A Mountain of Anime Updates Arrived Over the Festive Season
The Yuletide season offer a plethora of pastimes far superior than scanning the headlines: discovering surprises, feasting on delicious food, and using patience techniques to refrain from arguing with relatives. Hopefully you managed to do all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many exciting announcements came out over the break, and if you didn't see a few, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Will Continue (Come 2027)
Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the notorious troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter further production. Season 3 will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a positive development. Yet, the main art for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, nowadays, they must be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it first appeared in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series proved it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now fans are overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from 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 running for a while, and its sixth season was yet another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will probably air in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
One more studio renowned for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most 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 true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime called 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 without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season
Right after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a sequel. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not yet been announced.