1 Year Ago, Legendary Director’s Most Anticipated Anime Ended After a Disappointing Run

Shinichirō Watanabe is one of the most renowned anime directors in the industry, known for several classics such as Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. His latest anime, Lazarus, was by far the most hyped project created by him. While Watanabe’s previous track record was more than enough to hype fans for the latest anime, the series also grabbed attention thanks to the contribution of Chad Stahelski. As the director of the John Wick film series, he was responsible for the action design of the anime. The anime blends his expertise in choreographing high-impact action sequences with the gorgeous animation style of the renowned studio MAPPA.

Naturally, the anticipation was higher than ever, but unfortunately the anime didn’t live up to its hype. While it wasn’t a complete critical flop, the reception was rather underwhelming given how much fans were looking forward to it. The anime premiered on April 6th, 2025, and wrapped up with Episode 13 on June 29th, 2026. It’s only been a year since its debut, but the series is all but forgotten, and rarely does anyone talk about it anymore.

What Is The Plot of Lazarus?

The story is set in the year 2048, where the world has entered an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Dr. Skinner, a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist, developed a miracle drug called Hapuna that can cure all diseases and even boost health and longevity. The drug was easily available and cheap enough for everyone to afford it. It became a cornerstone of this utopian era, but the doctor mysteriously vanished after introducing it to the world.

He returned three years later and revealed that anyone who has consumed the medicine will only live for three and a half years. Since it’s been three years already, the world only has six months to live. While Skinner had an antidote, he disappeared again, leaving behind no trail that could help track him down.

Chaos erupted all over the world, and an elite task force called Lazarus is formed after freeing convicted criminals, assigned to find Dr. Skinner and the antidote that could save everyone. The story centers around Axel Gilberto, a fugitive with a knack for breaking out of prison and evading the police, who is deemed the perfect candidate to join Team Lazarus.

Will There Be a Lazarus Season 2?

Following the disappointing anime run, the chances of an anime sequel are next to none. During an interview with Collider, Cartoon Network President Michael Ouweleen confirmed that regarding a Lazarus sequel, Watanabe shared, “That’s all I got!” While Watanabe teased a second season in July last year, he didn’t officially confirm anything. His plans for the anime may have changed after the anime’s poor reception.

While it wasn’t a complete flop, the series can’t even be considered one of the biggest anime of the year. Despite being produced under the banner of MAPPA, it didn’t make it to any major streaming hubs like Crunchyroll and Netflix. This further limited the accessibility of the show, and those who did watch it couldn’t help but compare it to Watanabe’s previous works and found it underwhelming.

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