A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Arrived Over the Festive Season
The Yuletide season present a wealth of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the updates: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on delicious food, and using meditation skills to avoid arguing with family members. It is wished you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments emerged during the festive period, and should you overlooked some of them, here is a roundup of the juiciest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)
Perhaps the most surprising piece of news, the notorious troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to stop the series' continuation. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they could have labeled it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain at the helm. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which might be a positive development. However, the promotional image for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, nowadays, they are probably trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not adapted an anime adapted from a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably the best-known magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became massive popularity when it first appeared 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 resumed publication with a more relaxed pace, the series proved it still retained the fans' appreciation and positive sentiment, and now everyone is thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Season 6 Has a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was a further stellar entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will probably premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
Another studio famous for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my must-watch list.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Second Season
Right after the release of episode 24, 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 upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm release date has not been disclosed yet.
