A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed During the Festive Season

The Yuletide season offer a wealth of activities much better than scanning the latest news: opening presents, indulging in delicious food, and using meditation skills to refrain from snapping at family members. Hopefully you succeeded in 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. Numerous noteworthy news items came out during the break, and if you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.

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

Truly the most surprising piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have labeled it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which is seen as a good sign. Yet, the main art for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This leads one to believe that, nowadays, they could be trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the author's health issues. When it resumed publication with a more relaxed pace, the series proved it still retained the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now fans are ecstatic about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up In Production

Kingdom is the best-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been airing for years, and its sixth season was yet another excellent entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio famous for the superior craftsmanship of its work, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces 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 real historical figure of Fatima, an influential woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my must-watch list.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Season Two

Shortly after the release of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a sequel. Inspired by 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 yet been announced.