A Heap of Japanese Animation Updates Dropped Over the Festive Season
The Yuletide season present a plethora of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than scanning the latest news: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on delicious food, and employing deep breathing to refrain from snapping at relatives. Hopefully you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Numerous thrilling news items emerged during the break, and just in case you missed some of them, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (Come 2027)
Perhaps the most surprising piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter further production. Season 3 will return with a subsequent part in 2027—such a distant date they might as well have labeled it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which is seen as a good sign. But, the key visual for the second cour is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they could be trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its output but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga from Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series proved it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now the community is ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, 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 localization, but the anime has been running for some time, and its sixth season was yet another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio famous for the artistic merit of its productions, 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 actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and thinker 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 evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.
The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Second Season
Immediately following the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. 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 firm premiere date has not yet been announced.
