A Ton of Japanese Animation News Arrived During the Holidays

The winter break provide a multitude of activities much better than checking the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and harnessing deep breathing to avoid arguing with loved ones. I hope you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments came out over the holidays, and if you missed some of them, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (In 2027)

Without a doubt the biggest announcement, the widely-criticized controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to deter further production. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. However, the promotional image for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This suggests that, by now, they must be teasing the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an prestigious animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga from Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series proved it still retained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now everyone is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel Currently in Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, epic 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 airing for a while, and its sixth season was another stellar entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably air in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio renowned for the artistic merit of its productions, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the caliber 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, 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 called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Season Two

Right after the conclusion of episode 24, 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 second season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not yet been announced.