Azur Lane fans now have a date to mark down. Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! 2!, the second TV anime season based on Hori's Azur Lane Bisoku Zenshin! four-panel manga, is set to premiere on July 5 in Japan.
The announcement came alongside the show's second main promo video, which also previews another theme song for the new season, "Lu lu lun♪ ~Urahara Kibun wa Automatic" by Miyuki Hashimoto.
According to the official release, the anime will air on BS11 at 1:00 a.m. JST and Tokyo MX at 1:05 a.m. JST. Because of the late-night slot, that effectively places some broadcasts into July 6. There will also be an advanced screening on June 7.
Another theme song has also been confirmed for the season, with returning singer Yui Sakakibara performing "Shaisuma—!".
For longtime followers of the franchise, this second season continues the softer, more relaxed side of Azur Lane. While the main series is built around naval battles and larger-scale conflict, Slow Ahead! leans more into character-driven comedy and daily-life moments. That makes it a very different kind of watch from the 2019 Azur Lane TV anime, and probably an easier entry point for viewers who are already attached to the shipgirls but want something lighter.
The first Azur Lane Bisoku Zenshin! anime premiered in January 2021. Masato Jinbo directed that season, with Satō handling scripts. Animation production was led by Yostar Pictures together with studio CANDY BOX, while Yokohama Animation Lab was credited for production cooperation. Hiromitsu Hagiwara served as character designer, with Hagiwara and Kengo Saitō as chief animation directors. Music for the first season was composed by Shade.
The manga itself began in April 2018, published through the franchise's official X account and Ichijinsha's Azur Lane website.
The wider Azur Lane franchise already has a solid footprint across Asia, especially among mobile players familiar with character collection games. The original smartphone title for iOS and Android lets players build fleets using personified early 20th century warships from different nations and send six-ship teams into battle. The game was developed by Shanghai Manjuu and Xiamen Yongshi, first released in China by bilibili in May 2017, then launched in Japan by Shanghai Yostar in September 2017. An English version followed in May 2019 via Yostar.
For Malaysia and the wider SEA audience, that matters because Azur Lane is one of those franchises that lives across both anime and mobile gaming culture. A lot of local fans know it first as a gacha game, then follow the anime as bonus worldbuilding and fanservice-heavy character content. With the English game version already established, any new anime season usually gives the brand another visibility boost across the region, especially among anime viewers who overlap with mobile and PC gaming communities.
It's also worth noting that Azur Lane has expanded before beyond its main series and this spin-off. Tsuchii's Azur Lane Queen's Orders manga previously inspired an original video anime as well.
So if you're in Malaysia or elsewhere in SEA and already plugged into anime-gaming fandom, Slow Ahead! 2! looks set to be a comfy seasonal pick, especially if you prefer cute cast interactions over heavier plot.
Source: Anime News Network