After a 3.5-year long wait for Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World Season 3, the upcoming season's premiere has leaked online, with Crunchyroll joining Netflix in a disastrous week due to a rising problem with mass anime leaks. Today, the much-anticipated 90-minute premiere of Re:Zero Season 3 was shared on numerous torrenting websites. Stills from the episode were also shared on social media.
The premiere episode, leaked with French subtitles, was uploaded online two months before its official premiere in October 2024. The popular isekai anime series was set to return as part of Crunchyroll's Fall 2024 anime lineup, and it's considered to be one of the most highly-anticipated new seasons coming this October. Crunchyroll originally scheduled to have an early screening of the Re:Zero Season 3 premiere on July 11 at the Japan Expo in Paris, but the streamer decided to pull it for reasons beyond "Crunchyroll's control". It's unclear whether today's leak is linked to Crunchyroll's unexplained decision to cancel the early screening at the said event.
The leak video shows the “Japan Expo 2024” watermark in the upper left corner. Prior to the Japan Expo, Crunchyroll's Tower of God Season 2 premiere screener was leaked in a similar way right after it premiered at Anime Expo 2024.
Back in April several anime shows from Crunchyroll's Spring 2024 lineup were also leaked, including Sound! Euphonium Season 3, KonoSuba – God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! Season 3, As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World, The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases, and Astro Note were leaked before their official premiere dates. All of those anime shows were screened during the Puerto Rico Comic Con.
The latest leak highlights a rising problem within anime distribution and production. Earlier this week, Netflix was hit with one of the biggest anime leaks in recent history, with several episodes of DAN DA DAN, and Terminator Zero leaked months before they're scheduled to premiere. The entire Mononoke: Karakasa movie was also leaked. However, the anime that got hit the most is MAPPA's Ranma 1/2 anime reboot. After about three episodes were initially uploaded online, the reboot's entire first cour (12 episodes) leaked online the next day.
As of today, neither Crunchyroll nor Netflix has released a statement following the leaks.
What is Re:ZERO Season 3 about?
Re:Zero-Starting Life in Another World- anime is based on the KADOKAWA-published light novels written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shinichirou Ootsuka. Studio White Fox animated the first two seasons of the anime, which premiered in 2016 and 2020, respectively, with Season 2 having a split-cour format (the second cour premiered in July 2021). Tsunaki Yoshikawa, the animation producer of the first two seasons, founded Atelier Pontdarc in July 2020.
Here's the official plot description for Re:ZERO Season 3:
A year has passed since the liberation of “The sanctuary”, where Subaru Natsuki defeated Elsa and fulfilled his contract with Beatrice in the battle against the Great Rabbits. Emilia camp was united as they faced the royal election, and Subaru Natsuki was living a fulfilling life, but the peace and quiet came to an end with a single letter delivered by a messenger. The letter was from Anastasia, one of the candidates for the royal selection, to invite Emilia to the Watergate City of Priestella, one of the five largest cities in Lugunica. Accepting the invitation, Subaru and his party set off for Priestella, where a variety of reunions awaited them. One unexpected, one unintended, and one to come. The stirrings of malice writhing beneath the surface of the water and an unprecedented crisis loom over them. Once again, the boy faces a cruel fate.
You can watch the official trailer for Re:Zero Season 3 below:
For more information about Re:ZERO Season 3, visit the official website of the anime.
