Arifureta Shokugyou De Sekai Saikyou Season 2 - What We Know So Far

When it comes to anime, one of the hardest parts of the job for creators is saying something new. Anime is a revered genre that's brought happiness to millions for decades. But like many genres, it also has its established tropes and clichés. But one recent anime series that mostly manages to avoid falling into those same familiar moments is "Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou," or "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest." 

"Arifureta" has a classic anime setup. The main character is an otaku, Hajime Nagumo. One day, Hajime and many of his classmates get transported to a magical world called Tortus, and all of Hajime's classmates get better superpowers than he does. After one of his classmates betrays him, Hajime does a heel turn and learns to love violence and danger. Then the series falls into Harem territory, as Hajime romances various classmates while they all try to save Tortus from demons. 

The first season of "Arifureta" aired in 2019, covering about the first four volumes of the manga it's based on. That leaves six more volumes of possible source material that could be adapted going forward. Here's everything we know about a possible second season of "Arifureta." 

According to Anime Collective, "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest" Season 2 will debut on Japanese TV during the Winter 2022 anime season. It doesn't yet have an exact premiere date, but it's currently listed as January 2022.

For English-speaking viewers who prefer to watch the dubbed version, most likely episodes from Season 2 of "Arifureta" will follow Season 1's schedule and premiere online two weeks after they air in Japan. Funimation currently has the rights to the English-language version of "Arifureta." Season 1 premiered in Japan on July 8, 2021, and the first episode was available on Funimation on July 22. If the second season of "Arifureta" follows the same schedule, new episodes will be available in the U.S. on Mondays at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. 

Season 1 also included two short OVAs, which were included as part of the season's second and third DVD releases. The third DVD set went on sale on Feb. 26, 2020, about four months after the Season 1 finale. So, if season 2 also gets OVAs, look for them three to four months after the finale airs in Japan.

According to Monsters & Critics, most of the Season 1 Japanese voice cast of "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest" will be returning for the anime's second season. That includes Toshinari Fukamachi as the main character, Hajime Nagumo, as well as Yuuki Kuwahara, who plays Yue, Hajime's vampire love interest. The actors who play Hajime's classmates will be back, too. They include Minami Takahashi as Shea Haulia, Youko Hikasa as Tio Klarus, Saori Ounishi as Kaori Shirasaki, and Yumiri Hanamori as Shizuku Yaegashi. 

"Arifureta" Season 2 will also see two new main characters added to the series. Liliana S. B. Heiligh is the princess of the Land of Heiligh and an artist, and she'll be played by Noriko Shibasaki. There's also Noint, an emissary of the god Ehit, who created Tortus. She'll be played by Rina Satou in the new season.

At this point, no specific plot details for Season 2 of "Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest" are available, but we can make an educated guess what it will be about based on where Season 1 left off, as well as the existing source material. According to various "Arifureta" fans on Reddit, Season 1 of the anime adapted the first four volumes of the "Arifureta" manga (although it also left out several major moments). Ten volumes of "Arifureta" manga have been published, so that leaves six more volumes that could be adapted for the anime. 

When Season 1 ended, our hero Hajime had mostly undergone his transformation from unpopular otaku to danger-seeking bad boy. At the end of the season, Hajime and his classmates defeated the mage Yukitoshi Shimizu, who had sided with the demons that have overrun Tortus. Volume 5 of the anime picks up after the defeat of Shimiziu and finds Hajime and his classmates making a long trek across a desert to the coastal city of Erisen. Along the way, they discover a mysterious disease that's been ravaging the population, and they look for a cure. As far as Hajime's personal life is concerned, as with many anime, he's been involved in a will they/won't they dynamic with his main love interest Yue (while also hooking up with his other classmates, since this is a Harem anime). Season 2 could be the season when they finally go for it, but the show could easily milk it for another few seasons.