The surreal sci-fi series Thunder 3 is officially set to return for a second season in 2027. The announcement follows the conclusion of the original manga, which wrapped up its run in June 2025 after a brief hiatus. To celebrate the news, creator Hiroya Oku—who recently revealed he had been writing the series under the pen name Yuki Ikeda—shared a commemorative illustration.
The series follows three schoolboys who discover a DVD capable of opening a portal to a hyper-realistic parallel universe. After the younger sister of one of the boys is abducted by aliens in this alternate reality, the trio discovers that their cartoonish physical forms grant them superhuman abilities, prompting a rescue mission. The anime adaptation debuted on Fuji-TV’s +Ultra programming block this past July, with Netflix handling exclusive international distribution.
This announcement arrives shortly after Oku confirmed his identity as the author of the series, noting that the pseudonym was used to preserve a specific narrative surprise in the manga's opening chapter. While Oku has signaled plans to retire following the completion of his current project, Kanrekihime, the return of Thunder 3 ensures his recent work will continue to see screen time for at least another year. With the source material now complete, it remains to be seen how closely the second season will adapt the final chapters of the manga.
