A Heap of Japanese Animation News Dropped During the Holidays

The Yuletide season present a plethora of pastimes far superior than catching up on the updates: opening presents, getting stuffed on festive fare, and employing meditation skills to not arguing with family members. I hope you succeeded in do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the entertainment world doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many noteworthy news items emerged over the holidays, and should you missed a few, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)

Without a doubt the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to stop more episodes. The show will be back with a second cour in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will still be at the helm. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which might be a hopeful indicator. However, the main art for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, at this point, they could be 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 exceptional quality of its work but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series proved it hadn't lost the fans' affection and enthusiasm, and now the community is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only recently got an English translation, but the anime has been airing for a while, and its sixth season was another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in development, and it will almost certainly debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

A further studio famous for the artistic merit 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 producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an prominent woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Return With a Season Two

Immediately following the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be getting a sequel. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has yet to be revealed.