A Ton of Anime News Dropped During the Festive Season
The Christmas holidays present a wealth of pastimes much better than catching up on the updates: discovering surprises, feasting on holiday treats, and harnessing meditation skills to avoid yelling at relatives. It is wished you were able to do 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 announcements surfaced over the break, and just in case you overlooked any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Truly the biggest revelation, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man failed to deter the series' continuation. The show will return with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they might as well have called it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will remain leading the project. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which might be a positive development. But, the key visual for the continuation is identical to the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This makes me think that, nowadays, they must be trolling the fans.
The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the superb artistry of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it first appeared 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 more relaxed pace, the series demonstrated it still retained the fans' affection and enthusiasm, and now the community is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works
Kingdom is the best-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been going on for a while, and its sixth season was a further outstanding entry. Apparently that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in production, and it will very likely debut in 2026.
Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
One more studio known for the excellent quality of its projects, Science Saru has delivered hit shows of the quality of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the real historical figure of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh 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.
The Tougen Anki Series Will Return With a Season Two
Right after the airing of its twenty-fourth episode, it was confirmed that Tougen Anki will be securing a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has yet to be revealed.
