A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Arrived During the Holidays
The Yuletide season provide a wealth of activities considerably more enjoyable than scanning the updates: unwrapping gifts, indulging in holiday treats, and using meditation skills to avoid yelling at relatives. Hopefully you were able to do all these things and more. However, the entertainment world doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many exciting news items surfaced over the holidays, and if you didn't see any, here is a summary of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Truly the most shocking piece of news, the widely-criticized troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter the series' continuation. Season 3 will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which might be a positive development. Yet, the main art 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 could be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its work but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime adapted from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now the community is ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning 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 some time, and its sixth season was another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio renowned for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing 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. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Right after the release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. 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 release date has not yet been announced.
