A Ton of Anime News Landed During the Holidays

The Christmas holidays present a multitude of pursuits much better than checking the updates: discovering surprises, indulging in delicious food, and employing patience techniques to avoid arguing with family members. Hopefully you managed to do all these things and more. Nevertheless, the showbiz industry doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of exciting news items came out during the holidays, and if you overlooked some of them, here is a summary of the most exciting bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Set to Continue (By 2027)

Truly the most surprising announcement, the much-discussed troubled production that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to halt further production. The show will come back with a follow-up batch of episodes in 2027—a date so remote they easily could have called it season 4. More surprisingly, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. At least this time, director Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the start, which could be taken as a positive development. Yet, the promotional image for the second cour is a mirror of the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This suggests that, by now, they must be mocking the fans.

The Ruri Dragon Series Will Be the First Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a reputation for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the fair treatment of its employees—a uncommon practice in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime adapted from a manga from Shonen Jump, arguably the most famous magazine in the field. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved widespread acclaim when it first appeared in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it came back with a reduced workload, the series showed it still retained the fans' appreciation and enthusiasm, and now everyone is thrilled about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel Now in the Works

Kingdom is the top-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've haven't come across it before, it's because it only recently got an English release, but the anime has been going on for years, and season 6 was yet another stellar entry. It turns out that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as currently being made, and it will almost certainly air in 2026.

Science Saru Will Adapt A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

One more studio famous for the excellent quality of its work, Science Saru has given us hit shows of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, most 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 true story of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Based on the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and fascinating visual style, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my list of anticipated shows.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Season Two

Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki is based on the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will adapt the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a firm air date has not been disclosed yet.