A Mountain of Japanese Animation News Dropped Over the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays present a wealth of activities much better than scanning the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on delicious food, and using patience techniques to not yelling at loved ones. It is wished you were able to enjoy all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Numerous thrilling developments came out over the festive period, and just in case you overlooked some of them, here is a summary of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (By 2027)

Truly the biggest piece of news, the notorious disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to deter the series' continuation. Season 3 will be back with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which is seen as a good sign. However, the key visual for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This makes me think that, at this point, they are probably teasing the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim when it debuted in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it resumed publication with a more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it maintained the fans' appreciation and positive sentiment, and now fans are overjoyed about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was a further excellent entry. It turns out that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will probably debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

A further studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has delivered hit shows of the quality 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 true story of Fatima, an influential 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 reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two

Right after the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete release date has not been disclosed yet.