Dororo Season 2 - What We Know So Far

In "Dororo," a lord from Japan's Warring States period pledges that he'll give anything to the demons who help him dominate and save the land. So, when his wish is fulfilled — but his son is born missing many of his organs — he gives the child to a midwife to dispose of. She can't bring herself to do this, instead placing him in a boat and sending him downriver. A sage finds young Hyakkimaru and fashions some organs to replace the ones he's lost, teaching him to become a ronin samurai in the process. Dororo is an orphan turned thief, who accompanies him on his mission to kill the demons that have eaten his body parts, restoring himself bit by bit. 

The anime series, based on a pioneering manga by Osamu Tezuka (the "godfather of Japanese manga comics"), actually aired in TV form back in 1968 and as a live-action movie in 2007. It even inspired a video game, "Blood Will Tell," in 2004. It was rebooted a few years ago in Japan and made available worldwide streaming through Amazon Prime (via Anime News Network) in 2019. To date, there's only been one season with 24 episodes. 

Will there be a second season of "Dororo," though? Here's what we know about Season 2 of this dark fantasy anime. 

To date, production company Mappa has not given "Dororo" a renewal and it is uncertain this will ever happen. The first season is being dubbed anew into English, however, and will reportedly see a DVD and digital release this summer, according to the Anime News Network. It's always possible that a new release, even of previously-done material, will make the show more popular worldwide, giving its creators a reason to return to it even if a second season hasn't been planned. 

There is no indication that a renewal is coming at this moment, however. It should be noted that there are only three full volumes of the original manga, which makes the story relatively short compared to some other manga adaptations, and also leaves less material to be adapted in future seasons. Should the show get a Season 2, it's worth noting that it would likely take the better part of a year to produce and release.

Should "Dororo" be renewed for Season 2, the cast would not be expected to change significantly, even after a period of several years between seasons. As there is currently no English dub for the series available to watch, only Japanese voiceover artists have been publicly attached to the project. These include Rio Suzuki as Dororo, Mugihito as the narrator, Hiroki Suzuki as Hyakkimaru, Mutsumi Sasaki as Biwamaru, Naoya Uchida as father of the year Daigo Kagemitsu, and Shoya Chiba as Tahomaru. Akio Ôtsuka plays Jukai, the kindly teacher who saves the organ-less baby and gives him his name. 

The English dubbed version, which is hopefully coming soon but without a set release date right now, will add a new set of actors to the mix. The 2019 series was written by Yasuko Kobayashi and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi. The show comes from the production companies Mappa, Tezuka Productions, and Twin Engine.

If there's one big reason that even many die-hard fans of the show are not necessarily expecting a renewal, it's the lack of a clear direction for the plot.

In the original manga, the main character has lost 48 of his organs (for reference, the human body apparently contains about 78, according to Live Science), and regaining them requires a pretty epic years-long journey. However, in the new show, he's only missing 12, making it possible for the 2019 anime to come to a conclusion faster than the original manga story, which was canceled and given a rather rushed ending. 

The new "Dororo" does conclude the story, but in a manner somewhat different from the original (via Monsters & Critics) — it removed a plotline that would have put young Dororo and Hyakkimaru in direct conflict and left an open-ended conclusion with a foreshadowing remark from the narrator: "Biwamaru believes that something more than blood or despair lies ahead for those two young souls," he says. 

Should a second season come, it might very well opt to go beyond the story enshrined in the original manga and take the characters on new adventures.