Drifters Season 2 has been up for debate for quite a while now. Fans have been anticipating a new season of the series ever since the popularity of season 1.

The show has been adapted from the manga of the same name authored and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. Therefore, for the show to confirm a second season, the production company should have profited enough from the previous season’s sales and have enough source material for the anime adaption to complete a new season altogether.

In this article, we will analyze the chances for Drifters to have a comeback by examining multiple factors (such as sales, the story left to be covered) and whether or not the production house has hinted or made an announcement for a new season.

Does the anime have enough Source Material?

Since the anime has been adapted from the ‘Drifters’ manga, the manga should have enough chapters to run for another season. Currently, the manga is still ongoing, however, the author is rather notorious for taking out chapters at a very slow pace.

How many Chapters Does the Manga have so far?

The latest chapter, Chapter 81 titled ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’ was released on 5th February 2021. In total, the manga contains 6 volumes that started serializing on April 30th, 2009, and is still ongoing.

How often is the manga updated?

Even though it has been 12 years since the first chapter of Drifters came out, there are only 81 chapters and 6 volumes that have been released so far. The releases are quite infrequent with a single chapter uploading once every few months.

The manga has been only issued one chapter so far this year.

Where to Start the Drifters Manga after Season 1?

So far the anime has been adapted till chapter 45 and covered around 4 volumes worth of source material. Fans interested in catching up with the manga can start reading from chapter 45.

As of 24th July 2021, the manga has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide which explains the demand for a second season.

Number of Copies in Print

However, some people believe that due to the lack of source material the studio might be running behind on schedule to start the production for the second season. Thus, the lack of source material might be one reason for the anime not having any official confirmation for season 2.

Sales so far

Usually, production companies don’t indulge in releasing a second season if the prior season’s sales do not accumulate much. The chances of getting a renewal decrease if the sales do not cover the cost of production.

By looking at the sales of the manga and the DVDs sold, we can determine whether the anime will return or not.

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Blu-ray and DVDs sold so far

In 2017, the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes were released in December on Blu-ray discs in regular and limited-edition versions. A total of 5,120 copies were sold in Japan, making it the 7th most popular Blu-ray disc ranking in December 2017.

Additionally, the Blu-ray Drifters box set sold a total of 10,818 copies. The limited-edition had an outer case illustration by Hirano and a jacket illustration by Nakamori. A bonus video along with a drama CD, a 72-pager booklet, and a “mystery disc” was a part of it too.

Manga Copies sold so far

The manga has reportedly sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. Even though the exact sales for the manga cannot be estimated, it has been a popular read for a while. The anime has also been nominated twice for the annual Manga Taisho Awards in 2011 and 2012.

Where can I watch Drifters Anime?

You can watch both the subbed and dubbed versions of the anime on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Crunchyroll.

Will there be Drifters Season 2?

At the end of the series, a second season was announced in the twelfth episode with the message “See You Again, Tokyo 20XX”.

However, there has been no official announcement for a second season. Many people are speculating that the anime is already in the works for the new season but there might be not enough material for the season to complete.

The director of the show, Kenichi Suzuki also confirmed that a season 2 will be released in the future even though the exact date hasn’t been revealed yet.

The main reason for the delayed season might be due to the lack of content. Season 1 and the 3 OVA episodes alone covered almost 5 volumes of the series but even after 5 years since the season was concluded, the manga only has 6 official volumes so far. That might be barely enough to complete the new season.

Rumors have stated that the official announcement for a new season might be confirmed after volume 7 is released. Sources have suggested that this might happen in 2022 but the producers of the show have not said anything yet.

The show also gained quite a bit of popularity back when it started airing in 2016. Additionally, episodes 13, 14, and 15 were released in 2017-18 but only on Blu-ray and DVD.

I don’t think there is much to worry about as the studio and multiple other sources have confirmed the arrival of a brand new season. It’s just a matter of when the latest volume will be released as many reports suggested that the production has already begun.

In conclusion, season 2 will most likely happen.