A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Landed Over the Holidays

The Yuletide season offer a wealth of pastimes much better than catching up on the latest news: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and employing patience techniques to avoid snapping at family members. Hopefully you were able to do all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy developments came out during the holidays, and just in case you didn't see any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

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

Perhaps the most shocking piece of news, the widely-criticized disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter more episodes. The show will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the outset, which might be a hopeful indicator. Yet, the promotional image 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, by now, they are probably teasing the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has built a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its work but for the good working conditions of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, possibly the most iconic magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series showed it still retained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now the community is ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Season 6 Has a Sequel Currently in Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will very likely debut in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the true story of Fatima, an prominent 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 fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my must-watch list.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Season Two

Right after the release of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm air date has not yet been announced.