A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed During the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays offer a wealth of activities much better than checking the headlines: unwrapping gifts, feasting on delicious food, and using deep breathing to avoid yelling at relatives. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy announcements surfaced over the holidays, and should you overlooked a few, here is a summary of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (Come 2027)
Perhaps the biggest revelation, the notorious troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop more episodes. Season 3 will be back with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they might as well have called it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which might be a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the second cour is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This makes me think that, at this point, they must be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a extended pause due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series demonstrated it maintained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now fans are ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the highly popular, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was yet another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably air in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the real historical figure of Fatima, an influential woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Season Two
Immediately following the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has not been disclosed yet.
