A Heap of Japanese Animation News Dropped During the Festive Season

The winter break present a wealth of pursuits far superior than scanning the updates: discovering surprises, indulging in festive fare, and employing meditation skills to avoid yelling at relatives. Hopefully you were able to enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Numerous thrilling news items surfaced over the festive period, and if you missed a few, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.

One-Punch Man Its Third Season Will Continue (By 2027)

Truly the most surprising revelation, the much-discussed disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. Season 3 will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they could have called it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which is seen as a positive development. However, the main art for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, by now, they are probably trolling the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has forged a reputation for being an top-tier animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, possibly the most iconic magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved a huge following when it debuted in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series proved it still retained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now everyone is thrilled about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel Currently in Production

Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English localization, but the anime has been running for years, and its sixth season was yet another stellar entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as currently being made, and it will almost certainly air in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

One more studio famous for the superior craftsmanship of its productions, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the caliber 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, inspired by the real historical figure 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 distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two

Immediately following the conclusion of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. 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 release date has not yet been announced.