Netflix has acquired the anime series Blue Period. The news is good for fans of the original manga, but also significant for anime fans and Netflix users in general. Exceptionally, Netflix will release episodes weekly, rather than all at once.
The show will debut on Netflix in Japan tomorrow, then air on Japanese tv from October 1. Episodes will start rolling out globally on Netflix on October 9. We believe this will be the first time Netflix does weekly releases for an anime series in the U.S. (In 2018 it took this approach for Violet Evergarden in some territories, but not the U.S.)
The week-long lag means Blue Period won’t exactly be “simulcast” — a term that refers to the near-simultaneous airing of a series in Japan and abroad. But it’s not far off. Anime fans used to simulcasts on platforms like Crunchyroll and Funimation have bemoaned Netflix’s tendency to release series in their entirety. This generally means shows come out months after Japanese audiences have seen them.
