By now, anime lovers around the world are probably done binge-watching Netflix’s latest animated series, Gamera: Rebirth. Set in 1989, a group of sixth graders finds themselves between a horde of monsters and a massive turtle-shaped guardian that’s determined to protect humanity against the oncoming hordes of enemies. Spanning six episodes, the show makes for a very entertaining watch, and it’s definitely something that original lovers of the turtle Kaiju will love. With season 1 done and dusted, it’s time to debate whether we shall see a second season of the show, given some very loud Easter eggs and clues have been dropped towards the end of the series. Here’s a discussion on what the chances are of a new season of Gamera: Rebirth happening any time soon.
In the final episode of Season 1, Gamera is found to be critically injured with over 100 broken bones, as his pulse rate steadily drops. Having gone into space to explode Viras, the ancient Kaiju, and then bringing down the escape pod carrying Boco and friends, took a massive toll on Gamera’s body, and he collapsed on the beach. It was only through the kids’ quick thinking that they remembered the vision they had when they touched the glowing blue rock found in the caverns. In their vision, they’d seen people tie the blue rock in a wire mesh and put it in Gamera’s body to energize and revitalize the Kaiju, and therefore, the scientists were instructed to prepare a similar device with the blue rock at the center to heal Gamera.
Like clockwork, the Kaiju’s vital signs began improving, and before long, he was throwing firebombs at the final monster in the last episode. The blue rock worked wonders, and Gamera was able to not only defeat S-Gyaos, but also successfully overcome the virus that’d poisoned his body and turned him into a puppet for the Future Foundation. All it took was Boco’s pleas to the Kaiju to not give in to evil, to make Gamera return to his original self and launch the final attack, aimed straight upward at the moon. In a few moments, the four top bosses of the Future Foundation were vaporized, along with their base on top of the moon, and Gamera turned to dust, as the enormous toll on his body proved too tremendous to survive.
When Boco and his buddies returned to the research center under the country’s lead scientists, they were amazed to see something, they’d never thought they would witness. After Gamera had blown away as dust, a piece of the shining blue rock had been left in his wake. Now, that blue rock had been shattered, and from inside, a tiny little Gamera had come out, and he made a loud, but unbelievably cute roar because of his minuscule size. We can testify that the name of the series is justified based on just this little Gamera’s arrival, but there’s a possibility that we might see this turtle grow up to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps after all.
Although the Foundation and its leaders have been destroyed, there’s a possibility that someone, somewhere, is planning something evil or diabolical against humanity or for their own greed. History bears witness to the fact that evil men have often used Kaijus as their personal weapons when it comes to terrorizing common people or scaring the world into submission. Besides, it’s very unlikely that all the Kaijus have been destroyed, given Japan sits on a bed of unstable and volatile plates; it’s no surprise that Kaijus keep attacking the country every few years. So, in case there’s a new threat that makes itself known, the tiny Gamera needs to be ready to fight, but he needs time to grow up and be strong.
Besides, Boco, Junichi, and Douglas shall support the new Gamera to the fullest, so that the baby can quickly achieve the height and strength of his parents and be ready to face any threat whatsoever. By now, it’s a given that the military is no match for the Kaijus that attack the country, so it’s necessary to protect Gamera and train him to the fullest, so that Japan, as well as the world as a whole, is never at risk of being destroyed, like it almost was in Season 1.
However, no matter how many speculations we make, they will be futile until the production house that owns the rights to Kaiju decides to release a new season. To the pleasure of many, we might be able to predict that Season 2 may come out sometime around 2024, based on the initial news. Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company behind Gamera, might release the second installment of the series to the delight of anime and monster movie fans around the globe, so there might be something to look forward to for the next year. Though Netflix hasn’t made any declarations regarding the next season as of now, we can assume that, if Season 1 is well received by the audience, the following season might be in the works in no time.
For now, all the fans can do is finish the first season and rewatch all the available material on the Gamera franchise until Netflix announces the release of the next season. In any case, Season 2 will need a new set of Kaijus and villains, as well as a bit of development in Gamera’s personality, so that he no longer comes off as a bodyguard to Boco and nothing more. To come up with a compelling script and good animation to keep up with the first season, the release can be delayed a little, but the audience would rather enjoy a well-made series that feels worth the wait instead of a rushed and clunky new season that people have to quit midway through. Finally, if there’s a new season, Gamera would be better to learn a few newer moves, because it’s very easy to get bored of the usual 5 that he showcased against all the monsters in the first season.
