A Heap of Anime News Landed Over the Festive Season
The Yuletide season present a wealth of pastimes much better than checking the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on delicious food, and using meditation skills to refrain from snapping at relatives. Hopefully you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. Many exciting news items came out over the holidays, and just in case you didn't see a few, here is a summary of the biggest bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (In 2027)
Perhaps the most shocking announcement, the widely-criticized disaster that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. The show will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which might be a positive development. Yet, 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 suggests that, by now, they must be trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the First Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a standing for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the exceptional quality of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not produced an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, arguably the best-known magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series proved it maintained the fans' support and positive sentiment, and now everyone is thrilled about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Will Get a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the top-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English translation, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was yet another stellar entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will very likely air in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
One more studio known for the artistic merit of its projects, Science Saru has delivered masterpieces of the caliber 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 true story of Fatima, an powerful 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 truly original and captivating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.
Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Second Season
Right after the airing of episode 24, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has yet to be revealed.