A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Festive Season
The winter break offer a plethora of pastimes considerably more enjoyable than scanning the headlines: opening presents, feasting on delicious food, and employing meditation skills to refrain from yelling at loved ones. I hope you managed to do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the entertainment world doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many noteworthy news items surfaced during the holidays, and should you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)
Truly the biggest announcement, the much-discussed controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt further production. Season 3 will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have called it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain at the helm. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a good sign. Yet, the key visual for the second cour is the same image 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 must be trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime adapted from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim 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 ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the highly popular, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English localization, but the anime has been going on for years, and season 6 was a further excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, 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 To Anime
A further studio renowned for the excellent quality of its productions, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling 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 titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and intriguing visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Immediately following the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting 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 adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has yet to be revealed.
