Blue Exorcist Season 3 aka Shimane Illuminati Saga is slated for release in 2024. Much to our surprise, there has been another announcement of this old anime coming our way. First, there was Bleach coming after a decade then the announcement of Naruto Shinsaku Anime and now Blue Exorcist. It’s a great time to pick up this anime because definitely the ones who watched the show back then are all grown up. It will give everyone a sense of how Rin’s character has developed over the years.
The storyline of Blue Exorcist Shimane Illuminati Saga is declared to showcase chapters from further in the manga and not directly where it left off which is interesting because at the end of the second season, a short part of it was shown to us as a cliffhanger but it will not be animated as far as the trailer suggests. Coming to the trailer itself, not much was revealed of the story it will follow but manga readers can expect no less because the story will only progress from here.
They might still be angry with Yukio though and who knows maybe turn angrier due to his cold behavior. Who is the younger brother now? Rin or Yukio? That is an interesting question because we will observe a mature aura in season three and witness the difference in his facial and body structure. Fans might still want to see him being his childish self however without a certain growth the story will not remain dynamic and interesting to watch.
Blue Exorcist Premise
The whole plot of Blue Exorcist is definitely about Rin finding out about himself through hidden truths or open lies but the elements of comedy and a wholesome friendship cover the dark and sorrowful sides of the story. So, can we expect it to be the same in season 3? I don’t think so.
There will be quite a lot of changes which will make Blue Exorcist more interesting than the last two seasons. I don’t know at this moment how will the fans feel about it but the story might turn into a serious action-like arc with amazing battles. They will go much further to Satan but it’s unsure if they will head face to face with him just yet especially because the manga itself is in between and not a completed one.
Redefining Trends?
Like Bungo Stray Dogs, Blue Exorcist might have multiple seasons to continue its storyline or break the cycle and have 20+ episodes. What is truly concerning about the season is that unlike previously, this production will not be from A-1 Pictures. It will instead be produced by Studio VOLN, titled Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga to be more specific about the arc they are going to feature.
Kuzue Kato, the mangaka of the story originally wrote the story in great detail in the manga. However, in the previous seasons, we did find it to be mildly presented in the anime. A huge difference in the depth of the story already can be observed if we focus on the birth scene of Rin from the anime and the manga.
Were those decisions made by the production house or intentionally omitted we don’t know but Studio VOLN has produced quite a few Anime that contain tragedy or gruesome fights so we can expect this studio to give manga the justice. If you can’t remember the works by this studio the movie, ‘I Want to Eat Your Pancreas’ should be a good example.
Blue Exorcist Expectations
The story of Blue Exorcist Season 3 can develop in two ways, one where the focus will be on the relationship between the two brothers as we see them drifting apart slowly or the story might fall heavy on their different tasks and assignments that will lead them to multiple journeys. Each journey has its own reward as we question if Mephistopheles/Pheles is good or simply evil.
The story will have the previous voice actors so it will not feel too far off and we all can be grateful but as the characters are more mature now it will still be a great experience to see them represent that essence of growth. To all K-pop fans, however, sorry that 2 PM will not be singing the opening but a Japanese rock band Uverworld will be singing “Eye’s Sentry”, very fitting to the anime, right?
A Must Watch
The old anime watchers will hop right on to watch Blue Exorcist Shimane Illuminati Saga with a bit of a recap and since knowing the background of the characters is necessary new watchers might need to enjoy the two seasons first. The previous seasons are more teen-friendly with childish yet humble sarcastic dialogues so it is rather light and enjoyable to watch but if one reads into the story before the release, they will feel the same emotions felt in Full Metal Alchemist.
Blue Exorcist may or may not be completely synced to the manga scene by scene as seen in other anime like Spy X Family or Jujutsu Kaisen but is not an anime to be missed. The Anime is set to air in January 2024 with the dates yet hidden but the excitement is everywhere. Even 25 million copies of the manga were sold just after the announcement of this anime dropping. With this emotion and thrill, we all just can’t wait for the next surprises they have in store for us.
