Dark fantasy anime has seen a resurgence recently, with hit titles like Bastard!! and Record of Ragnarok getting a lot of attention. Soon, another dark fantasy series will join them as Ragna Crimson confirmed its release date.
What’s more, Ragna Crimson also announced that its first episode will get an advanced theatrical release in Japan. That’s because the show will have a one-hour premiere episode.
This is the latest anime to get a lengthy first episode. While not a new phenomenon, shows getting feature-length premieres are increasingly becoming more common.
Feature-Length Premiere Episodes Are Slowly Becoming the Norm
Most TV anime begin with a standard-length first episode; think of shows like Chainsaw Man and Spy x Family.
That’s because most anime are based on manga, and typically, manga titles begin with long first chapters that are just enough to be covered by one anime episode.
Of course, there are some exceptions as some shows begin with double-length episodes or even longer.
This year, there seems to have been an increase in longer premieres, with some even having feature-length first episodes.
For starters, there’s Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc which began with a first episode that’s double the length of a typical anime.
Then there’s Oshi no Ko, arguably the biggest hit of the Spring 2023 season. The show’s popularity is thanks in large part to its 80-minute first episode which became a huge trending topic back in April.
Aside from these, more extra-length premieres are coming this year, one of which is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End which will open with a two-hour-long first episode. This eclipses most of the big premieres of the year.
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Ragna Crimson Announces September Release Date
The next anime to get a long first episode is Ragna Crimson, the new dark fantasy anime from Silver Link, the studio behind shows such as The Misfit of Demon King Academy, Bofuri, and more.
To go alongside the reveal of the first episode’s length, a new trailer for the anime was also released.
It features a preview of the opening theme ROAR by ulma sound junction. You can watch it here:
Aside from its first episode being an hour long, the show might also catch the attention of fans thanks to its cast which features big stars like Ai Fairouz (Power in Chainsaw Man) and Mamiko Noto (Sawako in Kimi ni Todoke).
Ragna Crimson will air on Japanese TV on September 30, 2023.
Ahead of its broadcast, the first episode will get an advance screening on September 2 at the Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema which will be attended by its cast.
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