A Ton of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Festive Season
The winter break offer a wealth of activities much better than scanning the latest news: unwrapping gifts, feasting on festive fare, and using meditation skills to avoid snapping at family members. I hope you managed to accomplish all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many exciting developments emerged during the holidays, and if you didn't see a few, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Will Continue (In 2027)
Truly the most surprising announcement, the much-discussed controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter more episodes. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027âsuch a distant date they might as well have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. However, the key visual for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, by now, they must be mocking the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an prestigious animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employeesâa sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim 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 came back with a lighter schedule, the series showed it still retained the fans' affection and goodwill, and now the community is ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up In Production
Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was another stellar entry. It turns out that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as currently being made, and it will probably premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio famous for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the quality 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 scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Season Two
Shortly after the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. 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 concrete air date has not yet been announced.
