A Heap of Japanese Animation Updates Arrived Over the Festive Season

The winter break offer a wealth of pursuits much better than catching up on the updates: discovering surprises, feasting on delicious food, and employing meditation skills to not yelling at loved ones. It is wished you were able to do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous noteworthy news items surfaced during the break, and should you missed any, here is a compilation of the biggest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Will Continue (Come 2027)

Truly the most surprising piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to halt more episodes. The show will come back with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be leading the project. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which might be a good sign. But, the main art for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This leads one to believe that, at this point, they could be trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime From Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has built a name for being an elite animation studio, making its mark not just for the superb artistry of its productions but for the ethical practices of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved a huge following when it first appeared in 2022 after just a small number of issues, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it came back with a lighter schedule, the series showed it still retained the fans' support and goodwill, and now fans are thrilled about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Will Get a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the highly popular, epic Shueisha manga that is aside from One Piece. If you've are unfamiliar with it before, it's because it only recently got an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and its sixth season was a further stellar entry. Apparently that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably premiere in 2026.

Science Saru Is Adapting A Witch in Mongolia To Anime

Another studio renowned for the superior craftsmanship of its work, Science Saru has brought us critically acclaimed works of the quality 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 scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Debuting in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Return With a Second Season

Shortly after the conclusion of its twenty-fourth episode, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will cover the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has not yet been announced.