A Mountain of Anime News Landed During the Holidays
The Yuletide season offer a multitude of activities considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the headlines: unwrapping gifts, feasting on holiday treats, and harnessing deep breathing to not yelling at family members. Hopefully you managed to do all these things and more. However, the entertainment world doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments surfaced during the break, and just in case you missed some of them, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Will Continue (Come 2027)
Perhaps the most shocking announcement, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt further production. The show will return with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they could have called it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the outset, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, by now, they must be mocking the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an top-tier animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not adapted 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 superb 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 extended pause due to the creator's health issues. When it returned with a more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now the community is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Season 6 Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, long-running 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 release, but the anime has been going on for some time, and its sixth season was another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as currently being made, and it will probably air in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the caliber 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 actual historical person of Fatima, an influential woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and intriguing 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 must-watch list.
The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Shortly after the release of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a sequel. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm release date has not been disclosed yet.
