A Ton of Japanese Animation News Arrived During the Festive Season

The winter break offer a plethora of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than checking the headlines: opening presents, indulging in delicious food, and using meditation skills to not snapping at relatives. Hopefully you were able to accomplish all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy developments surfaced over the holidays, and just in case you didn't see a few, here is a compilation of the most exciting bits.

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

Truly the biggest announcement, the notorious troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to stop further production. The show will come back with a subsequent part in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be in charge. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a positive development. However, the main art for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This leads one to believe that, nowadays, they are probably mocking the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga published 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 massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the creator's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series proved it still retained the fans' affection and positive sentiment, and now fans are ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, epic 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 release, but the anime has been airing for years, and season 6 was yet another stellar entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

One more studio known for the artistic merit of its work, 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 taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.

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

Immediately following the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a second season. Inspired by 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 release date has not been disclosed yet.