A Mountain of Japanese Animation Updates Landed Over the Holidays

The Christmas holidays present a multitude of pastimes considerably more enjoyable than checking the headlines: discovering surprises, indulging in festive fare, and using patience techniques to not arguing with family members. I hope you succeeded in do all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many noteworthy announcements emerged over the break, and just in case you didn't see any, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Its Third Season Will Continue (Come 2027)

Truly the most surprising announcement, the widely-criticized troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt further production. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they might as well have called it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. On a positive note this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which might be a hopeful indicator. But, the main art for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, nowadays, they could be teasing the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has forged a standing for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it debuted 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 resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series proved it maintained the fans' affection and positive sentiment, and now fans are ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up In Production

Kingdom is the best-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from 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 half, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as currently being made, and it will probably debut in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

A further studio famous for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the quality 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 true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Season Two

Right after the airing of episode 24, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has yet to be revealed.