The question of whether we’ll be returning to Asuran Academy in Chastity High Season 2 is a worthwhile one since Netflix is pretty famously keen on renewing shows set in schools whether they warrant it or not. The Japanese series, which is the nation’s take on the Elite-alike, would probably like to emulate the longevity of that Spanish hit, but whether it will be able to is another question entirely.
It will, as ever, come down the numbers, but since Netflix hasn’t released any of those yet, we don’t have much to go on. But we can idly speculate on where the plot might go in the case of a potential renewal, which is probably more interesting anyway.
Chastity High’s Season 1 Ending Left Things Open For More
Conveniently, we have an article entirely focused on the ending of Chastity High, but if you want the tl;dr version and want to know how it might pertain to a renewal, let’s go over that briefly.
Season 1 ends with two crucial events that will likely form the basis of a second season if the show is renewed. The first is that the no-romance policy implemented by Principal Ikushima remains in effect, with more than half of the student body having voted in its favor, considering relationships and debauchery an unnecessary distraction from learning.
This means that romances are still punishable by expulsion at Asuran Academy.
Furthermore, the first season ended with Ithica receiving a text message from an anonymous sender dubbing themselves LK, this time for “Love Killer” instead of “Love Keeper”. The message comes with a blackmail image of Ithica saying her romantic farewell to Maki.
This implies that the second season would adopt a darker tone, with a student blackmailing others by threatening to expose their affairs to keep everyone in the grip of fear and authoritarianism.
Season 2 Could Invert the Show’s Themes
While Ithica engaged in her fair share of blackmail, it was largely for justifiable reasons, and in the process, she realized how detrimental the school’s policies and general sense of mistrust around relationships were to the students. She was ultimately on the right side of the debate.
The last-minute blackmailing in the Season 1 finale suggests that the motives would be different in Season 2 and see someone trying to maintain the school’s rules, however much they violate individual freedoms and rights to privacy. While the theme of the first season was complex, it was also pretty unambiguous. The school’s decision to uphold the policies was the wrong move, and despite Ikushima’s justifications being relatable, her approach was clearly wrong.
Ikushima could be the blackmailer in Season 2 of Chastity High, playing the students at their own game to keep the rules in place, but it could also be a student who voted in favor of the restrictions and somehow stands to benefit from their continued implementations. Either way, the idea of flipping the theme around and exploring a push for less freedoms instead of more would likely be fun.
There Might Not Be An Appetite for Chastity High Season 2
Our review of Chastity High was mixed since we appreciated the themes but, like many others, thought the premise was silly. This viewpoint has been reflected elsewhere, including on X:
#ChastityHigh (2024) was… kinda different. It has unrealistic premise indeed, but it’s a Japanese drama afterall (I mean, what do you expect?) and the overall production looks unexpectedly satisfying.
Although this might not be for everyone.. I think, it’s still worth a try ? pic.twitter.com/FBSyta3ldV
— R.J. ?? ????? (@jilansy) August 31, 2024
On the official Ready Steady Cut subreddit, user Aware_Meal_5968 expressed some understandable dissatisfaction with the first season’s ending, especially its decision to ultimately keep the rules in place despite devoting the finale to a trial:
Comment
byu/readysteadycutonline from discussion
inReadySteadyCut
The user reviews on IMDb are more generally positive, currently sitting at 6.9/10 based on 119 reviews, which is decent going for that site. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough critic or audience reviews on the show’s Rotten Tomatoes page to produce an aggregate score, which might be telling in itself.
Until Netflix decides to release some data regarding watch hours, it’s difficult to say whether Chastity High will be renewed for Season 2. However, if it is, there is enough meat on the story’s bones for another batch of episodes.