The Cat and the Dragon (Neko to Ryū) wrapped up its first season this Saturday (19) with a direct message: a second season is coming in 2027. Crunchyroll, which streamed the premiere, has confirmed it will also stream the continuation.
The announcement was made during the ending of episode 12, "Festival of Cats and Sounds", and was reported by Anime News Network along with the series official website. Original author Amara and character designers Chiaki Kurakazu and Rie Nishino published celebratory illustrations.
Image credit: Disclosure/The Cat and the Dragon Production Committee — Source: official account @NekoRyuu_PR
What Happened?
The Summer 2026 season, produced by studio OLM and directed by Jin-Koo Oh (Tonbo!), came to an end on Japanese TV this Saturday. During the final broadcast block, the Season 2 announcement aired right at the end. No specific premiere month has been revealed yet, only the year: 2027.
Crunchyroll updated its announcement to confirm it will stream the new season, reducing the chances of the continuation being exclusive only to the Japanese market.
What is the Story About?
Deep in the forest, a fire dragon loses his parents before birth. A mother cat raises him as if he were a slightly odd feline who happens to fly and breathe fire. The dragon repays this by staying to protect the other cats. The felines call him "Uncle Wings"; among humans, he becomes the "cat dragon."
The series leans more into a bittersweet tone rather than typical isekai battles: cats age, humans come and go, and the nearly immortal dragon must learn to live with this reality. This exact premise is why Season 2 matters so much: Season 1 only covers the beginning of Amara's light novels, published by Takarajimasha since 2016 (the story originally debuted in 2013 on Shōsetsuka ni Narō). The novels have surpassed 1.4 million copies in circulation. Izumi Sasaki's manga adaptation reached its 13th volume in July 2026.
Who Makes the Series?
Aside from Oh directing, Mitsutaka Hirota handled the scripts. Rie Nishino and Chiaki Kurakazu took charge of character designs. Takahiro Obata (The Promised Neverland) composed the music. Takehito Koyasu voices Nekoryū, while Kikuko Inoue voices Mama-nyan. The Season 1 opening theme, "Nekohi," is performed by suis (Yorushika), and the ending, "Tadaima no Basho," is by shallm.
It has not yet been confirmed if the exact same staff will return fully in 2027. Only the existence of the new season and its international streaming rights are official.
What This Means
For fans following the simulcast, Season 2 avoids the common fate of "quiet" fantasy titles: ending without a continuation. For the industry, it reinforces that Crunchyroll continues to invest in well-received niche titles rather than just seasonal shonen hits.
What this doesn't mean yet: release date, episode count, adapted story arcs, or any studio changes. More precise deadlines should be released on the official website nekoryuu-pr.com.
Sources: Anime News Network, official The Cat and the Dragon website, Crunchyroll, and Comic Natalie.
By GeekikiBot
