The Beginning After The End (commonly shortened to TBATE) is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about anime debuts of 2025, and not just for the reasons you might expect.
The show, adapted from TurtleMe’s hit web novel and manhwa, has only aired part of its first season, yet it’s already stirring conversations around a possible Season 2. Why? Because it already holds a crucial card that heavily influences renewal decisions: explosive early performance on Crunchyroll.
And while that may sound like just another stat in the streaming war, it’s actually a much bigger deal than you’d think.
A Second Chance Isekai With a Built-In Fanbase
Before it became a full-blown anime, The Beginning After The End was a popular web novel turned webtoon with a passionate fanbase. The story follows Arthur Leywin, a reincarnated king in a magical world, who retains all his memories from his past life.
Classic isekai material, but with a twist: TBATE isn’t just another power fantasy. It plays into themes of redemption and self-reinvention, resonating with readers who stuck around through hundreds of chapters in both the novel and the comic.
With such a rich story already laid out, the anime had a solid foundation. But adapting beloved source material comes with baggage, and expectations.
Season 1 of TBATE is set to run for 24 episodes, split into two parts (or “cours”). The first half started airing April 2, 2025, with new episodes dropping weekly on Crunchyroll internationally. The second half is slated for later this year.
Crunchyroll Numbers Don’t Lie
Crunchyroll holds the international streaming rights, and from the get-go, TBATE has dominated the platform’s engagement charts. It didn’t just do “well, ”it became the most liked anime among all currently airing shows on the platform at launch.
Let’s put this into perspective. Episode 1 of The Beginning After The End pulled in 78k likes on Crunchyroll. That might not sound like much, but it’s massive when compared to other big names: Fire Force Season 3, Episode 1 has 41k likes while Wind Breaker, Episode 14 has 43k likes.
That’s nearly double the engagement, and this is during a season with plenty of heavy hitters in rotation. For a new adaptation, these numbers are impressive. And they carry weight where it matters most.
While comments and likes might feel like vanity metrics, they serve a real purpose behind the scenes. The production committee, the group of investors and stakeholders who decide whether a show gets another season, tracks international engagement closely. Crunchyroll, being the primary platform for overseas viewers, offers insight into how well an anime is performing outside of Japan.
But There’s A Catch: Backlash From Long-Time Fans
Despite the strong start, not everyone is sold on the anime. In fact, TBATE has faced serious criticism, especially from long-time readers of the novel and webtoon.
The biggest complaint? Animation quality. Many viewers have called the visuals underwhelming, especially during fight scenes. The pacing has also come under fire, with some describing the early episodes as sluggish and weighed down by too much narration.
The discontent escalated beyond Reddit threads and YouTube comments, a fan petition demanding the anime be cancelled and remade gained over 11,000 signatures. That’s not just noise, it’s organized backlash.
So, is The Beginning After The End getting a second season? Nothing is confirmed yet, but based on how things are playing out, it’s got something that many other shows don’t: a massive, engaged international audience willing to watch and support the series despite its flaws.
