A Ton of Japanese Animation Updates Arrived During the Festive Season

The Yuletide season present a plethora of pursuits far superior than catching up on the latest news: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and harnessing patience techniques to refrain from snapping at family members. Hopefully you were able to accomplish all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting developments came out over the break, and should you overlooked any, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)

Truly the most shocking revelation, the much-discussed controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter further production. Season 3 will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the start, which might be a good sign. However, the main art for the second cour 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 teasing the fans.

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

Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great 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 two-year hiatus due to the creator's health issues. When it resumed publication with a more relaxed pace, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' support and goodwill, and now everyone is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English translation, but the anime has been airing for some time, and its sixth season was another excellent entry. It turns out that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

One more studio famous for the artistic merit of its work, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the ilk 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 actual historical person of Fatima, an influential 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 highly unique and captivating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Season Two

Immediately following the conclusion of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Inspired by 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 firm air date has not yet been announced.