Horror holds a modest place in the anime world. Unfortunately, aside from adaptations of Junji Ito’s works, the genre often lacks the eerie elements and standout appeal needed to compete with dominant genres like action, romance, or comedy.
Fortunately, hope has been rekindled thanks to a recent anime: Dark Gathering. This series quickly gained a strong fanbase with its genuinely supernatural adventures. The good news is that OLM, the studio behind Pokémon and Berserk, has officially announced that their most chilling story will return for Season 2.
Dark Gathering first appeared as a manga in 2019, created by Kenichi Kondo, focusing on a supernatural world. The two main characters, Keitaro Gentoga and Yayoi Hozuki, team up to hunt spirits. While the animation style might not immediately suggest a nightmare-inducing story, OLM’s adaptation has proven it can get truly frightening when needed.
The release date for the second season has not been revealed yet, but the studio confirmed the story will focus on Kyoto, Japan, with Yayoi and Keitaro continuing their ghost-hunting mission. Alongside this major announcement, the series released a new image to prepare fans for this terrifying return.
Dark Gathering Reunites for Another Haunting Chapter
Along with the announcement, series creator Kenichi Kondo shared a special message for fans:
“The second season of Dark Gathering anime has been confirmed…! I want to sincerely thank all the readers who have been waiting for it and all the staff who worked hard during planning and production. When I wrote the original Kyoto arc, all I remember is feeling it was ‘too difficult, too difficult,’ but looking back, I often think, ‘Wow… they managed to animate such amazing scenes so well… I’m really impressed…’ It’s wonderful, if I may say so myself. The amazing staff poured their hearts into bringing this long story, full of incredible scenes and cuts, to the screen. As the original author, I would be honored if you look forward to the upcoming news and the start of the broadcast…!”
Anime director Hiroshi Ikehata made it clear this is truly a second season, not just a continuation:
“This is the second season. It’s not just a two-part series, but a ‘second season made because it became so popular.’ As a creator, this makes me genuinely happy, and it’s only thanks to all the fans in Japan and worldwide who love Dark Gathering that this became possible. To meet those expectations, the entire team is ready to work hard to create an even scarier world, so please look forward to it!”