'One Punch Man' season 2 release date news: Production for anime finally in progress; first season now streaming on Netflix

A screenshot of Saitama from the "One Punch Man" anime.Madhouse Entertainment

The second season of the hit anime series "One Punch Man" is now in production.

Several months after the "One Punch Man" cast announced the show's renewal, a new update claims that production is now underway for the TV adaptation of ONE and Yusuke Murata's web manga. On Twitter, an eagle-eyed fan who goes by the username Ken Xyro shared a photo of an ad for the series confirming that production of the sophomore season "is in progress." Unfortunately, a release window was not indicated on the ad. There was no word either on how far ahead production is.

As Comicbook points out, it might take a long while before season 2 hits the small screen. One anime consisting of 12–13 episodes usually takes an average of six months to animate. That excludes the additional time required for promotion and marketing. While many are still expecting a winter 2017 premiere, fans should not be surprised if the series will be pushed back until next year.

Created in 2009, "One Punch Man" was initially launched as a webcomic before it had a manga adaptation under Weekly Shonen Jump. Due to its popularity, Madhouse released the series as an anime program which premiered in October 2015. Anime fans all over the world got immediately hooked on the show mostly because of its parodic humor and sleek action scenes.

In other news, fans can now catch up on season 1 episodes while waiting for the next installment. Netflix is bringing "One Punch Man" to Western viewers as part of the company's efforts to introduce more anime programs to the American audience. This is a big step for the streaming giant, as CEO Reed Hastings previously revealed that the company is planning to invest in developing its own anime series that could be distributed worldwide. It remains unclear whether Netflix will pick up the rights for the upcoming season 2 as well. Season 1 is also available for streaming on Hulu.

An official release date for "One Punch Man" season 2 is yet to be announced.