The Promised Neverland Director Gives Update on Season 2

The anime adaptation of Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu’s The Promised Neverland was one of the breakout stars of the Winter 2019 anime season, and thankfully that popularity was rewarded with the confirmation that a second season was going to be released sometime next year. But outside of the special announcement trailer released shortly after the first season, things have been relatively quiet for the anime series.

Director Mamoru Kanbe attended a special panel for the series at Anime Expo 2019, and shared an update as to how production was looking for the second season so far. ComicBook.com’s own Megan Peters was there in attendance, and noted what Kanbe had to say.

As she reports, Kanbe said there are “challenges and hurdles” to the second season but confirmed that “work is underway.” While the first season focused on Emma and the other children escaping from Grace Field House, the second season will focus on whether Emma can live up to her promise of “freeing everyone for good.” A producer for Aniplex also confirmed that production for the second season is currently “on going,” and mentioned that the cast hopes fans can enjoy the second season as much as they did the first.

There is currently no concrete release date or window for the second season of The Promised Neverland as of this writing, but it sounds like things are steadily coming together for its release in 2020. The original manga becomes and entirely different series when Emma and the others escape, and fans of the anime will be hoping the same happens for the second season.

Licensed by Aniplex of America, The Promised Neverland is now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and HIDIVE. Mamoru Kanbe directs the anime for CloverWorks, and Toshiya Ohno handles the series composition, Kazuaki Shimada serves as character designer for the series, and Takahiro Obata composes the music.

Originally created by Kaiu Shirai with illustrations provided by Posuka Demizu, The Promised Neverland joined Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 2016. It’s been a key series ever since its debut, leading to selling over 4.2 million copies in such a short time. The Promised Neverland is licensed by VIZ Media for an English language release and is described as such:

“Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.”