The Blue Archive anime is finally set for an official release in North America, sparking curiosity about the potential for an English dub. Despite the game’s significant following, the anime will initially be available only with English subtitles and the original Japanese audio.
Produced by Yostar Pictures, known for adapting other gacha games like Arknights and Azur Lane, Blue Archive the Animation follows the trend of turning popular gacha role-playing games into anime.
The Blue Archive game, launched in Japan in February 2021, features an array of notable voice actors who also reprise their roles in the anime. However, unlike the global version of the game, there are no English dub voices for the North American release.
This has led to speculation that the anime might not receive an English dub either, mirroring the situation with Arknights, which has remained undubbed since its anime debut in October 2022.
Should an English dub for Blue Archive eventually be produced, it could take considerable time, possibly over a year.
This isn’t without precedent; older anime like Natsume’s Book of Friends received dubs long after their original release. Regardless of the dub’s uncertainty, fans can look forward to the official English release of the anime.
The official English X (formerly Twitter) account for Blue Archive has announced the anime’s premiere date: May 24 at midnight UTC (May 23 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT).
Episodes will be available on the official Blue Archive YouTube channel. Fans have speculated on Reddit that licensing costs or the anime’s portrayal of guns in a school setting could be reasons for the delayed release.
