April 8 marked the 10th anniversary of No Game No Life season 1.
Typically, many studios and production committees release visuals or even sequel announcements for their respective series on such occasions. However, the No Game No Life social media accounts remained silent, once again disappointing fans.
Despite being one of the most highly requested anime sequels, No Game No Life season 2 has not been given the green light. In a recent poll held by r/anime, the biggest anime subreddit, to determine the most wanted anime sequel, No Game No Life ranked first.
The series is also immensely popular in Japan, with its light novel often making the top 10 sellers list. So, what could be the reason behind the lack of a second season?
Plagiarism Controversy
In 2016, No Game No Life author Yuu Kamiya was caught tracing the artwork of an artist from pixiv. Fortunately, the situation was resolved quickly, as Yuu Kamiya apologized to the said author, and since then, there has been no further controversy regarding the author.
While this incident could be one of the reasons why No Game No Life season 2 has not been greenlit, it is worth noting that a new movie titled No Game No Life Zero was released in 2017, indicating that the plagiarism controversy should have little to no impact on the sequel’s chances.
However, considering that plagiarism is taken very seriously in Japan, and the consequences can be severe. In the Japanese entertainment industry, plagiarism scandals have led to the cancellation of shows, and even the disbandment of musical groups.
Given the gravity of the issue in Japan, there is still a bleak chance that the decision not to move forward with No Game No Life season 2 might be related to this incident. The studio and production committee involved may be hesitant to associate themselves with a series whose author has been involved in a plagiarism controversy, even if it was resolved quickly.
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The Series Was Done Too Well
Another potential reason for the lack of a second season is that the first season of No Game No Life was done too well. The animation was of such high quality and the series became so popular that studio Madhouse may be afraid of failing to meet expectations with a sequel. This information comes directly from the author himself.
Yuu Kamiya previously stated on Twitter that he also doesn’t know why there is no news on No Game No Life season 2. He emphasized that money is not the problem, and the only reason he believes is preventing the green light for a sequel is that the first season was done too well.
“So I cannot tell you what is the reason why there is no second season, but it is not a problem of money, much less with someone else. Perhaps the problem is that ‘it was done too well’, so much so that it is difficult to make a second season with the same quality,” Kamiya tweeted.
While the reasons behind the lack of a No Game No Life season 2 remain uncertain, fans should not lose hope. In recent years, many older anime series have been getting renewed or remade, proving that it’s never too late for a beloved series to make a comeback. One notable example is Rurouni Kenshin, which received a remake after 15 years.
Similarly, the long-running series One Piece is also getting a complete remake from the highly regarded Wit Studio, known for their work on Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga.
As No Game No Life continues to maintain its popularity and rank highly among fans’ most wanted sequels, there is always a possibility that the series may eventually receive the green light for a second season.
