A Ton of Japanese Animation Updates Dropped Over the Festive Season
The winter break provide a plethora of pursuits far superior than checking the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on delicious food, and harnessing deep breathing to not arguing with relatives. It is wished you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting developments surfaced over the holidays, and should you overlooked any, here is a roundup of the most exciting bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Will Continue (Come 2027)
Truly the most shocking piece of news, the widely-criticized disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt the series' continuation. Season 3 will be back with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which could be taken as a good sign. Yet, the promotional image for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This makes me think that, by now, they are probably trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it first appeared in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series showed it still retained the fans' appreciation and positive sentiment, and now fans are overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, long-running Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for some time, and season 6 was a further outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio renowned for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on 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 scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and intriguing visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Will Return With a Second Season
Shortly after the conclusion of its twenty-fourth episode, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a sequel. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
