The long-awaited fifth season of Kingdom was supposed to have premiered yesterday, though fans now have to wait a bit longer for it to be released. That’s because Kingdom Season 5 has been delayed, with a new release date for Episode 1 announced.
Many anime delays are because of production-related issues, as was the case with the major delays during last year’s winter season.
The new Kingdom season wasn’t delayed for this reason though. Instead, its delay is because of a programming change on its broadcast network.
Kingdom’s Latest Season Has Been Delayed Due to Earthquake Coverage
Kingdom's return is a highly anticipated one for many fans, especially as the last anime episode aired back in October 2022.
Originally set to air yesterday, January 7, Kingdom Season 5 Episode 1 was delayed by almost one week. This delay was revealed on January 6 JST via the anime’s official X (formerly Twitter) account and website.
The reason for the delay is the continuing earthquake coverage on NHK, the TV network where the show is scheduled to air.
On New Year’s Day, Japan was struck by a Magnitude 7.6 earthquake. Its epicenter was off the coast of Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture, though it was powerful enough that shaking was felt as far as Tokyo.
Due to the epicenter’s location in the Sea of Japan, the quake triggered major tsunami warnings on Japan’s western side – the first since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Because of the devastation brought forth by the quake, NHK (which is Japan’s public broadcaster) continues its disaster coverage, meaning its programming for the week has been affected.
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Kingdom Season 5 Episode 1 Gets New Release Date
This is not the first time that a Kingdom episode has been delayed because of a natural disaster. The same happened back in August 2021 during the anime’s third season.
Episode 17 of Season 3 was delayed by one week due to NHK’s typhoon coverage during that month. The episode then aired one week later.
Kingdom Season 5 Episode 1 is now set to air on NHK on January 13, 2024. For now, there’s no word on future schedule changes.
Based on the third season’s delay, it’s likely that Season 5 will continue to air as normal once it premieres.
Aside from the new anime season, fans of the series can also look forward to the next live-action Kingdom movie, which is set to be released this year.
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