A visually stunning anime based on a 16th century samurai blew audiences away when it debuted in April of 2021. Viewers are now eagerly awaiting news of a second season of Yasuke, but fans of the Netflix anime may have a long while to wait.
The first season of Netflix’s reimagined samurai series blew audiences away with its melding of real historical events with magic, technology, and demons. The six-episode season also injected some much-needed diversity into the world of anime and delivered a stellar performance from its talented cast.
Yasuke’s first season set the stage for a range of potential storylines in season two, introducing audiences to a captivating cast of characters, many of whom survived the events of the first season and would likely make a return in any fresh episodes.
The first six episodes of the series were also very well received by audiences and critics alike. It has “generally favorable” reviews on Metacritic, where the first season earned a score of 72, and a full 93% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers broadly praise the first season as “gorgeous” and emotionally deep, though many feel it was overstuffed. In general, it seems that the first season suffered from its length, which was far too short for many people.
When does season two of Yasuke come out?
If the team behind Yasuke learns from reviews of its first season, the second season will add a few episodes — or at least some extra length — to its lineup. This will allow the characters and story to better develop and will provide more space for the second season’s storyline to evolve.
The question of whether or not there will be a second season of Yasuke still lingers, according to Looper, but the solid response to season one indicates that Netflix would be foolish to ignore its potential. Anime often take longer to develop than live-action releases, which could be behind the lack of an official season two confirmation. If the season is in development but is still several years from release, the Yasuke team may have decided to keep details scarce until it has something substantial to share.
If a second season happens, fans can likely expect a release in 2023 or early 2024. With no details out yet, it’s exceedingly unlikely that the second season will drop any time in 2022 — a disappointment for fans, but ultimately expected. Besides, if we want the second season to hold up to the stellar first, we must be patient. Art takes time, and a rushed product is never worthwhile.
We’ve likely got at least a year’s wait ahead of us, if not more, before Yasuke season two drops. All we can do for now is hope that Netflix sees the potential in the stellar series and perhaps re-binge the first season in anticipation of what may come next.
