A Ton of Anime News Landed Over the Holidays
The Yuletide season offer a plethora of activities considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the latest news: discovering surprises, indulging in holiday treats, and using meditation skills to avoid snapping at loved ones. I hope you managed to accomplish all these things and more. However, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments emerged during the break, and if you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (By 2027)
Truly the biggest announcement, the much-discussed controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to halt further production. The show will be back with a subsequent part in 2027—such a distant date they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, the studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a positive development. Yet, the promotional image for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they are probably trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the superb artistry of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now everyone is ecstatic about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Has a Sequel Currently in Production
Kingdom is the best-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 going on for years, and season 6 was yet another outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will very likely debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
Another studio famous for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the quality 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, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an prominent woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Season Two
Immediately following the release of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific premiere date has yet to be revealed.
