A Mountain of Anime Updates Arrived Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a wealth of activities far superior than scanning the headlines: discovering surprises, feasting on delicious food, and employing deep breathing to refrain from snapping at family members. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. However, the entertainment world never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling news items emerged during the break, and just in case you overlooked a few, here is a summary of the juiciest bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Without a doubt the most shocking piece of news, the much-discussed troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop the series' continuation. Season 3 will come back with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a positive development. However, the main art for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This makes me think that, at this point, they could be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the superb artistry of its output but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably 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 became widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the mangaka's health issues. When it resumed publication with a lighter schedule, the series showed it maintained the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now the community is thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is other than 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 years, and season 6 was yet another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in development, and it will very likely debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
Another studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has given 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, inspired by the real historical figure of Fatima, an influential woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Second Season
Right after the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a sequel. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has not yet been announced.
