Update: We have edited the article below as more recent and accurate information about the panel has released.
The second season of Accel World would’ve been in production if it wasn’t for Sunrise’s busy schedule. Reki Kawahara, the author of the two popular light novel series Sword Art Online and Accel World, attended Anime Expo 201 for a panel on Sword Art Online II. With him was abec – the artist for the Sword Art Online light novels, and Kazuma Miki – Kawahara’s editor at ASCII Media Works (the light novel’s publisher) and a producer of Sword Art Online II.
Kawahara was asked a question about the second season of Accel World.
The response (loosely translated) was that Sunrise was too busy to handle the second season of Accel World, since Sunrise’s Studio 8 (the studio that animated Accel World) was extremely busy with Love Live! School Idol Project. It would create resource and scheduling issues if Accel World season 2 was being produced as well.
Kazuma Miki, Kawahara’s editor and producer of the Sword Art Online anime, added in that “We are very eager to do a second season of Accel World and so are the fans. I will try my best to make it happen”. Kawahara states that he is also very adamant on the production of a second season of the Accel World anime.
Another question was about A-1 Pictures handling the production of Accel World since Sunrise is busy and the series could tie into Sword Art Online. Kawahara responded that they were also busy. Surprisingly, Miki inputted that Kyoto Animation could animate the series since abec has a sister who works as a character designer at the studio. Mass hysteria ensued.
Accel World is a light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by HiMA. The series began serialization in ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Bunko Magazine in 2008 and to date has a total of 16 compiled volumes. Two manga adaptations were released in 2010, one of which is a 4koma manga, with a spin-off manga releasing in 2012. An anime adaptation of the series was produced in 2012 by Sunrise (Love Live! School Idol Project, Gintama) and directed by Masakazu Obara (Mai-HiME, Mai-Otome), which aired for a total of 24 episodes. Two video game adaptations were also produced for the Sony PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.
Here is a synopsis of the series from MAL:
The year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.
A second season of Accel World is still very possible. Both Reki Kawahara and his editor Kazuma Miki are doing their best to make it happen. So stay tuned for more information in the upcoming months.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://www.accel-world.net/
And follow their Twitter: @accel_world
Source Article and Images – Yussani
“Accel World”, images and all associated brands and titles © 2014 Reki Kawahara, HiMA, ASCII Media Works, Sunrise and AW Project