The low popularity, sudden changes in the production team and the lack of material to animate are some of the main factors that influence that most of the series stay in a season of between 12-24 episodes, with no possibility of a second one. . What factors are involved in the production decision?
Anime popularity
It is clear that to get a second season, the series must first achieve an adequate level of popularity. If the first season is poorly received by fans then there is a very low probability of continuation. The studies determine the level of popularity based on the television rating and the amount of related merchandise sold since they represent income for production.
It should be mentioned that the rating is not necessarily related to quality. It is rather determined by how many people watch the program during its broadcast on television or streaming through official platforms.
Sales, meanwhile, are measured by the number of merchandise sold, such as Blu-ray / DVD, illustrations, and scale figures. Naruto and his multiple filler seasons are an example of this, as fans of the series regularly and consistently buy merchandise from the franchise, which translates to enough revenue to produce more seasons.
Changes and availability of staff
Although it is possible to produce a second season of an anime, it is also possible that the same production team does not participate in it. This can have both a positive and a negative impact.
Due to the absence of staff members, replacements will have to take their place despite not having participated in the original project. Sometimes members unfamiliar with the series are potential elements in causing a change in workflow and content productivity, especially if they are replacing key members of production, for example, the director.
On the other hand, it can also be a potential opportunity to include people with new ideas and perspectives that could ultimately make a product more successful than the original. Usually studios strive to keep the original equipment, and even the absence of some members may delay the production of a second season.
But this is not something exclusive to the staff, since there can also be problems with the voice actors. Consistency is very important and unless there is an emergency or an inevitable situation, studios will always keep the voices of their characters. This presents an obvious conflict, since the agendas of the voice actors cannot be available to the producers.
The delay in the second season of Shingeki no Kyojin was a perfect example, as Yuuki Kaji, the voice actor for Eren Jaeger, is in high demand and was involved in various projects. His extreme workload and busy schedule caused production delays, as he was not entirely available.
Lack of material to animate
While there are many original series that start directly in animation, most are adaptations from other sources, such as manga, light novels, and video games. It is clear to think that if the anime catches up with the source material, there will be no new season until the latter has progressed significantly.
Light novels and manga are especially affected by this situation. Clear examples are the Oregairu and Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai light novels.
Both series were successful enough to have a second season, but because the anime adaptations covered the content of the source material available until then, the second seasons were forced to be suspended indefinitely.
When it comes to video games, animation studios have an even greater challenge when the material to adapt runs out. This is because when a series of video games ends, it means that the story is completely closed. The only way to get a second season is if there is any future release related to the saga that can offer content to adapt.
Steins; Gate is an example of this, as after his first visual novel was complete, it wasn't until the launch of the Steins; Gate 0 spin-off that a new anime adaptation occurred.
In summary, getting a second season of an anime is quite complicated. While some series never received a follow-up, others get new seasons almost every year. For fans who despair at the fact that a series doesn't get continuation, it's always a good idea to read the source material and support productions by purchasing merchandise or watching the series through legal streaming platforms.
