A Mountain of Anime News Dropped During the Holidays

The Yuletide season present a wealth of pursuits considerably more enjoyable than checking the headlines: discovering surprises, indulging in delicious food, and harnessing deep breathing to refrain from arguing with relatives. I hope you managed to enjoy all these things and more. That said, the world of entertainment doesn't go on vacation, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. Many exciting announcements came out over the holidays, and should you didn't see a few, here is a roundup of the biggest bits.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Is Moving Forward (Come 2027)

Truly the biggest piece of news, the much-discussed controversial season that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter the series' continuation. Season 3 will come back with a second cour in 2027—such a distant date they might as well have called it season 4. More surprisingly, 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 beginning, which is seen as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the promotional image for the continuation is the same image the one used for season 3, just with protagonists Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, nowadays, they could be mocking the fans.

The Ruri Dragon Series Is Set to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has built a reputation for being an elite animation studio, setting itself apart not just for the superb artistry of its output but for the fair treatment of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had never worked on an anime based on a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, arguably the most famous magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will break that tradition, and what a superb choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo achieved massive popularity when it launched in 2022 after just a few chapters, but then went into a lengthy break due to the author's health issues. When it returned with a reduced workload, the series showed it maintained the fans' support and goodwill, and now the community is overjoyed about the upcoming KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Season 6 Has a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the top-selling, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not 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 some time, and its sixth season was a further excellent entry. As it happens that was just the first half, because a "sequel" has been revealed as in development, and it will very likely premiere in 2026.

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

Another studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its productions, Science Saru has given us critically acclaimed works of the caliber 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 true story of Fatima, an prominent woman and thinker in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will without a doubt be on my watchlist.

The Tougen Anki Series Will Continue With a Second Season

Immediately following the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be getting a second season. Based on the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The upcoming season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific release date has yet to be revealed.