A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Arrived Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays provide a multitude of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than scanning the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on festive fare, and using meditation skills to avoid yelling at family members. Hopefully you were able to do all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous noteworthy announcements emerged over the break, and should you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (In 2027)
Perhaps the most shocking revelation, the much-discussed controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop further production. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which might be a hopeful indicator. Yet, the key visual for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they are probably trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now everyone is thrilled about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up In Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been airing for a while, and its sixth season was another stellar entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will almost certainly debut in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio famous for the artistic merit of its productions, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, 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 thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Second Season
Shortly after the airing of episode 24, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
