A Heap of Anime News Landed During the Festive Season

The winter break present a wealth of pursuits much better than scanning the headlines: unwrapping gifts, getting stuffed on delicious food, and harnessing meditation skills to not snapping at relatives. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. However, the showbiz industry doesn't take a break, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments came out over the festive period, and should you didn't see some of them, here is a roundup of the juiciest bits.

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

Perhaps the most surprising piece of news, the much-discussed controversial season that was the third season of One-Punch Man proved insufficient to halt further production. Season 3 will come back with a subsequent part in 2027—a date so remote they could have dubbed it season 4. Even more shocking, the studio J.C. Staff will remain in charge. Thankfully this time, helmer Shinpei Nagai is set to direct from the outset, which could be taken as a hopeful indicator. Yet, the main art for the new episodes is identical to the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou oriented differently. This suggests that, by now, they are probably mocking the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the First Shonen Jump Anime Produced By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a name for being an elite animation studio, distinguishing itself not just for the superb artistry of its output but for the ethical practices of its employees—a rarity in the industry. Unexpectedly, until now, it had never worked on an anime stemming from a manga published in Shonen Jump, possibly the best-known magazine in the industry. Ruri Dragon will change that, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became massive popularity when it debuted in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it resumed publication with a reduced workload, the series demonstrated it hadn't lost the fans' appreciation and positive sentiment, and now fans are ecstatic about the forthcoming KyoAni adaptation.

Kingdom Its Sixth Season Has a Sequel In Production

Kingdom is the highly popular, decades-spanning Shueisha manga that is not One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only recently got an English translation, but the anime has been going on for a while, and season 6 was yet another excellent entry. As it happens that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been confirmed as in development, and it will very likely air in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

One more studio famous for the excellent quality 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 taking on 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. Judging from the trailer, the anime titled Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a truly original and fascinating visual style, which evokes Ranking of Kings. Set to premiere in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my list of anticipated shows.

Tougen Anki Is Set to Continue With a Second Season

Right after the conclusion of episode 24, it was announced that Tougen Anki will be receiving a second season. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki brings to life the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a concrete premiere date has not been disclosed yet.