Anime Delays Are Finally Striking the Summer 2023 Season

Here we go again, guys. The anime industry may be huge, but don't mistake its popularity for invulnerability. A great many things can go wrong with an anime once it is in production. Of course, this includes any number of delays, and a new report has confirmed the summer 2033 season was just hit with such a blow.

The update comes from the team behind Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. It turns out episode 5 has been delayed as it was set to debut this week. The postponement is due to a special program's release in Japan. As far as we know, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is all good where production is concerned, so episode 5 will go live on August 13th.

If you are not familiar with Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead made its anime debut last month. Bug Films made a striking debut with the anime as its first episode was met with praise by animation enthusiasts. From its aspect ratio to its color palette, everything in Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead has been on point. You can see why this last-minute delay surprised the fandom then, but so far, all seems well with the anime.

With one delay on hand, it is just a matter of time before the anime industry experiences more. The spring 2023 season was littered with delays including Nier: Automata's adaptation, and much of these pauses were due to production issues. As anime becomes bigger across the globe, the competition to impress audiences is now higher than ever. For many production studios, they churn out as much content as possible to stay relevant, but this over-saturation has led to unstable work conditions. It is no secret the anime industry operates on thin margins, so even the slightest jostle can lead to long-lasting delays. So hopefully, Zom 100 will avoid such a fate.

If you are not familiar with Zom 100, you can catch up on the anime through Netflix. So for more details, you can read its official synopsis here: "After spending years toiling away for a soul-crushing company, Akira's life has lost its luster. But when a zombie apocalypse ravages his town, it gives him the push he needs to live for himself. Now Akira's on a mission to complete all 100 items on his bucket list before he...well, kicks the bucket."

What do you think about this Zom 100 pushback? Do you think this delay is the start of something larger? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!