A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Holidays

The winter break present a plethora of pastimes considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the latest news: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing patience techniques to refrain from arguing with relatives. Hopefully you were able to accomplish all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many exciting announcements surfaced during the holidays, and if you didn't see any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)

Perhaps the biggest piece of news, 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—a date so remote they might as well have called it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the promotional image for the second cour is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, by now, they could be teasing the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably 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 achieved a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a extended pause due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series showed it maintained the fans' support and goodwill, and now the community is ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only recently got an English release, but the anime has been airing for some time, and season 6 was a further stellar entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in development, 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 artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces 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, based on the true story of Fatima, an influential 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 intriguing visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my list of anticipated shows.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Second Season

Shortly after the release of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete release date has yet to be revealed.