A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed During the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a plethora of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the updates: opening presents, feasting on delicious food, and using deep breathing to refrain from arguing with family members. Hopefully you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. Nevertheless, the entertainment world never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling announcements surfaced during the break, and if you didn't see any, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (In 2027)
Without a doubt the biggest revelation, the much-discussed disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to halt more episodes. The show will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they might as well have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which is seen as a good sign. Yet, the main art for the second cour is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This leads one to believe that, nowadays, they must be trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an prestigious animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb 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 two-year hiatus due to the author'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 thrilled about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English localization, but the anime has been going on for years, and its sixth season was a further outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will probably premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio renowned for the excellent quality of its productions, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, 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 named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Second Season
Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm air date has not yet been announced.
