A Mountain of Anime News Dropped Over the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays offer a multitude of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the headlines: opening presents, indulging in holiday treats, and harnessing deep breathing to avoid yelling at relatives. It is wished you were able to do all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of noteworthy announcements emerged over the break, and if you didn't see some of them, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Set to Continue (By 2027)
Perhaps the most shocking piece of news, the notorious troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter further production. The show will be back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they easily could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. On a positive note this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which might be a good sign. But, the promotional image for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they are probably teasing the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has forged a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga from Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo gained massive popularity when it first appeared in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a extended pause due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now fans are overjoyed about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English localization, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was yet another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will very likely air in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
One more studio renowned for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has brought us masterpieces of the caliber of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, lastly, 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 true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a highly unique and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Right after the conclusion of episode 24, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a second season. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm release date has not been disclosed yet.
