A Heap of Japanese Animation News Landed During the Festive Season
The Yuletide season provide a multitude of pursuits much better than catching up on the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and using deep breathing to avoid yelling at family members. I hope you managed to accomplish all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Many exciting developments surfaced during the festive period, and just in case you overlooked some of them, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Without a doubt the most surprising piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to stop further production. The show will return with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have called it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will remain at the helm. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which could be taken as a positive development. But, the key visual for the second cour is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, by now, they could be teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the superb artistry of its work but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga from Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known 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 author's health issues. When it returned with a lighter schedule, the series proved it still retained the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now everyone is ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only recently got an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in production, and it will almost certainly premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio renowned for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the actual historical person of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting 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 release of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
