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NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a Anime's New Video Reveals 2nd Part's July Debut, LiSA's Opening Song

The official website for NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a, the television anime of Square Enix and Platinum Games' NieR:Automata action role-playing game, started streaming its "promotion file 11" on Tuesday. The video previews the opening theme song "Black Box" by LiSA, and reveals the premiere of the anime's second cours (quarter of year) in July. (The video below refers to the anime's second cours as "2nd Season.")

The website also revealed the anime's third visual, drawn by character designer and chief animation director Jun Nakai.

The first cours of the anime premiered in January 2023. The staff delayed episode 4 that year from January 28 to February 18. The anime's production committee cited COVID-19 as the reason for that delay. The staff then delayed episodes 9 and beyond in March 2023, citing the impact of the increase in COVID-19 infections on its production schedule. Episodes 9-12 aired all at once on July 23. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired.

Square Enix describes the game's story:

NieR:Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines.

Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on... A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.

Ryouji Masuyama (Blend S, Hello WeGo!) directed the first cours at A-1 Pictures, and Masuyama was also in charge of series composition alongside the original game's Yokō Tarō. Jun Nakai designed the characters and served as chief animation director. MONACA composed the music.

Sources: Press release, NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a anime's website