A Heap of Anime Updates Dropped Over the Festive Season
The winter break provide a multitude of activities far superior than catching up on the latest news: discovering surprises, indulging in delicious food, and harnessing meditation skills to refrain from arguing with relatives. Hopefully you were able to do all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Numerous exciting developments emerged during the festive period, and just in case you missed any, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Truly the most surprising announcement, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to halt the series' continuation. The show will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they could have labeled it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will remain at the helm. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a positive development. However, the main art for the continuation is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, by now, they are probably trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the ethical practices of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime adapted from a manga published in Shonen Jump, arguably the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a extended pause due to the author's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now the community is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, long-running Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only just received an English translation, but the anime has been running for some time, and its sixth season was a further stellar entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will almost certainly debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
One more studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has delivered critically acclaimed works of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, 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 prominent woman and scholar 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 reminds me a bit 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 episode 24, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be securing a sequel. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has not been disclosed yet.