The winter break provide a multitude of pastimes considerably more enjoyable than catching up on the updates: opening presents, indulging in festive fare, and employing meditation skills to avoid yelling at family members. I hope you succeeded in enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many noteworthy news items surfaced over the break, and if you overlooked some of them, here is a summary of the juiciest bits.
The One-Punch Man Series Its Third Season Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)
Perhaps the biggest piece of news, the widely-criticized controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to deter further production. Season 3 will be back with a second cour in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will still be in charge. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is attached to direct from the beginning, which might be a good sign. But, the key visual for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou looking opposite ways. This suggests that, at this point, they could be mocking the fans.
Ruri Dragon Will Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation
Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an top-tier animation studio, making its mark not just for the superb artistry of its work but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had not produced an anime stemming from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, arguably the best-known magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a excellent choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved a huge following when it debuted in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the mangaka's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series proved it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now the community is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.
The Kingdom Series Season 6 Will Get a Sequel Currently in Production
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 fairly recently obtained an English release, but the anime has been running for a while, and its sixth season was yet another excellent entry. It turns out that was just the first cour, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will probably air in 2026.
Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia To Anime
A further studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has delivered hit shows of the caliber 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 true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Judging from the trailer, the anime named Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and intriguing visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.
Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Season Two
Right after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be receiving a second season. Adapted from the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific air date has not yet been announced.
