A Mountain of Anime Updates Dropped Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a plethora of activities far superior than catching up on the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and using meditation skills to avoid yelling at loved ones. Hopefully you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many thrilling developments came out during the holidays, and should you overlooked some of them, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (By 2027)
Truly the most surprising announcement, the notorious controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to halt the series' continuation. Season 3 will return with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they easily could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which might be a good sign. However, the promotional image for the continuation is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, nowadays, they could be teasing the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an prestigious animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the best-known magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' appreciation and positive sentiment, and now the community is thrilled about the impending KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the best-selling, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been running for some time, and its sixth season was a further excellent entry. Apparently that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been announced as in development, and it will probably debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio famous for the superior craftsmanship of its work, Science Saru has given us hit shows of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be producing the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, inspired by the true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and intellectual in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
The Tougen Anki Series Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Immediately following the release of the final episode of the first season, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has yet to be revealed.
