Toonami Executive Weighs In on Shenmue Season 2 Rumors
Shenmue The Animation is one of the biggest original anime series to be created by Toonami, with the Cartoon Network programming block partnering with Crunchyroll to adapt the beloved video game franchise. In a recent question and answer session on Twitter, the co-creator of the platform, Jason DeMarco, took the opportunity to break down the chances of the series focusing on the adventures of Ryo making a return in the future, giving fans an idea regarding the future of the video game adaptation.
The first season of Shenmue The Animation took a major opportunity in telling Ryo's story to wrangle in viewers familiar with the beloved video game franchise, with the initial episodes numbering thirteen episodes total. With the video game series having three titles to its name, there are still plenty of stories that the Toonami series has yet to adapt. A second season has yet to be confirmed at this point, though fans took the opportunity to ask Jason DeMarco directly as to whether or not the video game adaptation would eventually be making a comeback. Whether or not Shenmue does eventually return, it's clear that Toonami still has plenty of original series coming down the pike.
Jason DeMarco used his Official Twitter Account to walk fans through the chances of Shenmue The Animation returning for a second season, with the return of Ryo Hazuki seemingly having a chance of around 60-70% of making a comeback on the Cartoon Network programming block in the future:
Currently a 6 or 7, I’d say?
— SPIRAL CURSE DEMARCO (@Clarknova1) June 26, 2022
When it comes to the video game series that first arrived on the Sega Dreamcast decades ago, there are no current plans for a Shenmue 4 following the recent revival of the series via its third installment. The anime came about thanks in part to Toonami partnering with Crunchyroll, bringing on the animation studio Telecom Animation Film, which was a similar scenario to how Fena: Pirate Princess was created.
Do you want to see Shenmue The Animation return for a second season? Where would you want to see Ryo go if the anime series were to make a comeback? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of anime video game adaptations.
