A Ton of Japanese Animation News Landed Over the Holidays
The Yuletide season offer a wealth of activities considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the headlines: unwrapping gifts, feasting on holiday treats, and employing patience techniques to refrain from snapping at family members. I hope you succeeded in do all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous exciting news items surfaced over the holidays, and should you didn't see some of them, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (By 2027)
Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the much-discussed troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter more episodes. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be in charge. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the outset, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the promotional image for the second cour is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This leads one to believe that, by now, they are probably teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its output but for the good working conditions 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 industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved widespread acclaim when it debuted 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 returned with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now the community is thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've never heard of 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 a further excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio renowned for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Right after the release of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be getting a sequel. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm release date has not been disclosed yet.
