Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: Will There Be A Season 2?
Many fans doubted that Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress has any chances for a next season. However, in December 2016, Wit Studio announced that they are working on a new television project. Soon after, the official teaser of a new Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress work appeared on the official website of the anime. But, in fact, there has been no news that it would be precisely Season 2. The official statement is literally about "new production decision," which must be completed in 2018. Like many other media outlets, we considered this decision as the production of the second season. But we prefer to be more accurate, similar to ANN. It turned out later that the studio prepares another surprise titled Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato, an anime theatrical film, which will premiere in Q2 2019.
In any case, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri is the award-winning anime, which deserves the next installment. It's always difficult to foresee the future of any anime series if it has no base such as a light novel series or manga. However, in the case of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, it wasn't an issue to predict a sequel. First of all, AMAZON is a broadcaster of the anime across the globe. As a rule, AMAZON picks up the initially successful projects for video streaming. Secondly, this anime won the 2016 Newtype Anime Awards for Best TV Anime. Finally, two anime films followed after the ending of the first season. Thus, it was a hint that Wit Studio is going to extend the franchise.
As for reception by the target audience, it was mostly average but pretty favorable. On MAL, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri has a score of 7.32/10 based on ~ 186,000 votes. On IMDb, the action series has a rating of 7.4/10 > 2,300 votes. Nonetheless, also worth noting that a response was mixed. Some fans regarded Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress as another masterpiece, while others considered this anime mediocre.
So, why the show's creators decided to film another television project if all the indicators were average? The answer is pretty simple, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri was incredibly successful in the BD/DVD sales. At the time of the start of sales, over 6,700 items were sold per week. Of course, over time, this figure decreased up to ~ 600 BD per week. Nevertheless, such a commercial success of the franchise forced the show's creators to start thinking about a sequel. Besides, both movies confirmed that the viewers are waiting for the continuation of the story, especially, given the fact that the films have only repeated the storyline of the first season of the anime.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress started off in April 2016 on Fuji TV. WIT STUDIO, Inc. served as a developer of the anime series. Amazon Prime Video served as a streamer of the show worldwide. The first season of Koutetsujou no Kabaneri consisting of twelve episodes came to an end on June 30, 2016. Two anime films titled Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress - Part 1: Gathering Light and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress - Part 2: Burning Life followed after the season finale. On December 15, 2016, Wit Studio announced a new anime project, which we consider Koutetsujou no Kabaneri Season 2.
What Is Koutetsujou no Kabaneri About?
The story describes the post-apocalyptic world, after the industrial revolution. An unknown virus infected many people in Japan. As a result, these humans turned into Kabane, zombie-like creatures. However, unlike zombies, Kabane is almost invincible. Any weapon can't destroy them. The only way to cope with Kabane is to kill its heart, which hides behind a layer of lead. Over time, most of the people managed to hide behind the walls of the fortress-like stations. The movement between the stations is accomplished thanks to the armored steam locomotives. One day, a Kabane managed to hijack a locomotive. As a result, the hordes of Kabane broke through Aragane Station.
The storyline focuses on a young engineer named Ikoma. He developed the "piercing gun," a weapon, which apparently might resist Kabane. He was managed to test his weapon successfully. However, as a result of a battle, he has been infected. He managed to cope with the virus somehow. But, Ikoma turned into Kabaneri, a human-Kabane hybrid. The subsequent story thereby revolves around the adventures of Ikoma, who, assisted by a group of survivors is trying to find a shelter, fighting hordes of Kabane on the way.
Season 2 Release Date
As mentioned above, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri will return in 2019 as an anime theatrical film. So, we doubt that Season 2 might be released earlier than in 2020. In any case, we are waiting for the official announcement. Stay tuned for updates. We will keep you informed on the subject.
