Japan Extends State of Emergency Order for COVID

COVID-19 has played a serious role in a number of delays and cancellations in the world of anime, [...]

COVID-19 has played a serious role in a number of delays and cancellations in the world of anime, with a number of series having to postpone the release of their episodes and feature-length films while certain conventions have had to shutter their doors, and it seems as if the country of Japan has had to step things up with a new emergency order in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Though obviously, this might affect the medium of anime, it affects all of the industries that are currently operating in Japan and clearly has affected the daily lives of the citizens of the country.

The prefectures of Japan that are currently being placed under the State of Emergency for an additional month include Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Aichi, Fukuoka, Gifu, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba. Recently, one of the biggest anime properties that was affected by this new order was the Evangelion franchise, which has had to indefinitely push back the release date of its final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon A Time. Originally pushed back from its release date of last year, the final story of this new take on Shinji Ikari, his fellow EVA pilots, and the workers of NERV has been long-awaited by fans and it seems as if they'll have to wait a bit longer.

A number of different anime series have had to push back the release of several of their episodes, including the likes of One Piece, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Black Clover, Case Closed!, and countless others thanks to the effort to "flatten the curve" in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. Needless to say, it definitely seems as if COVID-19 will continue to play a heavy role in the entertainment industry.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, some anime franchises have still been able to flourish, specifically Demon Slayer with its first feature-length film, Mugen Train, pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars despite COVID-19 spreading across the world. Though the coronavirus has put a halt to Demon Slayer's theatrical release in North America, the movie is still on track to eventually release in the West at some point this year as well!

What do you think of Japan's new state of emergency? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and those franchises affected by COVID-19!

Via ANN

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