A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed During the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a plethora of activities much better than scanning the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and using meditation skills to avoid yelling at family members. It is wished you managed to do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the entertainment world doesn't go on vacation, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling news items surfaced during the festive period, and just in case you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Will Continue (Come 2027)
Truly the biggest announcement, the notorious disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to halt further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which might be a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This makes me think that, by now, they must be mocking the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its work but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now fans are overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Now in the Works
Kingdom is the best-selling, 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 going on for years, and its sixth season was another stellar entry. It turns out that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will probably debut in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio famous for the excellent quality of its productions, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the caliber 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, based on the true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my must-watch list.
Tougen Anki Will Return With a Season Two
Immediately following the release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be receiving a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
