The I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 release date has been officially confirmed for July 2, 2021, the summer 2021 anime season.
New episodes are coming out in Japan after midnight on Fridays.
The second season will open with a recap of the first season, which means the new story content in I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 Episode 1 will start on July 9, 2021.
The 100-Man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru Season 2 anime announcement included a preview trailer and announcement artwork.
The second season will have Yusuke Yotsuya, Iu Shindo, Kusue Hakozaki, Yuka Tokitate joining up with a new hero named Keita Torri on a quest to the “Island of Disasters.”
The anime’s first season was produced by a relative newcomer on the scene, Maho Film, founded in only 2018. Their first anime was If It’s For My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord, while I’m Standing on a 1,000,000 Lives was their second.
Their third project, By The Grace of the Gods, also came out in Fall 2020.
Considering the quick turnaround time, presumably, the studio and staff for I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 will be the same.
For the first season, the project was helmed by director Kumiko Habara, who created storyboards for the Fruits Basket reboot and the Infinite Dendrogram anime.
Million Lives is his first time as lead director. Still, he’s also been an assistant director for Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion and episode director for Kuroko’s Basketball and Sailor Moon Crystal.
Writer Takao Yoshioka (High School DxD, Your Lie In April) is creating the scripts. Artists Eri Kojima, Toshihide Masudate, and Yuko Oba are the character designers. Composer Ken Ito (High School DxD Season 2) is creating the music.
For the first season, the I’m Standing on a Million Lives OP (opening) theme song music was “Anti World” by Kanako Takatsuki.
The ED (ending) was “Carpe Diem” by Liyuu.
The I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 OP is “Baddest” as performed by Kaede Higuchi, while the ED is “Subversive” as performed by Kanako Takatsuki.
Although the SARS-COV-2 pandemic delayed many studios in the anime industry due to the effects of COVID-19 on production, the official Twitter account for the series announced that the studio had finished production three months before the premiere on October 2, 2020.
The first season was streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix Japan (not Netflix U.S.).
The first season’s finale, I’m Standing on a Million Lives Episode 12, released on December 18, 2020.
-
Updated July 12, 2021: I’m Standing on a Million Lives book novel announcement.
-
Updated June 23, 2021: Added newest trailer.
-
Updated June 10, 2021: Added new key visual.
-
Updated May 14, 2021: Exact I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 release date confirmed. Added second preview trailer.
-
Updated March 19, 2021: Added I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 trailer and OP/ED info.
-
Updated December 18, 2020: I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 confirmed!
-
Updated November 12, 2020: Added I’m Standing on a Million Lives English dub release date and cast info.
This article provides everything that is known about I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 (100-Man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru Season 2) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives English dub release date announced
The first season of the I’m Standing on a Million Lives anime was streaming on Crunchyroll, VRV, and Netflix Japan (but not Netflix U.S.) with English subtitles.
Crunchyroll announced that the I’m Standing on a Million Lives English dub release date was scheduled for November 13, 2020.
Crunchyroll’s I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 English dub release date was August 27, 2021.
The cast included Zeno Robinson as Yusuke Yotsuya, Jeannie Tirado as Iu Shindo, and Valeria Rodriguez as Kusue Hakozaki.
Presumably, an I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 3 English dub will be released in the future.
100-Man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru Season 2 release date in July 2021 is a surprise
The second season is almost a surprise since the first season suffered from early low reviews because critics dismissed the anime as yet another generic isekai adventure without realizing that the story’s strengths don’t become apparent until the second half.
The manga is also a slow burner that gradually takes shape since the explanation behind the title doesn’t become apparent until readers are waist-deep into the plot.
It didn’t help that the animation by relative newcomer Maho Film was just about average. Some episodes apparently saved money in the budget by having flashbacks where jumpy animation was used as an effect.
Regardless, the anime’s first season did manage to work its way up to the Crunchyroll popular anime section.
Considering that streaming revenue is the major factor in financial success, it’s possible this isekai anime was greenlit for a sequel based on that reason.
It also helps sales of the I’m Standing on a Million Lives manga increased 11 times after the anime premiered. Anime is often treated as glorified advertisements for books, so it’s possible Kodansha would want to fund the second season.
Anime projects are scheduled years in advance. Therefore, it’s likely that the I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 release date was scheduled in advance. The real question is if the anime TV series will pick up enough viewers to justify creating I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 3.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives manga compared to the anime
The anime’s story is based on the 100-Man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru manga series by writer Naoki Yamakasa and illustrator Akinari Nao.
Nao is best known for the Trinity Seven manga series, which inspired a single-cour anime adaptation in 2014.
