Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was written and directed by Tetsuro Araki, the creator of Death Note and the iconic series Attack on Titan. It’s also produced by Wit Studio, the same team behind the legendary animes Attack on Titan, Seraph of the End, and The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
This dark fantasy anime series is not based on manga. It originally premiered on the big screen with twelve episodes from April 8th through June 30th of 2016. Ever since season one aired, fans have been in love with Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. So, will fans be getting Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress season 2? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the second season of this popular anime series.
A Quick Recap of Season One (Warning: Spoilers!)
This award-winning apocalyptic Japanese anime series depicts terrible horrors that occur during the Japanese Industrial Revolution. It utilizes a familiar theme but with a unique spin and plotline that make it stand out from other anime series. Amazing animation paired with heart-throbbing action scenes that portray humanity’s thirst for survival make this anime well-worth a watch.
The plot of season one is set in early 1900s Japan, where mysterious monsters begin to attack civilians. These monsters are known as Kabanes. Kabanes are believed to have originated and walked the earth about 250 years prior, and they are essentially the walking dead, or zombies.
They are aggressive and can only be slain when their glowing hearts are completely destroyed and ripped out. They are more alert than the typical zombies you’re used to seeing in TV shows and movies.
Kabanes are protected by a layer of iron sheath around their hearts that prevents most types of weapons from reaching and penetrating them. Even the most powerful weapons and steam-pressure guns are not effective at defeating them. However, what does work against them are the firearms and swords from the period of time that Kabanes originated (250 years previously).
On the island Hinomoto, humans build high-walled stations as a means to save themselves from the brutality of the Kabanes. They also begin using iron-armored trains called Hayajiro, which run on steam, so that they can travel from one city to another.
The show’s protagonist, Ikoma, lives in a station intended for use by the middle class called the Aragane Station. He is empathetic towards humankind and wants to help people instead of running away for his own safety. He assists in building the Hayajiro trains and starts making a weapon that’s intended to penetrate the hearts of the Kabanes and kill them instantly.
He successfully invents this anti-Kabane weapon, which is known as Tsuranuku Izutsu. He then searches for an opportunity to use this weapon in order to defeat a Kabane.
Ikoma meets a girl named Mumei. They embark together to find shelter with the other survivors of Kabane attacks in a Koutetsujou train sheathed in iron armor. The train is designed to carry the passengers to Kongokaku, one of the best strongholds, but the journey is not seamless. It’s a very long ride, and everyone is scared of the danger posed by the Kabanes.
During the journey, Ikoma and Mumei realize that something has gone terribly wrong. The staff on the train have turned into Kabanes as well, and the station is under attack. Ikoma uses this as an opportunity to try out his weapon and defeat the Kabanes, which he does successfully after putting up a strong fight.
Main Characters and Cast
This show has diverse characters that are very well-written and multi-layered. Each character is given a reasonable amount of screen time that effectively allows them to undergo great personal development.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress has won the hearts of anime enthusiasts with its great pace, intriguing storyline, and amazing characters. Their playful interactions and serious battle scenes make this show a treat to watch for anime viewers. If you are an action and horror lover, you will definitely find this show engaging and entertaining.
Some favorite characters are:
- Ikoma: (voiced by Tasuku Hatanak in Japanese and Robbie Daymond in English). He is an engineer who resides at the Aragane Station. He was brave and intelligent enough to invent a weapon that was used to kill a Kabane by breaking the iron cage surrounding its heart.
- Mumei: (voiced by Sayaka Senbongi in Japanese and Janice Kawaye in English). She is an unknown girl who boarded the Kotetsujo train with the rest of the survivors. She was transformed into a Kabaneri, a hybrid race of human and Kabane, through a surgical operation. She is a strong and bold fighter who can kill a Kabane effortlessly.
- Ayame Yomogawa: (voiced by Maaya Uchida in Japanese and Veronica Taylor in English). She is the eldest daughter of the governor family of Aragane Station. She became the leader of the survivors after her father’s death.
- Kurusu: (voiced by Toshiki Matsuda in Japanese and Jamieson Price in English). He is Ayame’s bodyguard and lover. His swordsmanship skills are remarkable, and he maintains his soberness and honesty.
- Takumi: (voiced by Yuki Kaji in Japanese and Ben Diskin in English). This is Ikoma’s best friend who helps him make the anti-Kabane weapon.
Should We Expect a Second Season?
The first season of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was released in 2016 with 12 episodes, known by its Japanese title Koutetsujou no Kabaneri. It turned out to be a huge success and was very well-received by anime lovers and critics.
The show received an overall 7.26 rating from more than 300,000 anime viewers and stands at 203 among My Anime List users. It was named the Best TV Anime of 2016 by the Newtype Anime Awards.
Since the season finale of this 12-episode anime series aired in June 2016, titled “Iron Fortress,” fans have been waiting for the new season impatiently. It has been rumored to return with a comeback season several times to no avail.
The anime franchise released three sequel movies after the end of the first season. Six months after the season finale of the show, the film Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato aired in Japanese theaters on May 10, 2019. It’s an 81-minute, three-part anime film that continues the plot of the main series.
However, the movie did not gain as much popularity as the original series, since it failed to meet the expectations of the viewers. Both the amazing anime series and its sequel movies can be accessed on online streaming platforms such as Crunchyroll, Amazon, and Netflix.
Unfortunately, Wit Studio has not announced any potential season 2 release date for this blockbuster anime so far, but fans are still hopeful that the show will be renewed.
What Factors Influence the Release of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2?
Fans loved season 1 and started speculating about the comeback season just after they finished watching the first season of this anime series. However, it’s unlikely that we’ll get a sequel to Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress for two main reasons.
First, the storyline of the series is inspired by an Ichiro Okouchi anime original, and apparently, the series has already concluded the storyline. Second, it’s been quite a long time since the first season’s premiere, so it’s unlikely that a new season will be made with such a large gap in between seasons.
Although there’s no hard and fast rule that an anime cannot produce a second season years after the first one, there is not much hope for a Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress season 2.
Where Can I Watch All Episodes With English Subtitles?
This popular anime series has gained a huge international audience. International fans who want to watch the series as English dubbed or with English subtitles can find the English subtitles version on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Due to some conflicts, the English dubbed version has been removed. However, the original Japanese anime version can still be viewed on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Conclusion
This anime is definitely considered popular thanks to a high search volume on Google and over 77.9k fans on Twitter. However, it doesn’t seem like the numbers are big enough to promise future seasons for this series.
We still have positive hopes for a Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress season 2, however unlikely. As soon as an official announcement is made, we’ll be sure to update you. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, be sure to check out our other anime-related articles on Comic Bento. It’s the best place to go for anything comic or manga-related!
