A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Dropped During the Festive Season
The winter break present a plethora of activities much better than catching up on the headlines: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and employing deep breathing to not yelling at family members. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. However, the entertainment world doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Numerous noteworthy announcements emerged during the festive period, and just in case you missed any, here is a roundup of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Truly the most shocking piece of news, the much-discussed disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt the series' continuation. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—so far away they could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which might be a positive development. But, the key visual for the new episodes is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, nowadays, they must be teasing the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a standing for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the superb artistry of its work but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now everyone is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the top-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English translation, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was a further stellar 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 Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio known for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works 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 real historical figure of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my must-watch list.
Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Second Season
Right after the conclusion of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a sequel. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
