A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays provide a multitude of pursuits far superior than scanning the latest news: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and harnessing meditation skills to refrain from yelling at relatives. It is wished you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy developments emerged over the festive period, and should you missed some of them, here is a summary of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Will Continue (Come 2027)

Without a doubt the most shocking revelation, the notorious disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop the series' continuation. Season 3 will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which is seen as a positive development. Yet, the main art for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they could be teasing the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime adapted from a manga from Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the author's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now the community is ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the highly popular, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been running for years, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.

The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Second Season

Right after the release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has not been disclosed yet.