Dark Gathering is coming back — and this time its ghost-hunting trio is heading deep into the old capital. Pony Canyon confirmed on 3 September 2026 that Dark Gathering Season 2 will premiere in Japan in 2027, announcing the news alongside the series’ first horror key visual for the new season.
The Kyoto Arc: Older Spirits, Higher Stakes
Season 2 adapts Kenichi Kondō’s manga from Chapter 34 “Joraku” (Ascent to the Capital), beginning with Volume 9, serialised in Shueisha’s Jump SQ magazine. English-language readers following VIZ Media’s releases will already have a sense of what the crew is walking into: Kyoto’s layered history makes for spirits that are older, stronger, and far less willing to go quietly. The city’s centuries of accumulated grudges and tragedy give the Kyoto arc a distinct atmosphere even by the series’ standards.
The official Dark Gathering site announced the news as an “anomaly update” — fitting for a series that leans into its own horror trappings — and confirmed the premiere window alongside the first key visual.
The First Horror Visual: A Dam
The Season 2 key visual depicts the spirit A Dam, silhouetted at the far end of a dim dam inspection corridor — concrete walls, low light, and a figure that is very much not human waiting at the end of the passage. It sets the tone for what Season 2 intends to be: bleaker, more claustrophobic, and more unsettling than the already-intense first season. A series of such horror visuals is promised as the 2027 premiere approaches.
Full Production Team Returns
Hiroshi Ikehata returns to direct, with Shigeru Murakoshi handling series composition and Yuri Ichinose on character design. Studio OLM continues as the animation production house. The core voice cast is back intact: Nobunaga Shimazaki as Keitaro Gentoga, Kana Hanazawa as Eiko Hozuki, and Rina Kawaguchi as Ai Kamiyo. Given how much the show’s eerie atmosphere relies on those performances — Hanazawa’s portrayal of Eiko in particular — the returning lineup is very welcome news for fans.
Where and When to Watch
A specific broadcast date within 2027 has not been announced. Season 1 (Summer 2023, 24 episodes) was available to Singapore viewers via HIDIVE and in select regions on Netflix. A similar simulcast arrangement for Season 2 seems likely, though no platform details have been confirmed yet.
If you have not yet watched Season 1, now is a good time to start. The first season covers the manga up to Volume 8, bringing you to exactly where Season 2 picks up. The manga is available in English through VIZ Media, with Volume 20 currently on sale — plenty of reading while you wait for the anime to return.
We will have more updates as production news on Dark Gathering Season 2 drops. Keep an eye on our Manga & Anime coverage for the latest.