Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie was one of the most anticipated anime in the Spring 2022 season but now it may not be able to air past the first episode at all.
Studio Dogo Kobo announced on the official website for the show that it had temporarily closed due to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases among its staff members. The staff is currently in discussions on how future broadcasts will continue." The production committee will put the health and safety of the staff and cast first," their official statement read.
This is not the first time that COVID-19 has caused delays with an anticipated release. Popular mecha anime 86 had to have its final two episodes delayed several months due to production issues. With Japan lifting its entry ban on 106 countries that was put in place to protect against the virus, as well as fully lifting other restrictions, as well as new COVID-19 variants like Mu and Xe and cases, it is possible that the increase in cases may affect the production of several popular shows.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like all animation studios are willing to be as responsible as Dogo Kobo. Takashi Watanabe, the director behind Slayers and more recently How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, previously discussed on Twitter how there was an “implicit gag order” on sharing news involving the spread of the virus and how a studio had closed down due to increased infections. "Will they not understand unless animation workers start dying one after another? Or is it the workers’ responsibilities because they’re often freelancers? Is the company itself not responsible?"
An animator named Nyonnyon also shared previously that several other studios had lockdowns due to the COVID-19 virus. Several famous voice actors in the industry have contracted the virus as well including Tetsuya Kakihara, Junichi Suwabe, and Hiro Shimono. Almost the entire voice cast of The Idolm@ster SideM managed to contract the virus within a single week in 2021.
As the demand for anime globally continues to rise, studios will have to balance a delicate tightrope between keeping members of the industry safe and producing the content audiences demand. With American productions like Adult Swim even outsourcing to Japan to get original shows animators have been put under intense deadlines. As animators and voice actors in the United States complain about being unpaid and overworked, it will be interesting to see if similar discussions on striking or unions take place in Japan.
The Dogo Kobo offices will remain closed from April 6th to April 17th. Updates on Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie will be given on its official website and Twitter account.