Anime's Summer and Fall Seasons Are in Jeopardy Due to the Pandemic

It goes without saying that the time we are living in now is unprecedented for the modern age. The ongoing pandemic has wreaked havoc on global society as country after country prepare lock down regulations to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading. Of course, the entertainment industry has taken some big knocks from this ordeal, and the anime sector is not different. A slew of shows have been delayed as Japan grapples with its handle on the virus, and that may mean dreadful news for the rest of our 2020 anime run.

A new report by Yahoo Japan was released not long ago, and it is there fans were told to brace for impact. It seems more likely by the day that future cours this year will be cancelled given the social distancing guidelines impacting Japan. Animators will not be able to draw, and voice actors will be locked out of recording booths. So if you thought things were bad now, then just wait a little longer.

"The anime industry has been hit hard by the spread of the new coronavirus, the article shares. "Production has stopped now that voice actors' post-production recording was stopped. It seems more works will be postponed."

Continuing, the article breaks down the reason why the Summer and Fall cours for 2020 might fall into disarray. "Currently, Japan broadcasts about 100 anime each year. It is said that it takes about 10 months to produce one cour."

"Anime takes the longest time of all programs including dramas and variety shows. Even if production returned to normal, anime cannot be broadcast immediately. There will be more postponed works."

Given how much work is left to bee done on some series, it seem likelier than ever that anime is in for a rough few months. Major series like One Piece and Pokemon have already confirmed their hiatus plans with other like Re:Zero having joined in. So if you were looking forward to a later anime this year, you better cross your fingers that it still releases on time.

What do you make this report? Where do you see anime goinng this year? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCBto talk all things comics and anime!