Fans of the anime Yuri!!! on Ice had something to be thankful for this past Thanksgiving, with the release of a new trailer for the upcoming Yuri!!! on Ice prequel film, Ice Adolescence. While no release date has been set and there still might not be a Season 2, the fact there's new Yuri!!! on Ice content at all after so many delays are cause for celebration.
Of course, other anime have also taken long stretches of time between releases. Sometimes, these releases can come out of nowhere, while others are promised but delayed further and further. Here are a few anime where fans needed to wait years for the next entry in the saga, for better or worse.
Yuri!!! on Ice
Yuri!!! on Ice fans have been waiting for new content since 2016. While it remains uncertain if a second season will be coming, a prequel film is well on its way in production. No release date has been set for the Ice Adolescence movie; if it manages to come out in 2021, it will have been five years after the premiere of the first season. From there, it remains uncertain if or when a second season will be announced. However, with the continued popularity of Yuri!!! on Ice, even years later, it seems highly likely Ice Adolescence might assure MAPPA that there is indeed an audience for more Yuri and Victor.
Attack on Titan
Much like Yuri!!! on Ice, Attack on Titan took the anime world by storm. While the series is now on its final season, many anime fans half-expected that the first season of the anime would be the only piece of anime adapted from the manga. After the initial season took the anime community by storm back in 2013, it would be four years -- until 2017 -- until a second season launched. From there, the production has gone a lot smoother, with new episodes every year.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball fans are lucky with the recent stream of new content, either in the form of new anime or new games, but it was not always this way. From 1986 to 1997, Dragon Ball fans were treated to three anime, airing roughly back-to-back on Japanese television. After Dragon Ball GT's end, it seemed like that was it for Dragon Ball anime, until 11 years later the half-hour special "Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!" premiered. Five more years would pass before the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods movie, followed by 2015's Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' and the new series Dragon Ball Super. Following Dragon Ball Super: Broly in 2018, fans are facing another hiatus for canon Dragon Ball anime.
Inuyasha
Inuyasha returned in 2020 with Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. The original Inuyasha ran from 2000 to 2004, with 167 episodes. After the original series ended, would be another five years before Inuyasha: Final Act would properly conclude the story. The wait between Yashahime and Final Act has been 10 whole years!
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell fans have enjoyed a pretty consistent stream of content over the years, but there have been a couple of droughts for new anime. It was seven years between the original film and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and another seven years between Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society and the prequel reboot Ghost in the Shell Arise. Gaps between individual continues are even longer: it was nine years between the two films and 14 years between the second and third Stand Alone Complex seasons.
Mushishi
Many anime fans were charmed by Mushishi back when it aired from 2005-06, and a live-action movie was released later in 2006. Those who wanted to return to this world in animation, however, would have to wait quite a while between seasons. The sequel series Mushishi -Next Passage- did not hit Japanese television until 2014, eight years after the anime's conclusion and six years after the manga ended. Fortunately, when the sequel aired, it came with multiple specials and an anime film.
Rebuild of Evangelion
Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion have been waiting forever to finish the Rebuild of Evangelion series. When this reboot film series began in 2007, fans immediately became excited about each new film. However, the gap between films has kept growing. It was two years before the second film came out in 2009, then three before the third arrived in 2012. The fourth film, Evangelion 3.0+1.0, has been delayed until January 2021, marking nine years between films.
Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is one of the best-selling shojo manga around the world. While the Fruits Basket anime in 2001 proved popular, the manga's creator, Natsuki Takaya, creatively clashed with the original anime's director, closing out any possibility of a continuation. Despite campaigns from both the fans and FUNimation for a second season, Fruits Basket would not return to Japanese television until the remake in 2019 -- 18 years after the initial anime finished airing. Thankfully, this adaptation has committed to telling the full story, with next year's third season being the final season of the new series.
Berserk
Berserk fans have long since gotten used to waiting. Breaks between manga chapters are long, but the breaks between anime adaptations have been even longer. Berserk's first anime aired from 1997-98, ending with one of the most depressing cliffhangers in anime history. It wouldn't be until 2012 -- 14 years -- until a new anime came out: Berserk: The Golden Age. This movie adapted the same content as the original TV series. Fans would need to wait until 2016 -- 18 years -- until new content was adapted to animation. Alas, the 2016 Berserk anime was not worth the wait.
