A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Arrived During the Holidays

The Yuletide season offer a wealth of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than checking the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and employing deep breathing to not snapping at relatives. I hope you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous noteworthy developments came out over the holidays, and should you overlooked a few, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.

One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)

Without a doubt the most shocking announcement, the notorious troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to halt more episodes. The show will be back with a subsequent part in 2027—a date so remote they might as well have called it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the outset, which might be a hopeful indicator. But, 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 leads one to believe that, nowadays, they are probably teasing the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the Premiere 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 superb artistry of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved a huge following when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series showed it maintained the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now the community is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up Now in the Works

Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only recently got an English localization, but the anime has been running for some time, and its sixth season was yet another stellar entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably air in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

Another studio renowned for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has given us hit shows of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and intriguing visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Second Season

Right after the airing of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not yet been announced.