A Mountain of Anime Updates Arrived Over the Holidays
The Yuletide season offer a wealth of activities considerably more enjoyable than checking the headlines: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on delicious food, and harnessing deep breathing to refrain from yelling at family members. I hope you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Numerous thrilling developments surfaced over the festive period, and if you overlooked a few, here is a summary of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (In 2027)
Perhaps the most shocking piece of news, the notorious troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop more episodes. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which might be a positive development. Yet, the key visual for the new episodes is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, at this point, they are probably trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had never worked on an anime based on a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained a huge following when it launched 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 came back with a reduced workload, the series proved it still retained the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now fans are thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently 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 fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was another excellent entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
Another studio known for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, which is based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Season Two
Shortly after the release of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a sequel. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has not been disclosed yet.
