A Ton of Japanese Animation Updates Dropped During the Festive Season

The winter break offer a multitude of activities much better than checking the updates: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and harnessing deep breathing to not arguing with family members. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the entertainment world doesn't go on vacation, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting announcements surfaced during the holidays, and if you overlooked some of them, here is a compilation of the juiciest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (By 2027)

Truly the most shocking announcement, the notorious troubled production that was the third season of One-Punch Man failed to halt more episodes. Season 3 will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will remain at the helm. At least this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which is seen as a good sign. However, the promotional image for the second cour is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, at this point, 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 elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the high caliber of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not adapted an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it debuted in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a extended pause due to the creator's health issues. When it returned with a lighter schedule, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' affection and enthusiasm, and now fans are ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Currently in Production

Kingdom is the best-selling, long-running Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been airing for a while, and season 6 was yet another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in development, and it will almost certainly debut in 2026.

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

Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the caliber 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 real historical figure of Fatima, an powerful woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime named 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 definitely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Second Season

Right after the conclusion of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete air date has not been disclosed yet.