A Ton of Anime Updates Landed Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a wealth of pursuits much better than checking the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing patience techniques to not yelling at loved ones. I hope you managed to accomplish all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling news items came out during the break, and if you missed a few, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Truly the biggest announcement, the notorious controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop 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. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which might be a positive development. But, the main art for the continuation is the same image 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.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had never worked on an anime adapted from a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a extended pause due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' affection and enthusiasm, and now the community is thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio known for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the quality 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 real historical figure of Fatima, an influential woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Season Two
Shortly after the release of episode 24, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
