by It’s been more than two years since the theatrical release was decided.
While it’s exciting to hear about an anime or sequel adaptation of a favorite work, there are often long waits for new information due to the many intertwining circumstances.
Meanwhile, 2025 was a year when projects that fans had been worried about began to move forward one after another. Most recently, on November 16th, it was revealed that “The Detective is Already Dead Season 2” will air in July 2026, approximately three years after its production was confirmed. Also on the 28th of the same month, it was reported that “The Saga of Tanya the Evil II,” which hadn’t seen a follow-up for over four years, would also be broadcast in 2026.
Meanwhile, many works that have been confirmed for production still lack follow-up news, and many works that have high fan expectations despite no sequel plans having been announced.
The theatrical release of “I Want to Become a Shadow Powerful!” has been confirmed for over two years, but… “I Want to Become a Shadow Power! (original work by Daisuke Aizawa).” is a dark fantasy story about the reincarnated protagonist, Shido Kagenou, whose delusions as a shadowy powerhouse eventually lead to a global conspiracy and his subsequent involvement in a series of events.
The series aired its second season on TV from 2022 to 2023. While its appeal lies in its comedic elements that exploit the conventions of so-called “Narou” stories, its harsh worldview, including the appearance of a hostile organization willing to sacrifice human life, has also gained popularity. Following its high level of support, when the second season concluded in 2023, it was announced that an all-new film, “I Want to Become a Shadow Power! Reverberation Arc,” would be in the works.
The teaser visuals are striking, featuring meaningful scenes, such as the destruction of the Kageno family’s tomb, which recalls the protagonist’s previous life. A teaser video released in May 2024 generated excitement, with fans saying, “It looks like it’ll have a lot of original anime elements, so I’m looking forward to it!” However, no further news has been released for over a year, and many fans are anxiously awaiting it. Will there be a “follow-up” after the rebroadcast ends? The TV anime “Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina” (original work by Jounori Shiraishi), which aired on TV in 2020, tells the story of the protagonist, a witch named Elaina, who, as the title suggests, travels and encounters various events and troubles in the countries she visits.
The epilogue of the final episode depicts a scene in which Elaina mixes up her diary with another girl’s. In fact, in the original work, this diary swap triggers a new development, so anticipation was high for this production, which could be seen as a prelude to a popular episode. However, even now, five years after the broadcast, there has been no official announcement regarding the production of a sequel.
However, with a rebroadcast in October 2025 to commemorate the series’ fifth anniversary, viewers are expressing growing anticipation for a sequel, with comments like, “It’s been five years, so please make a second season,” and “I hope the rebroadcast is a hint at a sequel.” The original author also addressed the “rumors” that a second season won’t be made.
The TV anime “No Game No Life” (original work by Kamiya Yuu), which aired in 2014, is still known as a work fans clamor for a sequel to, even more than 10 years after its broadcast ended. The story follows a brother and sister genius gamers who are summoned to another world by a mysterious god.
The story follows the pair’s rapid rise in a world where the outcome of games determines everything. Despite its immense popularity, there have been no new developments in the film adaptation since the 2017 release of “No Game No Life Zero.” Given the ample source material for a sequel and its immense popularity, fans have speculated on a variety of reasons for this. Among other things, there was speculation that the lack of a sequel stemmed from the author’s poor health and the fact that the final episode of the TV anime ended with the contents of volume 6, the latest volume at the time.
However, the original author, Enomiya, denied the rumors on social media, saying, “It’s not a matter of money, or even of anyone.” He also mentioned, “The fact that it was ‘too good’ is what’s making it difficult to make a second season.” If a second season is realized, we can expect even better work than the first season, which was “too good.”
