Netflix still to release another 13 episodes of Last Hope, Part 1

The newest post-apocalyptic series in Netflix’s anime arsenal is thrilling, scientific, beautiful and…incomplete? What was with that Last Hope ending?

Those who decided to binge-watch the anime series Last Hope after it was released on Netflix last Friday were likely more than a little surprised about the season’s “ending.” The show’s first 13 episodes, Chinese-Japanese co-produced with Shoji Kawamori and writer Kawamori Masaharu, tell a multi-dimensional story of sacrifice, atonement and the end of the world in a beautiful, fluorescent mix of 2D and 3D animation. But as it turns out, this may be only the first half of Part 1.

Out of character with the previous episodes’ well-thought-out storylines, episode 13 of Last Hope, “The Cries of Chaos,” ended abruptly and with an awkwardly casual exit from the emotional roller coaster audiences had been enduring alongside main character, and slightly mad-scientist, Leon Lau (voiced by Tomoaki Maeno and Robbie Daymond). Though the show’s “Part 1” description almost guarantees a season two, it still seemed like an anti-climactic way for the first season to end.

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Luckily, “The Cries of Chaos,” is not the last episode of Last Hope Part 1. There will be 26 episodes total in the season, and episode 25, “Kuroki Kagayaki,” released in Japan yesterday morning (Sep. 19).

The bad news is that no U.S. release dates have been set for these 13 remaining story plots, nor has Netflix committed to buying them in the future, hence the current chaotic cries of Last Hope fans.  While it’s not guaranteed Netflix will purchase the rest of the anime, it’s rumored on Funimation that more episodes will be streaming on the network in April 2019, the same month season two of the show is set to release (Last Hope Part 2).

What is certain is fans can set their sights on a shift in the story’s foundation and expect a new chapter of Last Hope, which was hinted at in July with the release of new key images. The new graphics suggest the focus of the story will center on Lau and the villain Sieg.

Having premiered last March, the initial ratings of the first season were less than ideal, worrying the production team about even believing in the possibility for a second half of Leon’s story. But since then, the audience has grown several times larger and clearly expects the Last Hope second season with impatience.

Netflix management believed in the series enough to invest in it’s U.S. release, so as of now there’s no reason to doubt their commitment to the show’s American audience.

For those of you who have yet to be hooked on Kawamori’s latest masterpiece (and Bump of Chicken’s newest pop-rock tempo) go on Netflix to stream Last Hope. Those 13 episodes are there, just waiting for audiences to fall in love with them.