Kemono Friends Director Tatsuki: No Longer Working on the Anime

Kemono Friends director TATSUKI reported on Monday that he is no longer on the Kemono Friends anime project. He said that it was apparently on notification from publishing and production company Kadokawa, and he apologized to fans for the sudden news that he himself also found very disappointing.

Nexon's original Kemono Friends app game launched in early 2016 and ended service on December 14 — before the Kemono Friends anime even aired. The 12-episode television anime then premiered on TV Tokyo and TV Osaka on January 10 and ended on March 28. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired.

Nexon announced in February that the original game app would not return despite the anime's popularity, although a spokesperson for Nexon later stated that the return of the smartphone app "is possible." Then, the Kemono Friends Official Guide Book 2 book confirmed in April that at least one new game is in development, since revealed as Kemono Friends Pavilion.

The anime received an unofficial "episode 12.1." Kemono Friends is also getting a new stage play and a "new screen project" (separate from "episode 12.1"). An official guidebook for the anime confirmed in July that a second season is in the works but it "will take some time."​

 

Isn't Kemono Friends completely dead now?

 

Essentially yes as Tatsuki the director is no longer on the project. To make the matter worse the remaining staff resigned from Kadokawa. Right now there is a change.org petition trying to get Tatsuki reinstated as well as all the staff. It's rather shocking that Kadokawa as a company went about letting Tatsuki go as he did so much for Kemono. I personally didn't care for the show and dropped it after a few episodes. Yes I'm awful, but I can take notice of a guy who puts his very heart and soul into his work.

The show exploded in popularity actually ranking number 1 over in Japan for around 2 weeks time. None of that would have happened if not for Tatsuki. The man went so far as to create a special episode for the fans which upset Kadokawa. They were not informed of this from what I understand. By doing that it disrupts release times, announcements, and their marketing plans among other things.

As it currently stands the Second Season has already been green-lighted, but with Tatsuki and the majority if not all of the staff behind it being gone it's hard to say what'll happen next. They still have all the VA's I do know that. So now it depends on if they'll bring the man back and get the staff as well or if they'll be forced into finding a different director and staff who'll work on the project. All I can say to that is it won't be the same as what you were previously accustomed to if they go that route.

With as widespread as this has been on all social media any updates will be discussed. I'll do what I can to stay atop of it all so your informed alright. Till then fingers crossed.
​