A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Holidays

The Yuletide season present a wealth of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than checking the updates: discovering surprises, feasting on holiday treats, and employing patience techniques to refrain from yelling at loved ones. It is wished you managed to enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many exciting announcements surfaced during the holidays, and if you overlooked a few, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (By 2027)

Without a doubt the most surprising announcement, the much-discussed controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt further production. Season 3 will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which is seen as a positive development. But, the main art for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, at this point, they must be trolling the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim when it debuted in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a extended pause due to the creator's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series proved it still retained the fans' affection and positive sentiment, and now everyone is thrilled about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the best-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only recently got an English release, but the anime has been going on for some time, and season 6 was another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

One more studio famous for the artistic merit of its productions, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works 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, based on the true story of Fatima, an influential 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 distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Season Two

Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific air date has not yet been announced.