The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has affected pretty much every industry in the world, so it was only a matter of time before the anime industry had to readjust, too. Yesterday, the official Japanese Pokémon anime twitter account confirmed that the weekly new episodes previously scheduled from April 26th onwards have been postponed to a later date, with re-runs airing in their place.
＜番組からのお知らせ＞
新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大にともなう「緊急事態宣言」の発出を受け、
安全に十分配慮した上での番組制作を行うため、
一時的に、一部の制作作業を見合わせることにいたしました。
これに伴い、来週以降の「ポケットモンスター」は再放送となります。— アニメ「ポケットモンスター」公式 (@anipoke_PR) April 19, 2020
The Pokémon anime’s latest arc features Ash, Pikachu, and their new friend Go as they explore the entire Pokémon world – not just one region. The US dub of the new season has yet to begin, though the Sun/Moon saga finished up early last month.
Pokémon isn’t the only anime affected by the global crisis – Toei Animation recently announced that its juggernaut One Piece and brand-new Digimon Adventure reboot will also be taking a hiatus, as well.
We wish all the best to everyone affected during these trying times.
Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
