SAO: Alicization - War of Underworld 2nd half delayed until April

[ben0119 12670]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2019-12-28/sword-art-online-alicization-war-of-underworld-anime-last-season-confirmed-for-april/.154870

https://comicbook.com/anime/amp/2019/12/24/sword-art-online-alicization-season-3-war-of-underworld-return-2/
 

https://www.anime-recorder.com/program/130692/

According to posts in that Reddit thread they are having production difficulties, and the Director of Photography/Compositing Director Kentaro Waki was having issues with depression.  INB4 he's depressed because he's working on SAO LOLOLO!  I found the tweets they were talking about.  It seems like he took on too much work and was getting burned out, and felt he wasn't getting enough social recognition for his work.  Also, his parents seem like assholes.

But it looks like he started feeling better after the outpouring of messages of support and the birthday wishes.  Hopefully Mr. Waki will feel better going forward and whatever difficulties the studio is having can be helped by the delay.  I also read that things that appear later in the arc will be difficult to animate so that could be part of it too.

Here is an interview with him from back in January discussing the sort of work his job entails.  It is interesting.  Seems like the guy has an attention to detail and wants things to be high quality but not over-produced.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2019-01-09/sword-art-online-alicization-director-of-photography-kentaro-waki/.140449

I'm not sure how this delay will affect a potential Toonami airing, if DeMarco will want to get the first 12 episodes as soon as they are available and he can work them in, or just wait til all the rest are out and then get them.

Edited December 29, 2019 by ben0119

[The1gairon 13658]

... how the hell do the Japanese get away with holding AN ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL SERIES/MOVIE due to depression or parental issues or being addicted to games!? Hideki Anno has delayed so many of his own projects for these reasons too!  ... IT'S MONEY, people!!!

Edited December 29, 2019 by elfie

[ben0119 12670]

If it was just about money I would think they'd just replace Waki.  I am surprised they were as nice to him as they were, given the bad reputation Japan has for treating employees.  So they must really care about him and not wanting him to not get even worse by firing him, and/or his position isn't so easy to fill, as far as his talent and style and expertise.

[PokeNirvash 4044]

Apparently he's skilled in his profession, to the point where ANN interviewed him about it, so that could easily explain why Asahi Production's kept him around for so long.