A Heap of Japanese Animation News Dropped Over the Holidays
The Christmas holidays offer a plethora of activities far superior than catching up on the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing patience techniques to avoid snapping at relatives. It is wished you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling news items came out during the holidays, and should you overlooked a few, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)
Perhaps the biggest announcement, the much-discussed troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop the series' continuation. Season 3 will return with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they might as well have called it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which might be a hopeful indicator. Yet, the key visual for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they are probably teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a reputation for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent 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 creator's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series proved it still retained the fans' support and goodwill, and now the community is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only just received an English translation, but the anime has been airing for a while, and season 6 was yet another excellent entry. It turns out that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an influential 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 distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Immediately following the release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete air date has not yet been announced.
