Ahead of the show’s return this weekend, an interview with NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Pod 153 voice actress Kaoru Akiyama was released. There, she addressed the show’s recent delay.
While delays aren’t new in the anime industry, Winter 23 has an unprecedented number of shows that were postponed.
Alongside Nier, other shows like Ayakashi Triangle and Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible were also delayed.
Nier is much better off than other shows though, especially as others will return only in the next season.
NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Delay, Return Date
While the show’s first three episodes were released on schedule, an announcement was made that Episode 4 and beyond will be delayed, with no return date announced at that time.
According to the official statement that was released at that time, the delay was due to a rise in COVID cases among staff members. This is likely due to the large COVID wave that hit China in late December to early January.
Soon, other anime like Ayakashi Triangle also got delayed, again because of COVID. This makes sense considering that many anime are made with help from outsourced animators in China.
There have been reports that the production company Aniplex is partly to blame for the delays.
Although, even shows that aren’t produced by Aniplex were affected by delays, such as BOFURI.
Earlier this week, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a finally announced that it will return this weekend.
Specifically, the show’s fourth episode will be released on February 19, with the other episodes expected to follow shortly after.
READ MORE: Why Are So Many Anime Getting Delayed?
Nier Automata VA Shares Her Thoughts on the Delay
In Animate Times’ Nier interview series, Pod 153 VA Kaoru Akiyama expressed her thoughts on the anime.
Unlike the other cast members who are prolific voice actors, Akiyama hasn’t really voiced many characters. Though she was also the voice of Pod 153 in the original game.
While recording for the game was done separately, many recording sessions for the anime saw the cast together. Akiyama remarked that this made the recording experience much better.
It’s clear in the interview how much Akiyama loves Nier and her character, which is why she wasn’t personally bothered by the delay.
While it’s not ideal for fans, she said that she was kind of glad that the anime’s run was extended due to the delay.
This is because she found that an episode a week is “too much to handle” for her given her feelings for the show.
The Nier Automata anime’s next episode will be streamed on Crunchyroll this weekend.
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READ NEXT: How Many Episodes Will NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Have?
Source: Animate Times
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