Fans of the popular Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! anime can mark their calendars, as the second season of the charming slice-of-life spin-off is officially slated to premiere in 2026. The announcement, initially made during the “Azur Lane 6th Anniversary Fes.” event on September 10, 2023, has been further reinforced with recent updates confirming the upcoming release.
The return of the beloved “shipgirls” in their daily, lighthearted adventures is highly anticipated, promising more of the comedic and heartwarming moments that defined the first season.
Production Details and Staff for Season 2
For Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! Season 2, Studio CANDY BOX will be taking the lead on animation production. Unlike the first season, Yostar Pictures will not be co-producing the adaptation. The upcoming season sees a shift in some key staff, though familiar names will also return to ensure continuity in the series’ tone and style.
Shunji Maki is set to direct the second season. Yū Satō, who penned the scripts for the first season, will return as a scriptwriter and will be joined by Hotaru Asafuji. Nana Mori, an animation director for the first season, will step into the roles of character designer and chief animation director for Season 2. Fūga Hatori will compose the music, while Masanori Tsuchiya returns as the sound director.
The main voice cast, featuring beloved characters such as Javelin (voiced by Nozomi Yamane), Ayanami (voiced by Yō Taichi), Laffey (voiced by Maria Naganawa), and Z23 (voiced by Rika Abe), is also expected to reprise their roles.
A Look Back at the First Season
The initial season of Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! aired from January to March 2021, comprising 12 episodes and an additional OVA episode bundled with the second Blu-ray volume. Directed by Masato Jinbo, with scripts by Yū Satō, the first season was a collaborative effort between Yostar Pictures and Studio CANDY BOX. Crunchyroll streamed the series globally, allowing a wide audience to enjoy the endearing short-form anime.
The series adapts Hori’s Azur Lane Bisoku Zenshin! four-panel manga, which has been published in Ichijinsha’s Manga 4-koma Palette magazine since March 2018. The manga primarily focuses on the day-to-day lives and school adventures of the franchise’s starter destroyers: Javelin, Ayanami, Laffey, and Z23, alongside various other shipgirls.
The Broader Azur Lane Franchise
Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! is a spin-off from the highly successful Azur Lane multimedia franchise, which originated as a side-scrolling shooter mobile game. Developed by Shanghai Manjuu and Xiamen Yongshi, the game first launched in China in May 2017 and later in Japan in September 2017, followed by an English version in May 2019.
The franchise is known for its anthropomorphized warships, depicted as “shipgirls,” and has spawned a main anime television series, Azur Lane: The Animation, which premiered in October 2019. In contrast to the more action-oriented main series, Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! offers a gentler, more comedic “slice-of-life” perspective, focusing on the everyday activities and friendships of the shipgirls in their peaceful naval port. This approach has resonated well with fans who appreciate the lighter side of the Azur Lane universe, free from the grand battles against the Sirens.
With a confirmed release in 2026, fans can eagerly await more casual fun and character interactions from their favorite Azur Lane destroyers and their companions.
