A Heap of Japanese Animation News Dropped Over the Festive Season
The Yuletide season provide a wealth of activities far superior than checking the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing meditation skills to refrain from yelling at relatives. Hopefully you managed to do all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy announcements surfaced during the break, and should you overlooked any, here is a roundup of the juiciest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Set to Continue (In 2027)
Truly the biggest announcement, the widely-criticized controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. Season 3 will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have labeled it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. However, the key visual for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This suggests that, at this point, they must be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the superb artistry of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim 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 more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' support and goodwill, and now everyone is thrilled about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up In Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will probably premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio known for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and intriguing visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my must-watch list.
Tougen Anki Will Return With a Season Two
Immediately following the conclusion of its twenty-fourth episode, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has not yet been announced.
