10 Most Exciting Upcoming Animated Shows Based On Books

10 Most Exciting Upcoming Animated Shows Based On Books anime

By Dani Kessel Odom Published 7 minutes ago Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer on the New TV team, focusing on writing and content planning for streaming shows. They often assist with Classic TV coverage, as well. They have covered events, such as Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

While manga are frequently turned into anime, there are so many other types of books being transformed into exciting animated TV shows. We collected the most exciting shows based on manga, manhwa, light novels, web novels, and traditional novels.

Hana-Kimi

The ‘90s rom-com manga Hana-Kimi is finally getting its first-ever anime adaptation, which will debut on Crunchyroll on January 4, 2026. The show follows a Japanese-American track-and-field star named Mizuki Ashiya, who disguises herself as a boy so she can transfer to the all-boys school that her idol, track star Izumi Sano, attends. In a shocking twist, they end up being roommates.

If the story sounds familiar, it’s because popular anime Ouran Host Club is a parody of Hana-Kimi. The manga also laid the foundation for so many beloved rom-com anime tropes, so it will be fun to see the original finally come to the small screen. Plus, the show will feature an original intro and outro song by the J-pop duo YOASOBI.

Cradle Unsouled

The bestselling Cradle fantasy books center on Lindon, an Unsouled, the only person in his magical family who can’t access the Path of the Sacred Arts. However, he learns from the heavens that doom is coming, and he’s the only one who can save the world, sending him on the adventure of a lifetime.

The immense worldbuilding and action sequences make animation the perfect medium for Will Wight's Cradle book series, and fans will soon see an adaptation on our screens. Wight and DC animated movie director Jay Oliva partnered to make this happen. However, the final format is uncertain because fans crowdfunded Cradle Unsouled through Kickstarter.

At the very least, a feature-length animatic will be released to the public on January 8, 2026. If traction grows, Cradle Unsouled could advance to the pilot stage or become a TV show. Hopefully, the animatic will help increase interest.

You And I Are Polar Opposites

The anime adaptation of You and I Are Polar Opposites is another exciting January 2026 Crunchyroll release. The story will follow a bubbly, effervescent girl named Miyu Suzuki and her quiet, blunt classmate, Yusuke Tani, who doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks. Both have feelings for one another, but neither can admit it. The episodes will explore their potential romance.

The story started as a one-shot but became a graphic novel manga series. Luckily, the trailers for You and I Are Polar Opposites look visually stunning and perfectly adapt the books' style. The voice actors really seem to capture the spirit of their characters. Only time will tell if it lives up to expectations, but it’s definitely an adaptation that all romance fans will need to check.

John Carter Of Mars

Created in 1911, the pulpy John Carter books by Edgar Rice Burroughs follow a civil war soldier from Virginia who is transported to Mars, where he meets princess Dejah Thoris and becomes a protector of the planet. He fights monsters, aliens, and enemies.

John Carter has appeared in virtually every type of media imaginable, and the books have been cited by some of the most prolific modern sci-fi writers and producers as an influence. The lasst time it came to the screen, the 2012 Disney adaptation flopped. Now, the character’s story is being brought to the small screen again as an animated TV show (via MovieWeb).

Luckily, showrunner Michael Kogge thinks that an animated TV show will be the perfect format, considering how shows like Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, and Twilight of the Gods have changed the landscape of animated fantasy. What’s more, the author’s estate will be directly involved in the project.

Fate/Strange Fake

The Japanese light novels Fate/Strange Fake by Ryōgo Narita and Morii Shizuki started as a 2008 April Fool’s prank. However, the light novel was actually published in 2009, becoming a massive fantasy hit set within the Fate franchise.

Set centuries after the third Holy Grail War, a “fake” Holy Grail War is occurring in America, but it’s missing the Saber class. Multiple factions are trying to use the war to their advantage. While it can be consumed as a stand-alone, the story connects to the wider Fate franchise.

The light novel was unsurprisingly picked up for an anime, and the best part is that there’s proof of concept. They’ve already released episodes 0 and 1 for anyone who might be interested. The wait won’t be long for more, either. Fate/Strange Fake anime releases on January 3, 2026.

Kiranmala & The Kingdom Beyond

The middle-grade fantasy-adventure book series Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series by New York Times bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta weaves Bengali folklore and string theory into a compelling story about a sixth grader named Kiranmala who doesn’t know that she’s an Indian princess bound to be an interdimensional demon slayer.

The production company Freebird Films Entertainment picked up the rights to the books for a TV adaptation. The first book trilogy, which will serve as the basis for the upcoming TV show, follows Kiranmala as she travels into a magical dimension where she must solve riddles and fight demons to save her parents and the world.

Based on the books alone, Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond is bound to be incredible. The worldbuilding is top-notch, and the characters are easy to root for. However, the creative team lends it even more credibility. Submarine Sublime and Rebel Maverick are signed on, and Emmy-winner Michael Ryan and DasGupta are co-writing the script.

The Ghost In The Shell

The Cyberpunk shows Neuromancer and Blade Runner 2099 aren’t the only series in the genre to hit the screens next year. The Japanese studio Science SARU is releasing an anime adaptation of the beloved manga series. However, it has a few heavy-hitters behind the scenes to lend credibility to this version.

The Ghost in the Shell will be the directorial debut of animator Mokochan, who previously assistant directed under Masaaki Yuasa, working on Dan Da Dan and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The writer EnJoe Toh has plenty of experience in the sci-fi genre.

On top of that, they’ve already released a teaser for the show that looks downright incredible. They’ve nailed the high-tech, low-class look so far. The teaser also has hints of the neon-noir aesthetic so common to cyberpunk. Ultimately, it looks like 2026 will be the year for the subgenre to shine.

Wings Of Fire

The high fantasy book series Wings of Fire is the ultimate series for dragon lovers, and the author has put out an impressive 15 novels, not including supplementary books, graphic novels, or novellas. Plus, a sixteenth book is on the way. The story of the first arc (there are 3 so far) follows a group of dragons prophesied to end a two-decade-long war between the dragon factions.

The series has collectively spent over 200 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, so it was only a matter of time before the rights were optioned. While it was originally at Netflix, they scrapped it. Luckily, Prime Video swooped in, and they’ve been taking substantial steps forward in bringing the incredible story to the small screen.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a novel first published online by singNsong, and two years after its publication, it was adapted into a manhwa and a webtoon. Now, it’s also being turned in an anime, thanks to a collaboration between Aniplex and Crunchyroll.

The story follows Kim Dokja, a man who has been the only reader of the novel Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. When real life merges with the story world, he becomes determined to change the ending at any cost.

Since the anime was announced at Anime Expo 2024, no news has come out. However, the meta fantasy premise alone makes Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint sound like it would be an incredible anime.

Eleceed

Jiwoo Seo using his superpowers to fight in the Eleceed anime

The manhwa webtoon Eleceed debuted on the app in 2018, quickly garnering an incredible 1.42 billion views and getting named Webtoon’s number 1 battle-action series. The fantasy coming-of-age story quickly garnered critical praise for its incredible action sequences and storytelling.

Eight years later, the story is being brought to our small screens with the help of the Oscar-nominated production company DandeLion Animation Studio. The show is expected for a 2026 release, with Eleceed already having a trailer available.

Anime

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