A Heap of Anime News Dropped Over the Festive Season

The Christmas holidays provide a wealth of activities considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on holiday treats, and employing meditation skills to not yelling at family members. I hope you succeeded in do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous thrilling developments came out during the break, and just in case you missed some of them, here is a summary of the biggest bits.

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

Perhaps the most shocking revelation, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt the series' continuation. Season 3 will come back with a subsequent part in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the key visual for the second cour is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This suggests that, nowadays, they must be mocking the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most iconic magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the author's health issues. When it returned with a more relaxed pace, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' affection and positive sentiment, and now the community is ecstatic about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the top-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only just received an English translation, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in production, and it will very likely debut in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio renowned for the artistic merit of its productions, Science Saru has brought us 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, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an influential woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Second Season

Right after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be receiving a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has not yet been announced.