Gleipnir Season 2 - Will It Ever Happen?

With a concept as odd as its name, "Gleipnir" is the kind of anime you can't discuss with your parents. Not because it's one of those "naughty" anime (it is, but that's besides the point), but because it's filled with all manner of oddities and Cronenberg-like body horror. Yet, as Anime News Network pointed out in its review of the show, there's something compelling about all that grossness. On top of that, there are layers to the story and characters that you wouldn't find with a lot of family-friendly anime.

Originally written as a manga by author and artist Sun Takeda, "Gleipnir" focuses on the adventures of one disgusting dynamic duo. The most eye-catching one is Shuichi, an average high school boy with the power to horrifically morph his body into a hollow mascot suit armed with a revolver. When his powers are discovered by the ill-tempered Clair, she becomes the pilot to his freakish flesh-mech, and the two set out on a journey to track down Clair's murderous sister. As they progress, they find themselves in the center of a secret coin-finding game run by a shapeshifting alien that has all-too-much to do with the pair's disturbing backstories.

Season 1 wrapped up in 2020, and "Gleipnir" fans are still waiting to find out whether or not they will see more of this supernatural thriller anime. Is there any hope for "Gleipnir" Season 2? Here's what we know.

There have been no official announcements regarding a continuation of the series as of yet. While this far from excludes the possibility of a Season 2, fans should prepare themselves to be in this for the long haul. After all, it's already been three years since Season 1 ended. The fact that Pine Jam, the anime studio behind the show, has neglected to speak on the Season 2 question raises several concerns. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that took place across Japan as a result played havoc with the anime industry, leading to delays across the board. Thankfully, things are now back on track, but the issue is that "Gleipnir" isn't the only show on Pine Jam's to-do list.

The studio has been busy since Season 1 of "Gleipnir" finished and at the time of this writing they have multiple projects in the pipeline. Of course, it's not unheard of for an anime to switch studios between seasons, so why hasn't this happened with "Gleipnir" yet? It could be that producers were waiting for the manga to wrap up its story first, and that's now happened. The manga came to a close with Volume 14 in 2023, with Sun Takeda bringing his story to a somewhat divisive ending. Fans were split over how it all panned out, but the positive thing is that there's enough material for a second season should the powers that be ever decide to push ahead with it.

In the wake of Shuichi and Clair's fight with Elena, the situation regarding the coin game and Shuichi's past has only become more complex by the end of Season 1. The battle ends somewhat inconclusively, with a sudden interruption from a ghostly girl who may or may not be Shuichi's supposedly dead friend Honoka. Before this insurmountable specter can cause any damage, however, Elena erases Shuichi's memories. He loses his knowledge of the alien ship and is removed from Honoka's hit-list.

Despite this, Shuichi and Clair leave the fight more determined than ever, but what they have in store for them may be more than they bargained for: As much as they want to find 100 coins and end the game, they aren't the only players. Many obstacles face them in the form of other gatherers, and this is what anime viewers were hoping to see play out in a second season. Of course, those who are familiar with the manga already know the main story beats, and — according to many of them — the best has already passed. "The story escalated to a level that felt disconnected from its earlier, more grounded focus on human relationships and drama with supernatural elements," Redditor u/dr_john_oldman said.

According to a number of Reddit users, the hit-and-miss nature of the latter manga volumes might end up being a roadblock for Season 2. "With the last parts of the manga taking the story in a ton of confusing directions it might not happen," u/AnimeHeretic said. "We can still hope for a Season 2, but just don't hold your breath." Fellow fan u/SirFeedalot1 went as far as saying that "the author just decided to not give a f*** anymore," adding: "Season 2 would have been amazing. Probably even better than Season 1. But I don't think it will happen."

The big benefit of any second season is that, despite not knowing what will happen next narratively, you know what to expect about certain other things. Thankfully, the cast is almost always one of those things. In that respect, "Gleipnir" fans probably shouldn't stress themselves over any major casting changes should the show be greenlit for a second season, because all the main stars are still very active. Nao Touyama (best known for playing Yui in "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU") and Natsuki Hanae (who voices Tanjiro in the hit shonen series "Demon Slayer") would likely once again step into the shoes of protagonists Shuichi and Clair.

The same can be said of the supporting characters. Alien, the sibylline extra-terrestrial living in a vending machine, is voiced by Takahiro Sakurai, who famously voices Geto in the super popular show "Jujutsu Kaisen" and has also worked on the likes of "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" and "Psycho-Pass: Providence" in recent times. Perhaps more important to fans in the wake of the Season 1 finale, however, is that Kana Hanazawa continues to portray Clair's sister, Elena. This would almost certainly be the case, as the Tokyo native is very active indeed, having worked on over a dozen shows in 2023 alone.

Of course, there have been half a dozen more manga volumes released since Season 1 finished. New characters have entered the fray, meaning new voice talent would be sought should Season 2 enter production at any stage.

If you want to relive the intensity that is "Gleipnir," Season 1 is available on Crunchyroll. The anime streaming service offers different tiers, starting at $7.99 a month. There are also $11.99 and $15.99 options, and all three offer no ads. You'll also have to subscribe if you want to watch "Gleipnir," as the series is behind a paywall. Of course, the perks get better the more you pay, with the most expensive tier (titled Ultimate Fan) allowing you to stream on up to six devices, have access to offline viewing, get 15% off products in the Crunchyroll store, and get an exclusive swag bag after 12 months of subscribing.