Why Doesn’t Your Anime Get a Second Season?
Why doesn’t your anime get a second season? The author of Days with My Stepsister has an explanation, which he shared on his Twitter profile. Hopefully, after reading what he said, you’ll better understand why many famous anime never get another chance.
According to him, when a producer explains why anime don’t get a second season, the answer goes far beyond ratings or fan requests, involving structural, financial, and even human issues within the production process.
The author of Days with My Stepsister explained that one of the main reasons an anime doesn’t receive a second season is how studios evaluate profitability.
Even if the first season was well received, that alone doesn’t guarantee that a continuation will be approved. For studios, the risk of reinvesting in a project may not be worth it, especially in an increasingly competitive and expensive market.
Some examples of anime that had well-received first seasons but still didn’t secure a second season include No Game No Life, Claymore, and Ouran High School Host Club.
Another important point he raised is the difficulty of bringing the original staff back together. Many people think it’s enough to bring back the director or the scriptwriter, but in reality, an anime is the result of the collective work of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of professionals.
Key animators, assistants, animation directors, and other essential staff members often have their schedules booked years in advance. When a producer explains why anime don’t get a second season, this factor weighs heavily on the final decision.
That said, even if Souta Ueno, who directed the first season of Days with My Stepsister, were to return for a second season, Mikawa believes it would be impossible to produce an anime of the same quality without the full original team involved.
Producing a sequel without the same professionals can result in an anime that looks worse or loses its identity, something that often frustrates fans (One Punch Man is a good example).
Time is also a silent enemy. According to the author, the process of making a new season viable can take six to seven years. This includes negotiating contracts, aligning schedules, approving the project, and finally putting it into production. During this period, public interest may fade, making the investment even less attractive to studios.
He also pointed out that even with a high budget, success is not guaranteed. Forcing production with money alone, without the ideal team, can lead to results that fail to meet expectations. On top of that, anime production costs have increased significantly in recent years, making high-quality projects harder to sustain.
In the end, the author of Days with My Stepsister stated that there is currently nothing planned regarding a second season of the anime, but he intends to continue the series through other formats.