According to Polygon, the isekai series Yojo Senki: Saga of Tanya the Evil is finally returning for a second season in 2026, nine years after its anime debut in 2017. The project was first announced five years ago and is now in the top 3 most anticipated upcoming series on MyAnimeList. Director Takayuki Yamamoto is taking over from Yutaka Uemura for the new season at Studio NUT, while scriptwriter Kenta Ihara and character designer Yuji Hosogoe are returning. The core voice cast, including Aoi Yuki as Tanya, is also set to reprise their roles. The first season and the subsequent film are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
The Long Isekai Hiatus
Here’s the thing about the isekai genre: it’s absolutely flooded. New shows pop up every season, and most follow a very familiar fantasy RPG template. But Tanya the Evil always stood out because it basically took the “transported to another world” concept and dropped it into a gritty, alternate-history World War I setting. No goblins, no guilds—just magical aerial warfare and a sociopathic protagonist reborn as a little girl. It was a hit, and then… it just vanished from the anime scene for years. Meanwhile, Kadokawa’s other big isekai franchises like Re:Zero and Overlord kept getting new seasons. It left fans wondering if Tanya’s story was just done.
Why The Wait Matters
So why did it take so long? The article hints at one major reason: the source material’s messy continuity. The light novels, manga, and anime all tell slightly different stories. That can make planning a faithful adaptation a nightmare. Plus, the original director moved on. Now, a nine-year gap between seasons is a huge risk. You can lose an entire generation of viewers. But the fact that it’s still ranked so highly on anticipation charts is pretty telling. It proves there’s a dedicated audience that never forgot about this show. They weren’t satisfied with just the movie; they want the main story to continue.
A Crowded Competitive Field
Look, the 2026 anime landscape will be packed. By then, we’ll have new seasons of all the usual isekai giants. For Tanya to reclaim its spot, it can’t just be more of the same. It needs to leverage what made it unique in the first place—its cynical take on militarism and its morally grey lead. It’s one of the best isekai anime without fantasy tropes for a reason. If the new season doubles down on that strategic warfare and political maneuvering, it could really distinguish itself. But if it softens its edges to fit a more mainstream mold? That would be a mistake. The long wait has built immense pressure to not just be good, but to justify the hiatus.
What Comes Next
The trailer is a start, but 2026 is still a ways off. The smart move for Kadokawa and Crunchyroll will be to re-hype the existing content. Get people re-watching season one and the movie. Remind them why this series earned its place among the best isekai on Crunchyroll. I think the success of this comeback could signal something interesting. Maybe there’s room for more offbeat, non-traditional isekai that break the mold. Not every transported hero needs a harem and a skill menu, you know? Sometimes, they just need a rifle and a ruthless will to survive. We’ll see if audiences still agree in 2026.
