A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays offer a wealth of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than checking the updates: opening presents, indulging in delicious food, and using deep breathing to refrain from yelling at loved ones. Hopefully you succeeded in 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 thrilling developments surfaced over the holidays, and should you missed a few, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)

Perhaps the most shocking announcement, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to stop the series' continuation. The show will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which might be a hopeful indicator. But, the main art for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they could be trolling the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has forged a name for being an top-tier animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved a huge following when it launched in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' support and goodwill, and now the community is overjoyed about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series 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 haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. It turns out that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will probably air in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio known for the artistic merit of its productions, Science Saru has brought us hit shows of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be handling the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the true story of Fatima, an influential woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on 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. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season

Immediately following the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a sequel. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has yet to be revealed.