HIDIVE Streams Unfinished Episode of Its Biggest Summer Anime (By Accident)

When an episode becomes available on streaming, viewers expect that it will be the full episode. It wouldn’t make sense for only a portion of the episode to stream, yet that is what happened on HIDIVE on Sunday night, August 31st. HIDIVE streamed an incomplete version of episode 21 of the Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō anime series. The incomplete episode included missing frames, filters, and graphic effects. The episode appeared to be from an earlier part of the production, before the added results were included. HIDIVE confirmed the error with an official statement at Anime News Network, promising to fix the error as quickly as possible.

Sword of the Demon Hunter is one of HIDIVE’s biggest summer titles, with the streamer releasing episodes simulcast from Japan. The streaming platform also premiered an English dub featuring an all-star cast, including Aaron Campbell, Juliet Simmons, and Donna Bella Litton. Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō stars an Edo-era swordsman named Jinta, who is destined to spend over a hundred and seventy years fighting a demon throughout the ages. The series initially began as an online webnovel before being published in fourteen volumes by Futabasha in Japan and Seven Seas Entertainment in North America.

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HIDIVE’s Official Statement on Incomplete Sword of the Demon Hunter Episode

HIDIVE shared the following statement regarding Sword of the Demon Hunter’s latest episode:

Yesterday, HIDIVE streamed the new Episode 21 of the popular supernatural historical fantasy series Sword of the Demon Hunter Kijin Gentosho (Season 1, Part 2). As part of our commitment to subscribers and in order to meet the show’s simulcast schedule, the Licensor provided an interim version of the episode to release as scheduled on September 1. HIDIVE strives to always deliver the high-quality content that fans have come to expect and is rolling out the final version as quickly as possible for subscribers to enjoy.

While many would view HIDIVE’s action as unprofessional, the complex nature of releasing anime episodes simultaneously as their Japanese airdate should be noted. Multiple factors contribute to an anime being released on time, with many different parties involved. HIDIVE is under the whims of Sword of the Demon Hunter‘s studio, Yokohama Animation Laboratory. HIDIVE needs the assets for the episode before the official airdate so that the streamer can schedule the episode properly and provide appropriate adjustments, including accurate subtitles. If the animation studio falls behind, then HIDIVE falls behind. Rather than fall behind, the licensors for Sword of the Demon Hunter decided to provide an incomplete version of the episode so that it could make its stream date.

HIDIVE did not share when fans can expect to see the completed episode 21 for Sword of the Demon Hunter. The episode, called “The Wish Part 2,” has already aired in Japan. The anime has been hit with multiple production delays as is, with the series’ original June 27, 2024, premiere date delayed nearly a year later on March 31, 2025. It’s unknown how the situation will affect the schedule for episode 22 on HIDIVE.

How do you feel about this situation? Should HIDIVE have released the episode incomplete, or just postponed it? Answer below with your answers and thoughts!