A Heap of Japanese Animation Updates Dropped Over the Festive Season
The winter break present a wealth of activities considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on festive fare, and employing patience techniques to avoid arguing with loved ones. Hopefully you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy news items came out during the festive period, and if you overlooked a few, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (Come 2027)
Truly the most surprising announcement, the much-discussed troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter further production. Season 3 will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a good sign. Yet, the promotional image for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, at this point, they could be trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime adapted from a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the author's health issues. When it returned with a lighter schedule, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' affection and enthusiasm, and now the community is thrilled about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been running for some time, and season 6 was another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will very likely air in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio famous for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.
Tougen Anki Will Return With a Second Season
Immediately following the release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has not been disclosed yet.
