Orient Season 3 is the anticipated sequel of the popular supernatural-horror anime which first premiered in the Summer of 2022. It has been a year since the first season ended and the viewers are still wondering if it will get a new season or not.
So here’s everything we know so far regarding whether or not Orient Season 3 will happen in 2023, as well as the likely release date.
The Japanese anime Orient is an adaptation of the manga series written by Nori and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka, the renowned author of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic series.
The fantasy series takes place during Japan’s Sengoku Period, where Japan is ruled by Demons. A 15-year-old boy named Musashi will stand up to the demons with the help of a certain special power.
Studio A.C.G.T produced the anime’s first season, officially running for 12 episodes from January 6 to March 24, 2022, on various local networks in Japan followed by a second season which aired from July 12 to September 27, 2022, for another 12 episodes.
Crunchyroll streamed the anime outside of Japan with both sub and dub, and it received a positive reception from viewers and critics alike. Many praised its art and animation and loved the Buddhist imagery.
Overall it was considered a hit among the shonen anime community.
CONTENTS
- Orient Season 3 Release Date and Countdown
- Orient Season 3 Countdown:
- Will there be a Season 3 of Orient?
- Is there enough material available for “Orient” Season 3?
- Manga Sales and Profitability
- Blu-ray/ DVDs and other Merchandise sales
- Orient‘s Popularity in Japan and the West
- Overseas popularity
- Orient Season 3 Trailer
- What will happen in Orient Season 3?
- Final Words !!
- Staff Details of the Anime
Orient Season 3 Release Date and Countdown
As of April 2023, Orient Season 3 doesn’t have a release date as it is not confirmed yet. However, if a new season is confirmed, it is likely to air sometime in mid-2024, or possibly in late-2024.
This is cause the second season aired from July 2022 to September 2022 and it typically takes around 1-2 years to produce a new season.
As of now, no official announcements have been made yet, hence the readers need to keep in mind that these are just speculations.
But, keep an eye out for this space as we will update it as soon as something official is announced. We can expect the announcement in the next few months.
Orient Season 3 Countdown:
Based on the following information, here is the countdown to the premiere of Orient’s third season.
CountdownWill there be a Season 3 of Orient?
As of writing, Studio A.C.G.T, the publisher Kodansha, or any other member of the production committee has not officially renewed the anime for a second season.
A lot of anime manage to get a new season right after the season finale but unfortunately, Orient wasn’t one of them.
| SEASON | RELEASE DATE |
| Orient Season 1 | January 6, 2022 |
| Orient Season 2 | July 12, 2022 |
| Orient Season 3 | Yet to be announced |
Production Studios consider various financial and commercial metrics before announcing a renewal and it is possible to speculate whether an anime will get a new season or not by carefully evaluating these three factors:
- Availability of source material
- Sales
- Popularity
I have used the same method for Eminence in Shadow, Takagi-san and World Trigger and so far it has proven to work.
So now we will examine these factors to see if Orient anime will get a sequel or not.
Is there enough material available for “Orient” Season 3?
Orient anime is a direct adaptation of the manga series created by Shinobu Ohtaka.
It started publication in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine in May 2018. In September 2018 it was transferred to Bessatsu Shonen Magazine and since then it has been releasing a new chapter on a monthly basis.
The first volume of the manga was released on August 17, 2018, and the latest volume came out on March 9, 2023.
A total of nineteen volumes have been released so far, and the manga is still ongoing.
The first season of the anime adapted the first 7 volumes, while the second covered the next 6 volumes. Thus 7 out of 13 volumes have been used so far leaving us behind with 5 volumes worth of content to adapt which is just right enough to create another 12-episode anime season if they decide to slow done the pace which actually would be better for the show.
Conclusion: Currently, there are 5 volumes of source material available to adapt, which is good news since the series has more than enough material for Studio Doga Kobo to start working on a new season right away.
Moreover, the series is still ongoing with a consistent release of new volumes, so that’s a big plus for getting a sequel.
Now that sufficient content is available, we can only hope that the anime managed to make its money back.
If it has, chances are high that it will be renewed in the next year or so. Let’s see how the series is performing in terms of profitability.
Manga Sales and Profitability
Before we proceed, it’s important to understand that most of the anime we watch today are created primarily to promote and boost the sales of its source material (in this case manga).
Sales from the manga and related merchandise are the main source of income for the producers, while revenue from advertising fees, online streaming licensing, and Blu-ray sales are considered secondary
Typically, a 12-episode anime television series costs around $3,000,000 to produce.
Therefore, an anime has to make back this much money through merchandise sales and licensing fees to ensure a new season from the producers.
