In an interview with Newtype , Kemono Friends 2 director Ryuichi Kimura revealed his circumstances behind joining the project.

"I was working on Aikatsu! like always when Nobuyuki Hosoya , a producer from TV Tokyo , approached me [about directing Kemono Friends 2 ] ... I was eager to have the chance to work on such a wonderful series, and also the offer came from none other than Mr. Hosoya, so I had no hesitations about accepting."

Although the original studio Yaoyorozu and original director TATSUKI will not be returning to Kemono Friends 2 , Kimura says that he was told that many returning staff and producers from the original Kemono Friends are working on Kemono Friends 2 .

It was previously confirmed that Nobuyuki Abe and Akiyuki Tateyama will return as sound director and music composer respectively.

Kimura also revealed that he has been working alongside series conceptual artist Mine Yoshizaki to create a story that he hopes will do justice to the original Kemono Friends . "Ultimately, the structure of [ Kemono Friends 2 ] is hardly any different from the previous series, but there will be a new protagonist and a new journey."

Kimura's idea for the new series is to emphasize the slice-of-life and "healing" elements that were present in the first anime. "I wanted to make the kind of show that you can chill out to after a hard day at work." He said that he did not want to over-emphasize the science fiction element because it could make the story too heavy.

On the technical level, Kimura also hopes to recreate the "atmosphere" of the first series, although all of the character models have been remade from scratch.

Kemono Friends 2 will premiere on January 7. The new anime's story begins with Serval and Caracal finding a "human" child in the forest. As they travel with the child, they meet new Friends, uncover the secrets of Japari Park, and become involved in an event that will "shake the earth."

Nexon 's original Kemono Friends app game launched in early 2016 and ended service in December of that year — before the Kemono Friends anime even aired. The 12-episode television anime then premiered on TV Tokyo and TV Osaka in January 2017 and ended in March 2017. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired, and is also currently streaming the Welcome to the JAPARI PARK spinoff anime worldwide outside of Asia.