A Heap of Anime News Arrived During the Festive Season
The winter break present a wealth of pastimes much better than checking the headlines: discovering surprises, getting stuffed on festive fare, and employing deep breathing to not arguing with loved ones. I hope you managed to enjoy all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is especially true for the realm of anime. Numerous noteworthy announcements surfaced over the holidays, and if you didn't see some of them, here is a compilation of the most exciting bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (By 2027)
Truly the most shocking piece of news, the notorious disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to stop further production. Season 3 will return with a second cour in 2027—so far away they easily could have dubbed it season 4. More surprisingly, the studio J.C. Staff will still be leading the project. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the start, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. However, the promotional image for the second cour is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, nowadays, they could be trolling the fans.
Ruri Dragon Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the high caliber of its work but for the fair treatment of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Surprisingly, until now, it had never worked on an anime adapted from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved widespread acclaim when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series showed it hadn't lost the fans' affection and goodwill, and now everyone is ecstatic about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Season 6 Has a Sequel In Production
Kingdom is the highly popular, long-running Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only fairly recently obtained an English localization, but the anime has been running for some time, and its sixth season was yet another outstanding entry. As it happens that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as currently being made, and it will very likely air in 2026.
Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series
Another studio famous for the excellent quality of its productions, Science Saru has delivered critically acclaimed works of the ilk 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, inspired by the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will definitely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Will Return With a Season Two
Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be securing a follow-up. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The second season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm premiere date has yet to be revealed.
