A Heap of Anime News Dropped Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays provide a wealth of pastimes much better than scanning the headlines: unwrapping gifts, feasting on delicious food, and harnessing meditation skills to not arguing with relatives. I hope you succeeded in accomplish all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is notably true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy news items emerged during the festive period, and if you overlooked some of them, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Set to Continue (Come 2027)
Truly the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to stop the series' continuation. The show will be back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—so far away they might as well have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which might be a good sign. But, 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, nowadays, they must be mocking the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an prestigious animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the high caliber of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a small number of issues, 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 showed it hadn't lost the fans' support and enthusiasm, and now everyone is thrilled about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Now in the Works
Kingdom is the best-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and season 6 was yet 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 air in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
A further studio renowned for the excellent quality of its productions, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works 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 prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season
Right after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete release date has not been disclosed yet.
