A Ton of Japanese Animation News Landed Over the Holidays

The Christmas holidays present a plethora of activities much better than scanning the updates: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing deep breathing to refrain from yelling at family members. Hopefully you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling developments surfaced during the holidays, and just in case you didn't see any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (By 2027)

Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they could have labeled it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the key visual for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This leads one to believe that, nowadays, they must be mocking the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart 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 adapted from a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained a huge following when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series proved it hadn't lost the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now the community is overjoyed about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up 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 recently got an English localization, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was another stellar entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will probably debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio famous for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and intriguing visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season

Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a follow-up. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not yet been announced.