It might not have been a huge hit, but the Pantheon animated series is quickly becoming a cult classic. Given its style coupled with it being streamed initially on HIDIVE, some are wondering if Pantheon can be considered an anime.
What’s more, sci-fi fans who watched the series are also wondering about the series’ future. Sadly, things aren’t looking too good considering the tumultuous events that happened to the show following the release of its first season.
What Happened to the Pantheon Series?
Pantheon is an animated sci-fi drama series based on short stories by Ken Liu, the renowned sci-fi author who has won prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards.
The series explores some heady themes and features a classic sci-fi premise. It begins with Stephen Holstrom who founded Logorhythms, an organization that aims to help humans gain immortality through digital means.
After Holstrom’s death, the organization’s research continued. One day, teenager Maddie Kim discovers that her father’s consciousness was uploaded to Logorhythms’ cloud network.
Soon after, she comes into contact with Caspian Keyes, another teen who is connected to Logorhythms. Thus, Maddie and Caspian resolve to learn the truth about the mysterious organization.
In September 2022, the series was streamed on AMC+ and HIDIVE, but it was then removed in January 2023. According to a report by Deadline, its removal was part of AMC’s cost-cutting measures.
Despite being removed, the series already had a second season lined up. Thankfully for fans, Prime Video acquired the rights to the show, with its second season being released in Prime Video AU & NZ in October 2023.
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Is Pantheon an Anime? Exploring AMC’s Canceled Sci-Fi Drama
As it was originally streamed on HIDIVE, some fans were wondering if that makes Pantheon an anime.
If anime is typically defined by fans as an animated series produced in Japan by a Japanese studio, then Pantheon is not a proper anime. That’s because it was made by American studio Titmouse, Inc.
This is unlike other seemingly American animated shows like Ninja Kamui which is more technically an anime given that it’s produced by Japan-based E&H Production.
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Will Pantheon Ever Get Renewed for a New Season? Our Predictions
As the show got great reviews from critics and fans, it’s a shame that the show was canceled. Thankfully, it does have a proper ending that at least has some level of closure for viewers.
Given that it was canceled and removed by AMC on its platforms, it’s likely not going to get a proper follow-up anytime soon, if at all.
Have you seen the two seasons of Pantheon? If yes, share with us your thoughts on the series in the comments section below.
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