4 Anime That Desperately Need A Season 2

Few things are worse than coming to the end of a series you're loving, and seeing that there's no more left. There are a few of the anime that are crying out for a second season.

1. Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket is a deceptively sweet shojo anime about a young girl named Tohru Honda who starts living with the enigmatic Sohma family after her mother dies. The Sohma family is under a curse that causes its members to transform into animals from the Chinese Zodiac when embraced by members of the "opposite" sex. This seems silly, but it turns the entire family into an isolated, abusive, cult-like group run by the fragile and cruel Akito Sohma.

Here's the thing - there's so much more to Fruits Basket than the anime gives it credit for. The anime ends on one of the events at the beginning of the manga, before we've learned the majority of the family's secrets, and before we've truly seen Tohru truly develop as a character. The manga has its questionable moments, but an anime adaptation is nonetheless overdue.

2. Death Note

Just because because Light's story ended doesn't mean that there's nothing more to be said about the Death Note universe. This is a world where gods of death give humans notebooks that can kill people - that's a concept with some serious potential. I would love to see what another human - perhaps someone with a different personality, perhaps a female character written by someone who isn't Tsugumi Ohba, perhaps someone in a different part of the world - handles that kind of power.

Another thing that would be awesome? An animated version of Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, a light novel that focuses on one of the first residents of Wammy's House, a serial killer who both worshipped and despised the great detective, L. Or, combine that with a spin-off series about what it's like to live at Wammy's House, an orphanage that churns out child detectives under such great pressure that they're willing to die for greatness. Less interesting to me personally but also potentially cool would an anime version of L Change The World, a light novel and live action film about another of L's pre-Kira cases. They even could change gears completely and create a psychological drama about how Sayu and Sachiko Yagami move forward knowing that their loved one was a serial killer who led Soichiro to his death.

There's a wealth of material to draw from here - Death Note has always been about more than just Light Yagami.

3. Barakamon

Handa Seishuu is one of those characters who it's hard not to want to know everything about. He's a calligrapher whose dad banished him to a remote island to cool his head after he punched an old man in the face for criticizing his work. In living on said island, he learns to tackle problems calmly and rationally, to slow down and enjoy his life, and to care about other people. The transformation happens naturally and with humor, and by the end of the series he's still his tightly-wound self, just better.

So, what do I want to see from Season 2? Literally anything. I would be totally content to watch 12 more episodes about fishing with Naru and not being able to find the ink he needs without special ordering it. I'd also love to see Handa twenty years later, trying to teach his own child the lessons his father wanted him to learn by moving to the island in the first place. Handa's mind is a fascinating place, and I'd love to see where it goes next. (And before you ask, no, the Handa-kun prequel isn't enough, excellent though it may be.)

4. Yuri!!! On ICE

Out of all of the series discussed here, Yuri!!! On ICE is probably the most likely to actually receive a second season. While nothing has been officially announced, it aired recently enough that it still might be. It was certainly popular enough that it would be a worthwhile investment for MAPPA.

Here's why it needs to happen - viewers need to see Yuuri and Victor get married. Anime fans need an interracial gay marriage that occurs outside of yaoi or yuri, between two men who love and respect each other and aren't afraid to show it. The first season was a turning point for anime - it not only included queer people, but it was wildly popular in doing so. Their Season 1 engagement was amazing, but fans need more.

The other reason I personally want a second season? I want to see Yuuri and JJ bond over their mutual anxiety. Yuuri is a classic introvert whose anxiety matches most media portrayals of the issue, while JJ is an extrovert whose issues present in far less obvious ways. His public panic attack prompts Yuuri to reflect on his own journey toward feeling better - I want a scene where he pays it forward and actually tries to help JJ by sharing what he learned in Season 1. I won't hold my breath for this to actually happen, but it would be a beautiful scene.

Which anime do you think are in desperate need of a second season? Let us know in the comments!