A Heap of Japanese Animation News Landed Over the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays offer a plethora of pastimes much better than catching up on the updates: unwrapping gifts, feasting on delicious food, and harnessing patience techniques to not yelling at relatives. I hope you succeeded in do all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many exciting news items emerged over the break, and just in case you didn't see a few, here is a summary of the juiciest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (Come 2027)

Truly the most surprising revelation, the notorious controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to deter further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be in charge. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the second cour is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This suggests that, by now, they must be teasing the fans.

The Ruri Dragon Series Is Poised to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has forged a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not adapted an anime adapted from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now fans are thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only recently got an English release, but the anime has been airing for years, and season 6 was another stellar entry. It turns out that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been announced as currently being made, and it will probably debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio known for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has delivered critically acclaimed works 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, inspired by the true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my must-watch list.

Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two

Right after the conclusion of its twenty-fourth episode, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.