Dark Gathering Season 2 is Officially in Production

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Fans of the supernatural horror series Dark Gathering have reason to celebrate! After a two-year wait, a second season is officially in the works. The original cast and crew are returning, and a new teaser shows the story will now take place in Kyoto, adapting the ‘Kyoto arc’ from the manga.

When Dark Gathering debuted in 2023, it stood out as something special in the anime world. It began with a classic ghost-hunting setup, but quickly evolved into a much darker, more frightening, and psychologically complex story. While it didn’t get the mainstream attention it deserved, it gained a dedicated and passionate fanbase who both loved and were terrified by it. This new season offers the series a chance to reach a broader audience and potentially become a leading title in horror anime.

Dark Gathering Finally Returns to Fill the Horror Anime Void

The manga Dark Gathering started in 2019, created by Kenichi Kondō and published in Jump SQ. It centers around Keitarō Gentōga, a college student who unknowingly draws ghosts to him. A past traumatic experience with spirit possession led him to isolate himself, but he attempts to move forward by taking a tutoring job. There, he meets Yayoi Hōzuki, a remarkably intelligent child who immediately senses his connection to the spirit world.

Yayoi actively seeks out and hunts supernatural beings, determined to find and rescue her mother’s soul after witnessing her being taken to the afterlife. Despite Keitaro’s hesitation to return to the world of the occult, Yayoi persuades him by offering a potential cure for his own curse. Together, they embark on a ghost-hunting journey, hoping to confront their personal demons, but find themselves increasingly haunted and traumatized along the way.

The anime series, directed by Hiroshi Ikehata and produced by OLM, first aired on Tokyo MX in July 2023. While it started with a typical ghost-hunting storyline, it quickly became much more disturbing and graphic. Each ghostly encounter revealed not only the spirits themselves, but also the terrible things people had done to create them. Even two years later, certain episodes are still widely talked about among fans. Episode 14, ‘Old F Tunnel,’ gained a reputation for being extremely difficult to watch. Horror anime enthusiasts continue to debate this Dark Gathering episode – some consider it genuinely frightening, while others found the intense body horror too much to handle.

The next season of Dark Gathering will take place in Kyoto, a city deeply rooted in Japanese history and folklore, making it the perfect backdrop for the series. While the first season focused on individual hauntings, the upcoming season will explore what happens when an entire city is haunted by its past. Hiroshi Ikehata returns as director, with animation studio OLM also returning. Yū Sasahara, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kana Hanazawa, and Rina Kawaguchi will reprise their roles as Yayoi, Keitarō, Eiko, and Ai, respectively.

Dark Gathering Pushes the Boundaries For Dark Anime

Dark Gathering blends classic horror elements with a truly disturbing story that stays with you. What really sets it apart is that the horror isn’t something that just happens to the characters – it changes them. Each frightening experience leaves a lasting impact, and by the end of the first season, everyone has been affected by what they’ve witnessed. The characters themselves are as troubled and haunted as the ghosts they’re trying to find.

Keitarō is haunted by past trauma, and every new experience further erodes his sense of hope. Yayoi believes strongly in her own brand of justice, but her ruthless fighting style is frightening, almost as disturbing as the spirits she fights. She gains power by forcing spirits to fight and consume each other, then imprisons them within dolls. While incredibly intelligent, she’s cold and calculating, readily crossing ethical boundaries. Even Eiko, who initially provides emotional support, becomes involved in this unsettling cycle, learning to balance compassion with a need for control. By the season’s end, all three characters are deeply traumatized, their personalities defined not only by their experiences, but also by the difficult choices they’ve made.

While the animation in Dark Gathering isn’t on the same level as hits like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s shockingly intense and memorable. Many viewers have found the show disturbing, even traumatizing, which is exactly what horror fans are looking for. It expertly builds suspense, uses effective jump scares, features creepy character designs, and doesn’t shy away from graphic violence. What sets it apart is that the horror is rooted in genuinely sad and tragic backstories. The villains are frightening, but also portrayed with enough humanity to make their motives understandable. This blend of horror, sadness, and psychological complexity leaves a lasting impact on viewers.

As someone who’s followed this story for a while, the news of a second season feels long-awaited. Dark Gathering has always been a gripping, unsettling series – it really makes you lean into the discomfort, and it hasn’t always been an easy watch. But for those who stuck with it, the atmosphere is unforgettable. This second season feels like a great opportunity to bring the story to a wider audience while still preserving what made it so special. They’re currently working on the Kyoto arc, so the chills will continue! We’re hoping to get a release window at Jump Festa 2026, where the cast will be appearing on December 21st. If you’re looking for your next favorite horror anime, this might be it – just be warned, it won’t offer much comfort in return.

Dark Gathering Season 1 is streaming now on HIDIVE.

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2025-11-11 06:39