As of March 2023, Orient had reached a circulation count of 1 million copies.
Conclusion: typically a shonen manga with 500,000 to 1,000,000 copies in circulation is considered successful, so Orient manga is performing average with these sales numbers.
Blu-ray/ DVDs and other Merchandise sales
While Blu-rays and DVDs are no longer key players in determining anime success as they used to be back in the 2010s, they are still a great tool to understand a show’s popularity among the general Japanese audience. In general, if an anime’s disc sales are over 3,000, a second season would be promising.
As for Orient, the situation doesn’t look good.
The sales numbers for the first Blu-ray/DVD volume of Orient were so low that it failed to even make it to Oricon’s Top 20 general category, selling below 200 copies.
However, it’s important to note that Blu-ray sales are no longer the only measure of a show’s success, as streaming fees have become a more significant factor in the industry.
Conclusion: Based on the sales numbers, it appears that the Orient anime failed to generate a profit for its producers through the home video release, which is not a promising sign for the show’s future.
However, it is possible that the show managed to recoup its production costs through licensing fees and merchandise sales, so there may still be hope for its continuation.
Orient‘s Popularity in Japan and the West
Orient manga was already quite popular in Japan prior to the anime’s release, and its popularity has surged even further since then.
It is one of the best-selling manga for Kodansha, knowingly coming from a Veteran mangaka and multiple volumes of it have appeared on the Weekly and Monthly Best Selling Manga charts.
- The first volume of the manga sold 22,870 copies two days after its release. It sold 29,572 copies more after for a total of 52,442 copies sold by August 26, 2018.
- The second volume sold 25,799 copies within four days of release. 17,848 more copies were sold for a total of 43,647 copies sold eleven days after its release.
- The third volume sold 28,188 copies in its first week of release.
The anime’s debut in Japan was highly anticipated, and it quickly became one of the most-watched shows of the Summer 2022 season. It ranked top on several streaming websites, including the D-Anime Store and AbemaTV and was one of the most-talked shows on Twitter.
Overseas popularity
The debut run of the Orient anime adaptation received a mixed reception from fans in the West, with many viewers and critics loving the story but uneven pacing, terrible art and inconsistent animation degraded the show’s quality.
The series has garnered positive reviews from viewers around the world, earning a decent score of 6.6 on MyAnimeList and ranking at #1882 in popularity, with a following of 103k members in its MAL group.
It has also received an average score of 6.1/10 on IMDb and a 62% approval rating on AniList.
In conclusion, the series failed to live up to the hype that was generated by it since coming from the creator of Magi. The anime’s commercial failure was evident in the lack of increase in manga sales and critical acclaim.
The producers attempted to adapt 13 volumes in just 24 episodes, resulting in uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and a poorly executed storyline. It appears that the producers did not have a long-term plan for the anime; their goal was simply to attract fans and encourage them to purchase the manga where the anime left off.
This has been observed several times in the industry, including with The Promised Neverland season 2 and Tokyo Ghoul: re.
With this, it is safe to an Orient season 3 won’t be happening any time soon, but we can still hope for a miracle.
Orient Season 3 Trailer
There is no trailer for Orient Season 3 available yet to watch, but we will update this page if one gets released on their official youtube channel.
On the other hand, here’s a trailer for the first season, which you should watch to recall how wholesome the first one was.
What will happen in Orient Season 3?
Since the first season covered 13 volumes, the next season of Orient anime will begin with adapting the 14th volume.
Kodansha USA, the English distributor of the series in the West describes the plot of volume 14 as such:
“The Five Grand Generals have gathered at last! Musashi manages to obtain all of the Obsidian Goddess’ blood, but just then an emergency situation arises! The Obsidian Eight starts to attack mines all over Japan! Moreover, it seems that Musashi’s former comrade is among the black dogs too…! The all-out war for supremacy between the Five Grand Generals and the Obsidian Eight is about to begin”
Final Words !!
In conclusion, there is a slim chance that Orient Season 3 will happen and if will happen then we should hear some news about it this year. But don’t expect the release date for the second season to be before 2023 since it takes time for a new season to be animated.
I will update the article next month if something has changed. In the meantime so you can check the same analysis I have done for other series:
- Tomodachi Game Season 2
- Worlds End Harem Season 2
- Call of the night season 2
- Ao Ashi Season 2
- Onimai Season 2
Staff Details of the Anime
| Directed by | Tetsuya Yanagisawa |
|---|---|
| Written by | Mariko Kunisawa |
| Music by | Hideyuki Fukasawa |
| Studio | A.C.G.T |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| English network | Animax Asia |
| Original run | January 6, 2022 – September 27, 2022 |
| Episodes | 24 |
