A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special Season 2 Arrives 2026
I know what you're thinking: "My favorite anime can't get a sequel." But whether you like it or not, and you are welcome to comment your thoughts below, this anime can get a sequel! Well, it appears Season 2 of A Returner's Magic Should Be Special is confirmed to debut in 2026, and a new promotional video has officially announced the broadcast and streaming release. Crunchyroll will stream the season globally, continuing its partnership from the first season.
After watching and reviewing season one back in February 2025, I would describe the series like this: If you could turn back time to correct your mistakes, would you? This is the hook for A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special, a show that takes the “overpowered protagonist gets a do-over” trope and, frankly, does nothing new with it. Protagonist Desir Hermann gets sent back ten years to prevent the world’s destruction, diving into magic school politics and class divides, but the formula feels recycled. The story is an assembly of clichés: school rankings resolve everything, noble-versus-commoner drama, and a hero who’s OP for no real reason. Character interactions offer some entertainment, but everyone’s an archetype you've seen a hundred times, and nothing meaningfully evolves. Visually, the magic looks lively, and the animation is clean, but the designs and backgrounds are standard fare. The music is serviceable but mismatched, and the voice acting doesn’t elevate the material. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of these tropes, expect mindless, predictable entertainment, not anything transformative. If you can embrace the genre’s tropes and just want popcorn anime, you’ll manage. Otherwise, move along—there are plenty of shows just like this out there.
And let’s be honest, there are fans of every trope I pan above, and apparently, they wanted it in this package. If I am being honest, there are isekai I love that are panned, like "Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra" and "From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!", both of which are series whose hills I will die on. But I know sometimes fans just want more of what they love—magical schools, ranking battles, and class struggles—even if nothing revolutionary is added. The established formula wins by sheer comfort factor.
And it doesn't hurt that season 2 maintains major staff from the first outing: Taishi Kawaguchi (Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut assistant director) is directing, Takamitsu Kouno (She Professed Herself, Pupil of the Wise Man) handles series composition, Hiromi Katou (Goblin Slayer II) returns as character designer, and Kenta Higashiooji (Pole Princess!!) composes the score. The animation studio Arvo Animation, under Kawaguchi’s presidency, is responsible for production, suggesting consistency in visual style and narrative tone.
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special adapts a Korean webcomic (webtoon) written by Usonan and illustrated by Wookjakga, first published between 2016 and 2019 and later gaining global traction. This cross-cultural production highlights the rising influence of Korean webtoons in Japanese animation, a trend reflected in other successful adaptations. The use of time travel and second-chance narratives draws parallels to earlier anime like Re:Zero and Erased, situating the show within a lineage of series tackling fate, regret, and redemption. Artistically, the series blends high fantasy with modern webtoon sensibilities, marked by fast pacing, ensemble casts, and intricate magic systems.
While it may not break new ground, A Returner's Magic Should Be Special successfully caters to its target audience. Those who enjoy predictable fantasy narratives and uncomplicated storytelling will find it a dependable source of comfort. If your anime preferences lean towards the familiar and entertaining, this series offers an enjoyable experience, even if the tropes are well-worn.
