Kemono Friends 2

Kemono Friends 2, known informally as Kemono Friends Season 2, is a CGI anime series that premiered on January 7th, 2019. The series was simulcast with English subs on Crunchyroll. It premiered on January 14th, 2019, a week after its Japanese broadcast debut, with new episodes airing on Mondays. The series also aired on the Southeast Asian anime channel Aniplus Asia, premiering on January 15th, 2019, with new episodes airing on Tuesdays.

Director Ryuichi Kimura stated in [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-02-24/kemono-friends-2-director-screenwriter-discuss-connection-between-1st-and-2nd-anime/.143625 an interview with Anime! Anime!] that while Kemono Friends 2 was primarily concieved as a standalone work, there are deeper connections with the original Kemono Friends anime, along with recurring characters and themes. Both seasons can be watched in any order.

Plot
""Japari Park", an all-inclusive, giant zoo built somewhere in this world. There, a strange phenomenon where animals took on the shape of humans had occurred...... These animals, who'd come to be known as "Friends", were living peacefully in the Park. One day, the Friends Serval and Caracal met a human child within the forest. Something appeared to be troubling the hungry human child, so they embarked on a journey with Serval and company. During their journey, they encounter Friends overflowing with personality, as well as the Park's secrets and delicious food! And... find themselves in an earth-shaking dilemma!? A new story of Japari Park begins now!!"

Episodes

 * Episode 1 - Beyond Memories
 * Episode 2 - Panda and Panda
 * Episode 3 - Creatures of the Sea
 * Episode 4 - Different Kinds of Houses
 * Episode 5 - The Power of Humans
 * Episode 6 - A New Morning
 * Episode 7 - Beyond Speed
 * Episode 8 - New Song in Concert
 * Episode 9 - Welcome Home
 * Episode 10 - Check-in
 * Episode 11 - The Ocean's Mood
 * Episode 12 - I'm Home

Production


The second season was officially announced via Guidebook 5 on July 26th, 2017. At the time, Kemono Friends 2 was to be produced by Yaoyorozu like the first season; however, the events of the TATSUKI scandal which involved Yaoyorozu being dropped from the project left the future of Kemono Friends 2 in doubt. Details were scarce until the first official PV premiered on September 2nd, 2018, over a year after the second season announcement. Shortly after, on September 19th, a Twitter account was opened revealing the first key visual for the series, which was continually updated with new characters that will be appearing as time went on. On October 29th, 2018, the broadcast date and main cast list was finally revealed via the official Kemono Friends website. At this point, the director was revealed as Ryuichi Kimura, known for his work on the Aikatsu! franchise, and the studio producing the anime was revealed as Tomason.

Cast

 * Serval: Yuka Ozaki
 * Fennec Fox and Giant Armadillo: Kana Motomiya
 * Raccoon and Giant Pangolin: Saki Ono
 * Kyururu: Yui Ishikawa
 * Caracal: Riko Koike
 * Lucky Beast: Aya Uchida
 * Royal Penguin: Mikoi Sasaki
 * Emperor Penguin: Ruka Nemoto
 * Gentoo Penguin: Kyōka Tamura
 * Humboldt Penguin: Ikuko Chikuda
 * Southern Rockhopper Penguin: Aina Aiba
 * Greater Lophorina: Mashiro Yagi
 * Western Parotia: Madoka Suge
 * Margay: Mami Yamashita
 * Giant Panda: Kaori Maeda

Trivia

 * Kemono Friends 2 continues the "animal facts" eyecatches that lead into and out of commercial breaks, but in a different format. While season one featured zookeepers from Japan and overseas explaining facts about animals featured in the episodes, season two features the Friends themselves explaining facts. The official key art is animated to show the Friends talking about their animal counterparts over National Geographic stock footage. The voiceover work also featured Higejii, the mascot character from the NHK children's educational show Darwin ga Kita! (known as Darwin's Amazing Animals on NHK World). Unlike season one, these eyecatches aren't included in Crunchyroll's simulcast of the episodes, presumably due to copyright issues stemming from the use of National Geographic's footage.