On January 11, Days with My Stepsister author Ghost Mikawa posted a detailed statement on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the future of the mixed-media project. Following the announcement about the indefinite hiatus of the official YouTube channel, Mikawa gave his explanation on why he believes a second season of the anime is very unlikely to happen, highlighting some of the current industry trends.
According to Mikawa, the biggest reason why many anime don’t end up having a second season is simply because animation studios don’t think it would be profitable. He notes that even if a first season was relatively well-received, it doesn’t always mean that an anime will get a second chance (some examples include Claymore, Ouran High School Host Club and No Game No Life), or, even if they did, it would take a long time for them to be picked up again (like Grand Blue and Bleach). Another possible cause is the difficulty faced in assembling the original animation staff. While most people view anime staff as consisting solely of a director, screenwriter, animation director, and character designer, he iterates that an anime is the result of the cumulative efforts of the production team as a whole – and that includes each individual animator and assistant who work on bringing the show to life.
That said, even if Souta Ueno, who directed the first season of Days with My Stepsister, was brought back for season two, Mikawa thinks that it would be impossible to produce an anime of the same quality without the whole team on board.
Given the staff’s availability (some top animators have their services booked years in advance), it would be hard to get the gang back together on short notice. On the topic of time, Mikawa wonders if the show’s appeal will last long enough for second season to be made and aired – a process that, according to him, could take roughly six or seven years (presuming that it would take five years to book and schedule all of the first season’s animators and two years for the anime to be approved).
Mikawa admits that even if an ample budget could potentially force a team together, that alone wouldn’t guarantee a second season with a similar quality as the first. Forcing production without all of the original staff could result in something fans wouldn’t enjoy. That said, the cost of anime production is rapidly increasing, making it harder to produce high-quality shows using allocated budgets from previous years.
Mikawa is considering taking matters into his own hands to secure funding for a second season
Though Mikawa cannot (and will not) forcefully interfere with an anime production company’s staffing and production decisions, he explains that he can at least prove that the project is worth a second season and hopefully secure enough money for a budget by expanding the franchise.
This leads to his decision to postpone the weekly updates on the official Days with My Stepsister YouTube channel.
Using the experience gained from producing YouTube and ASMR content, Mikawa and his team hope to “evolve” their content by creating new works that can hopefully attract larger audiences. While he isn’t sure what format these works will take (he notes that they could be bigger than a light novel or anime), he is excited about starting this new experience with fans. Provided the works reach a wide market, they could sustain themselves and support further production of Days with My Stepsister content for years to come. Mikawa hopes to announce what he is working on within the year.
On a related note, the original Days with My Stepsister light novel that started it all began serialization on January 25, 2021, and will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Currently on its 15th volume, Mikawa predicts that it will go beyond 20 volumes, given his current vision for the story. That said, he never imagined it would be his longest-running series to date and would like to thank everyone for supporting his work.
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