A Ton of Japanese Animation News Dropped During the Festive Season

The winter break present a multitude of pastimes considerably more enjoyable than scanning the latest news: opening presents, feasting on holiday treats, and harnessing patience techniques to refrain from arguing with family members. I hope you managed to do all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling announcements surfaced over the festive period, and should you missed any, here is a compilation of the most exciting bits.

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

Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt more episodes. The show will be back with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the continuation is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This leads one to believe that, nowadays, they must be trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had never worked on an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most iconic magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a extended pause due to the mangaka's health issues. When it resumed publication with a lighter schedule, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' affection and goodwill, and now fans are overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

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

Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only just received an English localization, but the anime has been airing for a while, and its sixth season was a further excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

One more studio famous for the superior craftsmanship of its productions, Science Saru has given us hit shows of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my must-watch list.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season

Immediately following the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced 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 cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has not been disclosed yet.