Just a few weeks have passed since the anime enthusiasts saw Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3, and they can’t wait to delve deeper into the high school alley. There’s no denying that the anime is a blockbuster hit. However, it remains unclear when Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 will return. Well, the latest sequel of the franchise has returned after 13 years. So, it seems like the streaming platform will take some time to decide the future of the show. But don’t fret! In this article, we have discussed all the possible reasons as to why the series should return with the fourth season. So, keep reading.
Based on a Japanese manga series by Karuho Shiina, Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You follows the struggle of a 15-year-old high school girl named Sawako Kuronuma, aka Sadako. Due to her ominous appearance, she feared making new friends. However, her life takes a U-turn when a popular boy, Shota Kazehaya, starts talking to her. This embarks her on a new journey as she meets new friends and starts enjoying her life. As the anime unfolds, the two fall in love with each other.
Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4: Is It Renewed Yet?
Kimi Ni Todoke debuted back in October 2009 with a bang. The series received positive acclaim for its narration. However, despite being the most powerful anime of the year, it never returned after the second season. The second season wrapped up airing in 2011, and since then, fans hadn’t heard about the series. Things changed finally! After 13 long years, Netflix revived the series for the third run. That’s right! Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3 aired on August 1, 2024, creating an uproar in the anime industry.
The ONA left fans on their toes, clamoring for Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4. However, it’s only been a few weeks since we last saw the third season. It’s quite early to guess when the series will be renewed. Since the decision is in Netflix’s hands, we can expect that it will take some time to return. That’s because the streaming giant takes a few months to announce its decision. The renewal decision is generally based on the viewership vs. cost graph.
Netflix will announce its decision based on the number of subscribers and viewership it has received. That means fans have to wait to learn the future of the series. However, one thing to note here is that the streaming giant is currently working on expanding its streaming list. It has also added more ONA to its platform. So, it will be a positive sign as to why Netflix should return with Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4.
Chances Of Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4
Although the anime returned after 13 years, it’s a positive sign that it will continue. Netflix added the first two seasons of Kimi Ni Todoke to its streaming list back in 2023. It then took only a year to return with the third season. This shows that the streaming giant is optimistic about Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You. Not only this, but Netflix has also added the live-action series of Kimi Ni Todoke to its platform. The series performed well, hinting that Netflix will return with the fourth run.
However, the streaming giant hasn’t yet revealed the details of its viewership, which has left many to wonder whether the anime performed well on the platform. While its viewership has not been announced, the series received positive reception. It garnered 7.8 stars out of 10 on IMDb and 86% on AniList. Meanwhile, the critics have also called it worth watching anime. It’s currently the most-watched anime on the platform. Thus, we can expect that Netflix will renew the series for the fourth run sooner or later.
It Has Ample Source Material To Return
While the official staff has yet to greenlight the anime, many believe it can return with more than one season. There are several plausible reasons, one of which is its source material. Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You is a manga adaptation written and illustrated by Karuho Shiina. The series was serialized from 2005 to 2017 in Bessatsu Margaret and published by Shueisha. Although the manga series is concluded, there is enough source material left to be covered.
The 123 chapters of the manga are collected in 30 tankobon volumes. So far, the anime has only covered one part of the manga. In fact, the latest installment has covered only Vol 11 to Vol 18 (around chapters 46 to 75). That means the series can return with more seasons. That’s because 50 more chapters in short 12 volumes are left to be explored in future projects. Since the third season has covered 29 chapters, we expect the same with Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4.
Will Production I.G. Return?
Since the beginning of the series, Production I.G. has remained the sole animation studio behind Kimi Ni Todoke. Despite being the busiest production house, Production I.G. returned to animate Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3 last year. This shows that if the series receives renewal, the production house will return to animate the series. However, it doesn’t seem like it will return soon. That’s because Production I.G. is currently busy working on other projects.
These include Shinkalion: Change the World, Kaiju No. 8, and Kinnikuman Kanpeki Chojin Shisho-hen. It is also working on some ONA, including BRZRKR and Terminator Zero, as well as films like Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle and Untitled Haikyu!! Film. Thus, at least this year, it doesn’t seem like the studio house will return to work on Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4. But if the series receives the green light, then we can expect it will take a year to finish its production, considering the tight schedule of the studio house.
Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3 Ending Suggests More To Come
The chances of the series to return are high. That’s because the third season ended on a cliffhanger. The latest installment suggested that there is more to explore in Sawako and Shota’s storyline. Shota and Sawako developed a strong bond over the summer break. They even went on dates and introduced each other to their parents. While everything went well in their lives, things spiralled after the Okinawa trip. The duo were close to kissing each other but were interrupted by Ayane.
But things changed, and both started maintaining a distance. When Sawako realized that the difference between them had grown a lot, she tried to have a conversation with Shota. However, things didn’t work out well. In the end, she realized that it wasn’t her who created the barrier but Shota. She also overthought that Shota didn’t want her in his life. While the situation tensed, Shota decided to open up. He revealed his true feelings for Sawako.
Shota also confessed that he didn’t want to share her with anyone. He confessed to being so carried away with their relationship that he subconsciously created a wall between them. However, they came closer for good. He confessed and kissed her on Christmas Eve. As the two settled for good, Kimi Ni Todoke Season 3’s finale suggested there were more to come. The cliffhanger hinted at a new set of storylines.
Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4: What To Expect Next?
The third season ended with Shota confessing his love for Sawako. While the couple has begun a new journey, Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 can focus on the hurdles they face. The duo has yet to finish their final year, so they will struggle to balance their love life and academics. In fact, Shota and Sawako must select the university they want to study. This might create more complications if both pick a different university, creating a barrier between the two.
So far, the anime has remained true to its source material. So we can expect the same with this season as well. It will pick the pace from Chapter 76, in which the couple explains their relationship to their friends and family. This will mark a new beginning in their life. However, Sawako might meet some love rivals in the upcoming season. Since Shota is a popular boy, many will want to stay close to him and push Sawako out of the line. If that is the case, it will be intriguing to see how things will move now.
Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 Cast Details
No doubt, there won’t be Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 without the series’ main characters. So, without any doubt, they will return to play their part in the next season. These include:
- Sawako Kuronuma – Mamiko Noto (Japanese), Xanthe Huynh (English)
- Shota Kazehaya – Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Khoi Dao (English)
- Ayane Yano – Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Erica Mendez (English)
- Chizuru Yoshida – Yuko Sanpei (Japanese), Morgan Berry (English)
- Ryu Sanada -Yuichi Nakamura (Japanese), Ray Chase (English)
Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 Release Date
Netflix has yet to announce Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4. However, it won’t take much time to renew the series for the next season. That’s because the series has already performed well, and the cliffhanger also hints at the next season’s direction. But since the streaming giant has yet to make an announcement, we believe the fourth season won’t return soon. It might take a year to land on our screen. Considering this, we can expect Kimi Ni Todoke Season 4 to air sometime in the fall of 2025. This is all for now. Stay with The Anime Daily for more such updates.