While Trinity Seven Season 2 never happened, the anime series received two movies, the 2017 Trinity Seven: Eternal Libary & Alchemic Girl and the 2019 Trinity Seven: Heavens Libary & Crimson Lord.
Serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine since June 2016, the I’m Standing on a Million Lives manga was up to Volume 11 as of December 9, 2020. The I’m Standing on a Million Lives Volume 12 release date will be in 2021.
Kodansha Comics is publishing the official English translation in North America. As of May 2021, the English I’m Standing on a Million Lives manga series was up to Volume 10, while the English Volume 11 is scheduled to come out on September 21, 2021.
In July 2021, an I’m Standing on a Million Lives novel was announced by Kodansha. The book will be written by Sawako Hirabayashi, who wrote the script for anime episode 9.
The book features an original story that takes place after Glenda joins the party (the character debuts in Chapter 24). The story has the party defending Zagros village from destruction in a quest that never happened in the manga timeline.
Normally, manga fans complain that an anime adaptation is either too fast-paced or skipping too much of the dialogue and minor plot details. In this case, the reverse appears to be true.
The manga’s first chapter was a whirlwind of events that dumped readers back into the real world without adequately explaining what was going on. That’s part of the central mystery, of course, but some manga readers were about as confused as the characters themselves.
The anime, on the other hand, spent two whole episodes covering the same plot points. The anime’s writers reordered some events and slowed down the pacing so that the characters could receive adequate emotional development.
The initial introduction was extended to give a better idea of who these people were. However, the manga’s opening panels started right before Yusuke Yotsuya was yanked into the game world along with the two girls, Iu Shindo and Kusue Hakozaki. And Episode 3 did a good job with Yuka Tokitate’s introduction.
The anime’s pacing increased a little in Episode 3 by adapting Chapters 2 and 3, which meant that some dialogue (usually inner monologues) were sacrificed in the process.
Episode 3’s ending corresponded to the first half of Chapter 3, while Episode 4 finished Chapters 3 and 4, which involved the tournament fight against Kahabell of Cortonel and the bandit rescue.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives Episode 5 began adapting manga Volume 2. Finishing just Chapter 5, the pacing returned to one chapter per episode.
That meant I’m Standing on a Million Lives Episodes 6 through 12 also adapted Chapters 6 through 12.
All in all, the anime has been adapting the manga very faithfully. Arguably, the expanded content actually improves on the source material.
Additional minor scenes were added in the anime that made Yotsuya’s motivations for hating the real world more relatable.
He’s no edgelord like in the Arifureta anime (Arifureta Season 2 anime confirmed to be in production), nor is he an angsty character who stoops to creating a literal slave harem like in The Rising of the Shield Hero, which makes him more likable as a character.
At the same time, Yotsuya’s pragmatism is often completely offputting to the idealism of the girls (and potentially some audience members).
Yotsuya is definitely portrayed as being on the psychopath spectrum since she has trouble relating to the girls. It’s not like he completely lacks empathy, but he’s definitely cold-hearted and calculating.
That character trait is made bluntly apparent when he openly admits he’d abandon the girls if it meant even a small percentage increase in the chances of success for the entire team.
After all, he objectively reasons that death is not permanent as long as one hero is left standing. He doesn’t take into account how that pragmatic strategy would make others feel emotionally.
Arguably, Yotsuya is a broken person. But the fact that Yotsuya is self-aware enough to recognize his own personality defects and try to work through them puts him heads and shoulders above most isekai protagonists.
Speaking of strategy, it’s good to see a new isekai anime that relies on the characters’ cleverness rather than being unfairly endowed with godlike power. Fight scenes and explanations about in-game mechanics were also expanded upon by the anime.
Episode 5 is where the anime really starts to hit its thematic stride. It’s the turning point in the story where the anime’s uniqueness and strengths as a character-driven plot begin to stand out.
It’s not so much about action quests; it’s about how the characters respond to the events and how it changes them.
Notably, the anime didn’t use the manga’s line, where Kusue said she hates men for having “more strength and freedom than us girls” yet “use them for their own selfish desires.”
But the anime conveyed the horror of the violence from the girls’ perspective and how Kusue gained her resolve despite feeling that the “system” is set against her, which mirrored the struggles from her physical ailments in the real world.
Besides being a character study of the sickly warrior, the group is forced to confront their actions’ moral repercussions, with both the pragmatists and idealists uncertain what course to take.
Should they stop to help unknown soldiers and risk failing the quest by being late? Should they help these soldiers take their “package,” the so-called heretic prisoners, to their destination, knowing that they’ll be executed? What if the Game Master is silently judging them?
Episode 6 has the characters approaching everything as if it’s a non-linear video game with branching paths. Similar to the video game Prey, the scenarios offer multiple choices that can dramatically impact moral outcomes even if the overall end goal remains the same.
