Will there be a sequel to Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash?
Today, isekai is a genre as hackneyed as anime, but it was once quite fresh and witty. In fact, one of the best isekai anime in history was released before the genre became so ubiquitous. Based on a series of light novels, "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (Hai to Gensou no Grimgar)" was a much darker and more character-driven story than today's isekai.
The success of the franchise and the quality of its scripts can be seen in the successful and continuing series of light novels. Despite the good reception it had - and that its premise would make it an even bigger success today - the "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" anime only had one season in 2016. Below we tell you what the series was about and when we could see a continuation.
"Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" involves a group of people who are suddenly thrust into the role of Volunteer Trainee Soldiers, hunting for fearsome goblins in the world of Grimgar. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that these people are not native to Grimgar, but are trapped in this world by mysterious circumstances.
The flashbacks also show how many of the original group members survived and became soldiers, although some fared better than others. From there, a story full of world-building, sacrifices, and intense character development unfolds. Much of the fanservice and less popular elements of many of today's isekai clichés are nowhere to be found. Instead, the strengths of the genre are shown.
The original "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" light novels were created by Ao Jumonji and Eiri Shirai, and the series is still ongoing. It also had a brief manga adaptation between 2015 and 2016, and the anime's first season aired throughout 2016. Since then, however, everything has been pretty quiet on the anime front.
The lack of a second season could be due in part to the popularity of the first one. Even though the manga was quite popular, the anime did not fare as well as the success of light novels suggested. In part, this may be due to the bad times in which the series aired. The popularity of isekai was growing, but it was nowhere near the goose that laid the golden eggs that it is now. Similarly, streaming anime was also not as widespread as it is today, so anime with low live viewership would not have been able to recover it through streaming views.
It's not uncommon for anime to air again after a long hiatus, and since the "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" light novels are still being published, there's a chance to move a lot of content to the big screen. Whether or not this revives the Grimgar anime for a second season may depend on the level of demand it has.
©2016 十文字青・オーバーラップ/灰と幻想のグリムガル製作委員会
