It’s no secret COVID-19 has changed everyone’s way of life, either temporarily or permanently (to be determined), and it is being proven that Anime is also not immune to it’s effects. Production dates are slipping on several series, most important of which we’ve tracked down and provided here. Here’s our top delays that we think will impact the most viewers at this time:
Seven Deadly Sins
Season 4 Delayed Indefinitely: Seven Deadly Sins has been a fan favorite for some, but for many it was lackluster last season and most viewers were hoping for a redeemable season. It seems that season is no where in sight for now, as there is a delay on the anime release date for Season 4, with no scheduled new release date posted yet. This is a bummer for most of us as we were hoping to get back into this sooner rather than later. With the season suspended indefinitely, it is going to be hard for the anime to pick up steam again in the future. Waiting for the next season? Buy & watch Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3 in the meantime!
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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Production Delayed May 3rd and Onward: The Boruto anime series needs no introduction. They were scheduled to air their 155th episode on May 3rd, however they will begin re-airing episodes starting at 1 after its April 26th episode 154 will air as normal. The series was just entering into the excitement of a new arc, but all of that will be on hold until production can continue at a regular and sustainable pace. Fingers crossed, sooner than later!
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Haikyu!! To The Top
Second Half Delayed: Haikyu was about to release the second half of its anime in June, however it has also been delayed now until further notice. The committee will announce a new release date at some point in the future, hopefully within the summer time-frame. This is an up and coming series that deserves attention for not only those that enjoy sports but exciting competition type anime!
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One Piece
Delayed April 26 and onward: Toei Animation has decided to delay their continuation of the Wano arc, with episode 930 being delayed until further notice. They will rerun starting at the beginning of Wano moving forward. If One Piece is what you’re looking forward to, there are 929 episodes to fill your heart until they continue airing. The long running series has a huge following and will continue to be the favorite for many enthusiasts.
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Black Clover
Production Delayed May 5th and Onward: The production committee for Black Clover has decided to delay its scheduled episodes airing May 5th and moving forward. They will instead rerun it’s first episode and continue until delays end. Black Clover started off with one season comprised of only a few episodes. Due to popularity it continued to expand, resulting in over 133 episodes. We will see how they recover from the delays once they continue airing where they left off.
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Sword Art Online
Final Season Delayed April 25th Onward: The final season for Sword Art Online (Sword Art Online: Alicization War of Underworld Part 2) was set to premiere on April 25th, however it has been postponed until further notice. The delay has been a huge let down for those faithfully waiting for the final season to arrive, in hopes that it would answer open ended questions that still lingered.
Sources:
- https://comicbook.com/anime/news/seven-deadly-sins-angers-judgement-delay-anime/
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-05-21/haikyu-to-the-top-anime-2nd-half-delayed-due-to-covid-19/.159798
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-20/boruto-naruto-next-generations-anime-delays-new-episodes-due-to-covid-19/.158793
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-19/one-piece-anime-delays-new-episodes-due-to-covid-19/.158758
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-26/black-clover-anime-delays-new-episodes-due-to-covid-19/.159017
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-10/sword-art-online-alicization-war-of-underworld-anime-2nd-part-delayed-to-july/.158461
- For further reading and a larger list of affected anime, head over here: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-21/list-of-shows-films-manga-games-affected-by-covid-19/.158799