A Heap of Japanese Animation Updates Dropped During the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays offer a multitude of pastimes much better than checking the latest news: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on delicious food, and harnessing patience techniques to not yelling at family members. I hope you were able to do all these things and more. That said, the entertainment world never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many noteworthy developments surfaced over the break, and if you missed some of them, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)

Without a doubt the most shocking announcement, the much-discussed controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to halt further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which might be a good sign. Yet, the promotional image for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This makes me think that, nowadays, they are probably trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became 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 hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now fans are ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been airing for years, and season 6 was yet another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will probably premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio renowned for the excellent quality 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 handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my must-watch list.

The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Second Season

Right after the airing of its twenty-fourth episode, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete release date has not been disclosed yet.