re-releasing plenty of popular anime on its platform. The list includes critically acclaimed ventures like No Game No Life, Toradora alongside the first season of Erased.
This hints that the streamer could pick up the sequels of the re-released anime, in case they perform well. In that case, Erased Season 2 still has a shot at the screens. However, if Netflix picks up the sequel, it will have to create an original story for the new episodes.
Is There Enough Source Material For Another Season?
The future of even the most popular anime series depends a lot on their source material. Only rare projects get the opportunity to return even if there’s no content left for adaptation. In such unique cases, their production studio creates a new storyline for sequels. Well, aside from these very few cases, studios take no time to abandon a show in lack of enough source material. Sadly, Erased Season 2 might fall prey to the tradition.
Written by Kei Sanbe, the Boku dake ga Inai Machi manga series came into existence back in June 2012. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace magazine for four-long-years until its conclusion in April 2016. Until then, only nine volumes of the series had come out. However, the end of this journey was rather abrupt. Sanbe is yet to complete the story of his manga series and has left the readers on a cliffhanger again. Well, given that it’s has already been four years, chances for the mangaka’s return are pretty implausible.
The Erased television anime series covered the first seven volumes of its manga. After the anime’s release, Sanbe only released two other volumes of his fan-favorite manga series. Well, aside from the fact that the remaining source material won’t be enough for a new season, the story itself is incomplete. Hence, there won’t be much hope for a second installment unless the mangaka resumes writing more manga volumes.
Author Hajime Ninomae’s Manga Can Be Used To Continue The Anime?
Several months before Sanbe concluded his immensely popular manga series, another author picked up a spin-off novel of the original story. Writer Hajime Ninomae began writing the after story of the Erased manga called Boku dake ga Inai Machi: Another Record or simply Erased: Another Record. Even after years of the manga’s conclusion, a lot of fans consider the spin-off novel to be a perfect continuation of the manga’s events. In fact, many people reckon that the Another Record story could be used for Erased Season 2 anime.
Well, the Another Record novel has only a limited amount of chapters. It serialized in Kadokawa’s monthly digital novel magazine Bungei Kadokawa. Several chapters were released between November 2015 and March 2016, yet they only constitute a single volume. Looking at that, Studio A-Pictures currently has two remaining volumes of the original manga and one volume of the spin-off novel. While the total amount of content will still be less for a full season, the creators can expand the novel’s story for more episodes. On the other hand, instead of a 12-episode season, they can reduce the number of episodes according to the available source material.
Movie Adaptation Of Boku dake ga Inai Machi
The original Erased manga has had several adaptations ever since it popularized, which even includes a live-action film. However, we’re yet to see an anime movie adaptation of the story. Well, given that only a limited amount of source material is remaining, the studio could make a film adaptation instead of Erased Season 2. While this might offend a lot of fans that are waiting for the second installment, the decision could be suitable for the producers. If the anime movie sequel is approved, it might also include author Hajime Ninomae’s after-story novel series.
Erased Season 2: Plot Details
The story of the popular anime series centers around Satoru Fujinuma, a manga novelist with a special ability known as ‘Revival.’ Using this power, he travels back in time right before a life-threatening event. Hence, it helps him prevent any significant bad situation before it could even happen. However, in a different turn of events, Satoru is sent 18 years back in time when an unknown assailant murdered his mother in his own house. Using this ability, the lead character can not only save his mother but also stop the kidnapping and killing of one of his classmates.
Based on the remaining source material’s plot, we will see more of the ‘murderer’ Gaku Yashiro in Erased Season 2. A significant section of the sequel will likely be based on Hajime Ninomae’s spin-off novel series. Even if the studio produces a movie adaptation instead of a series, it will likely adapt the after-story of the original manga. Hence, fans will have a look at the true motive behind his murders. We will also get to see Yashiro being sent to jail and getting Kenya Kobayashi (Satoru’s childhood friend) to fight his case. The first episode of Season 2 (or movie) might align with the events after the first season’s finale.
Is There A Trailer Of Boku dake ga Inai Machi Season 2?
As of now, neither of the company related to the anime’s production is planning to produce a second installment. However, given the popularity of the show, the renewal might knock at our doors anytime soon. A trailer or teaser of the sequel would only arrive after that. Until then, here’s a glimpse into the events of the debut season.
Erased Season 2: Release Date
Given that more than four years have passed since the anime’s initial release, this might be the best time for A-1 Pictures to announce a renewal. Once they give us the green flag, the production process of the new episode might take as long as a year to complete. Thus, based on that format, Erased Season 2 will probably hit the screens sometime around mid to late-2022. We promise to update this section once the studio announces an official release date.
What do you think should happen in the second season of Boku dake ga Inai Machi? Do you want another installment of the anime? Let us know in the comments below.