A Mountain of Anime Updates Dropped Over the Holidays
The Christmas holidays offer a wealth of pastimes much better than catching up on the latest news: discovering surprises, feasting on holiday treats, and using meditation skills to not yelling at loved ones. I hope you managed to accomplish all these things and more. Nevertheless, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling developments surfaced during the break, and just in case you missed any, here is a compilation of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Will Continue (Come 2027)
Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to halt the series' continuation. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be at the helm. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a positive development. Yet, the key visual for the new episodes is the same image 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 Poised to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its work but for the ethical practices 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, perhaps 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 a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a two-year hiatus due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now fans are ecstatic about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Is Getting a Follow-Up Currently in Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only recently got 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 cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will almost certainly debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
Another studio renowned for the superior craftsmanship of its productions, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most 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 actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and intriguing visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Season Two
Shortly after the release of episode 24, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be receiving a follow-up. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete release date has not yet been announced.
