Freeren: Beyond the End of the Journey season 2
studio: Ruckus
Release date: 16 January
sales pitch: The story of an elf woman and her new young companions who set out on an erotic journey filled with unharmed flawless fight scenes and lots of heartache.
hell’s heaven season 2
studio: Mappa
Release date: 11 January
sales pitch: A group of prisoners and their The executors have their suicide squad The search for the elixir of life is interrupted by a mysterious island (named Kotaku, funnily enough), whose gender-conforming creatures intend to To shorten their lives.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3
studio: Mappa
Release date: 8th January
sales pitch: Yuji Itadori and the rest of the Jujutsu magicians are forced into a Death Game tournament arc with a lot of rules and a lot of action that will definitely make fans praise it for being “extreme”.
oshi no ko season 3
studio: Doga Kobo
Release date: 14 January
sales pitch: A doctor and his former patient are reincarnated as the children of their favorite pop idol and spend the rest of their teenage years pursuing stardom as well as chasing their mother’s killer.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes season 2
studio: bones movie
Release date: 5th January
sales pitch: my hero academia That may be (mostly) in the history books, but its prequel spin-off anime (which is actually quite good) is still trucking along, letting people see what Kohei Horikoshi’s Batman-meets-Punisher approach to vigilantism looks like in a superhero-rich world.
triple stargaze
studio: orange
Release date: 10 January
sales pitch: The second and final season of the Studio Orange reboot trinity The anime sees the gang fully back together with the grand return of Millie Thompson.
Golden Kamuy
studio: base of brain
Release date: 5th January
sales pitch: The final season of a hilarious, harrowing, and wholesome series about a group of warriors (read: lovable idiots) as they search for a hidden treasure.
journal with witch
studio: Shuk
Release date: 4th January
sales pitch: A rare josei drama in the sea of shonen anime (adult female-focused anime). It tells the story of a writer named Makio, who grows closer to her niece, Asa, through their shared love of writing, following the tragic death of her estranged sister and her sister’s husband in a car accident, as they try to cope with the loss in their family.
darwin phenomenon
studio: Belnox Films
Release date: 7th January
sales pitch: A half-human, half-chimpanzee (we hear and we don’t judge) named Charlie tries to live a normal high school life but instead he is thrown into the center of a conspiratorial terrorist plot.
Much more to see in 2026
The above list does not include all the other anime series we have to wait for the rest of the calendar year. The main ones we’re keen to keep an eye on and recommend:
- Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, The seventh part of Hirohiko Araki’s long-running series involving lots of horse racing and spinning balls is coming to Netflix in March.
- Beastars Final Season Part 2, The final chapter of Studio Orange’s adaptation of creator Paru Itagaki’s beloved anime is coming to Netflix in March.
- Witch Hat Atelier, The long-awaited anime adaptation of Kamome Shirahama’s magical manga series is coming to Crunchyroll in April.
- Demons of the Shadow Realm:an anime adaptation of full Metal Alchemist The series from creator Hiromi Arakawa, by Studio Bones, is coming to Crunchyroll in April.
- Marriage poison: A new shonen manga series coming in April that puts romance at the center of its supernatural murder action.
- Akane-banashi: A promising rakugo anime adaptation, originally created by the duo of Takamasa Maou and Yuki Suenaga, this is arguably the best Shonen Jump manga running at the moment. It’s essentially about competitive dramatic storytelling, coming in April.
- Mao: Yet another adaptation of the anime series Inuyasha And Ranma 1/2 From creator Rumiko Takahashi (She’s the Goat) it’s about a girl named Nanoka who, after receiving powers from her isekai-esque self that jumps between the modern day and the Taisho era, is thrown into the orbit of Mao, a cat-demon cursed boy who works as an exorcist. Coming in April.
- Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War – Tribulation: The fourth and final part of the anime adaptation of Pierrot Films’ Tite Kubo bleach, Coming to Hulu in July.
- The Wizard: A Witch in Magnolia: day and day Studio Science Saru’s latest project, a historical josei anime adaptation of the manga by Tomato Soup (yes, that’s his surname), about a Persian woman separated from her homeland and navigating the politics of a world dominated by Genghis Khan, is arriving in July 2026.
- Mayavi Samurai Season 2: The story of a prince named Tokiyuki and his circle of friends, under the political tutelage of a prophetic priest claiming he will become a great hero, on a journey of revenge against those who killed his noble family by using the time-honored skill of escape. Coming to Crunchyroll in July.
- The Apothecary Diaries Season 3: The third season follows Maomao, a highly intelligent poison-loving potion writer turned spy, as she uncovers even more secrets of the royal palace against her will when she arrives in Crunchyroll in October.
- Ghost in the Shell: Science Saru’s Other “New” Anime Brings OG Ghost in the Shell Bring manga to life in a way only this studio can; It is scheduled for 2026.
If there are any shows we missed that are in your 2026 queue for January and beyond, be sure to have your say in the comments and get your mates into some steam.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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