A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Landed During the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays provide a wealth of activities far superior than scanning the headlines: opening presents, getting stuffed on festive fare, and employing meditation skills to refrain from yelling at relatives. I hope you were able to accomplish all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting news items emerged over the festive period, and should you missed some of them, here is a roundup of the most exciting bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (By 2027)

Truly the biggest piece of news, the notorious controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. Season 3 will come back with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a positive development. However, the key visual for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, by now, they could be trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had never worked on an anime adapted from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it first appeared in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it returned with a lighter schedule, the series proved it maintained the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now fans are ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the best-selling, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only recently got an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as currently being made, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.

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

One more studio famous for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season

Immediately following the conclusion of episode 24, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has yet to be revealed.