A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Arrived During the Holidays

The winter break provide a multitude of pastimes far superior than catching up on the headlines: unwrapping gifts, indulging in delicious food, and using patience techniques to not snapping at relatives. Hopefully you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. That said, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy announcements surfaced over the break, and just in case you missed any, here is a roundup of the most exciting bits.

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

Perhaps the most shocking revelation, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter further production. Season 3 will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. But, the promotional image for the continuation is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, by now, they must be trolling the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its work but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not produced an anime adapted from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, arguably 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 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 creator's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series showed it maintained the fans' affection and positive sentiment, and now the community is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel 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 just received an English translation, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was another excellent entry. Apparently that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will very likely debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

One more studio famous for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the real historical figure of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.

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

Immediately following the airing of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a sequel. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm release date has yet to be revealed.