A Heap of Japanese Animation News Landed Over the Festive Season

The Yuletide season present a plethora of activities much better than catching up on the headlines: discovering surprises, feasting on delicious food, and using patience techniques to refrain from snapping at family members. Hopefully you were able to do all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting news items came out over the festive period, and if you didn't see any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

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

Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the notorious disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to halt further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have labeled it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be in charge. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which is seen as a good sign. But, the main art for the continuation is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, nowadays, they are probably mocking the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its output but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now fans are overjoyed about the forthcoming 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 are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been airing for years, and season 6 was yet another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will very likely debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio renowned for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has brought us hit shows of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the real historical figure of Fatima, an powerful woman and thinker 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 fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to 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 securing a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm air date has not been disclosed yet.