It’s these moral conundrums that begin to form the heart of the story after Episode 5. It’s what makes the anime stand out from other generic isekai stories.
The main issue with the anime’s first season is that 12 episodes aren’t long enough to reach Arc 3 and 4 of the manga series, which is where fans claim the series really begins to shine since the main theme is developed further.
Just like the title proclaims, Episode 11 finally made it painfully obvious that they’re not just battling for their own lives, but the real lives of millions…
(Episode 11 also trolled anime audiences hard by creating an entirely new Magical Girl opening based on Yuka’s delusions. It almost gave me a Pop Team Epic flashback…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJrnEJajlLM
Based on the anime’s pacing, it’s predicted that the finale, I’m Standing on a Million Lives Episode 12, will find an ending near manga Chapter 12 of Volume 3.
It’s the best possible stopping point since it finished their long quest, revealed a major plot twist about the game world’s reality, and then showed Yotsuya’s reaction to learning the truth.
The good news is that there are plenty of chapters currently available to create I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2. Better yet, English-only manga readers who wish to read ahead of the anime can jump straight to Chapter 13 of Volume 3.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 anime spoilers (plot summary/synopsis)
The last time audiences watched the anime; they learned from the sorcerer Fatina that there must be other heroes in this world who’d already completed Round 4.
More importantly, Yotsuya and the girls heard the stunning admission by the Game Master that the “game world” is, in fact, a real parallel world in the multiverse that’s accessible via advanced future tech.
Thus, only the heroes themselves are virtual, not the living, breathing people in them. This revelation escalates the stakes even further since it’s no longer just a game. Now, every life holds value, and Yotsuya’s pragmatism seems empty now that he realizes he’s actually killed a real person.
Yotsuya used to tell himself, “I hate people,” and, “I wanted them all to just die,” but now he can’t stop thinking about the one man that he killed.
But time passed, the school year ended, and now it’s July during the summer. Yotsuya is in the middle of studying when he’s yanked out of his reverie by the sudden arrival of a young girl in a straw hat carrying an odd fish.
It turns out this is the new form of the Game Master, and he (she?) wants to know how Yotsuya feels about killing a man. It’s not long before Yotsuya is sent on a quest in the real world to stop 19-year-old Keita Torri and his younger brother Shuji from killing a drug dealer.
Yotsuya is even allowed to use his creature wizard powers in his version of Earth.
The Game Master hopes that Yotsuya will come to understand the value and sanctity of life. He doesn’t. Instead, in defining his version of “justice” he assigns a value to people based on the utility they serve to him, claiming, “Everyone should just die, starting with the least valuable.”
And on this grim note, the first season ended…
…right before the next quest begins. It turns out this blonde young man will be the new player joining the group for Round 5. He’s astonished that Yotsuya, a total stranger, would help him out of a dire situation where he’s been manipulated by a mobster.
Torri acclimates to being stuck in a fantasy survival scenario at record speed. He even challenges Yotsuya to a mock duel to test out his abilities.
The death revival time is upped once again, but now the heroes can fast travel to locations where they’ve already explored. (It has a 24-hour cooldown, they have to be alive in a group, and they can’t take other people, creatures, or buildings with them.)
When they seek out Kahabell they’re stunned to discover that 15 years have passed in this parallel world since the last round. Kahabell has children now, has retired from being a knight for 8 years, and she has a new, much calmer outlook on life.
That’s not to say life was calm during those 15 years. Quite the opposite since Cortonel formed a coalition of 22 allied states to fight against the Deokk Empire in a massive war.
200,000 people died, including her husband, and Kahabell lost a hand in combat, ending her knightly aspirations for seeking strength as an end goal.
As Kahabell described how she changed her worldview over time based on being a parent, her words stabbed like a dagger into Yotsuya’s heart.
She used to be like him, focused on violence and breakings things rather than building up, and now that she’s changed, he ponders what could happen to him that would change his own perspective.
As for the quest itself, it’s mostly a mystery similar to previous rounds. To “Offer the Jiffon Buffo at the Vaikeda-mania,” the party must travel overseas with a group of mercenaries to Jiffon Island, a place known for its volcanoes and random earthquakes.
The Vaikedaam ritual dancers sent out a call for mercenaries, so the heroes aren’t exactly warmly welcomed. Nor is the quest easy since the Vaideda-mania is a harvest festival on Jiffon where the Buffo meat must be ritually sacrificed.
The problem is, a C-level danger Orc Queen and her 14 D-level children have taken up residence on the island, and they now own all the Buffos. They have 11 days to take out an Orc army while also keeping the Vaikedaam islanders safe from harm.
Unfortunately, anime fans will have to wait until the release date for I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season 2 to watch what happens next. Stay tuned!