If you’ve read the title, we assure you, it’s no joke, because it was announced during a special event for Gen Urobuchi’s popular mecha anime series, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (Suisei no Gargantia). The Bandai Visual producer, Yuuji Hirooka has announced that Production I.G. will discontinue their plans for a second season for the anime, and it will instead end as a novel written by Gargantia script writer, Daishiro Tanimura.

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According to Hirooka, Production I.G. has chosen to discontinue their planned second season and could not produce it for “various reasons”, which were not elaborated on. Instead, they have chosen that the conclusion for Ledo and Amy’s adventures in the water world which is Earth would be ended in a novel format. The novel is slated for release in Japan this summer.

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Fans who want to watch more of their beloved Gargantia crew, don’t fret just yet because Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet will be having a second OVA. This second OVA was shown in selected theaters in Japan last 4 April and will be having its home video release on 27 May 2015.

The first fans who watched the second OVA in theaters also got their hands on a Gargantia short story, which also serves as a prequel to the main sequel novel. Hirooka also stated that the word “Land” will be key to the novel. Also revealed were the character designs for two of the sequel novel’s main characters, Stella and Russel, as well as the mecha, Ignite. All three will be playing key roles in the novel and the conclusion of Ledo’s story.

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And here are a couple of new screenshots from the second OVA

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Well, the cancellation of the second season is truly a big blow to many fans. However, look at the bright side, maybe we can see the novel get animated in the future? Who knows?

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet premiered in Japan last April 2013 and follows the story of Ledo, who after a battle against the squid-like monsters known as the Hideauze in space, crash-lands in a watery planet and is taken in by the massive Gargantia fleet. There, he meets Amy, who changes his outlook on life. The anime was directed by Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion associate director, Kazuya Morata over at Production I.G., with its scenario written by none other than Gen Urobutchi (Madoka Magica, Fate/ Zero, Aldnoah.Zero)

Source: Dengeki Online