One-Punch Man season 3 seemed like a mess even before its official release. It took three years for any news to surface after the season was greenlit in 2022. Not only were the promotional images bland, but the trailers also showed stiff animation and a lack of exciting action scenes. These shortcomings forced even the most loyal fans to admit the series’ worrying quality.
Things got worse when the director was only announced about a month before the premiere. Shinpei Nagai, a relatively inexperienced director in action anime who had mostly worked on short fanservice episodes, took the helm. This was a clear warning sign for a top-tier action series.
All these factors pushed One-Punch Man season 3 into the territory of a predictable disaster, and the final product confirmed those fears. Each episode has been filled with poor animation and careless direction, becoming a subject of ridicule.
The latest episode 5 was the last straw for fans
Although season 3 sparked controversy from the start, there was still a glimmer of hope. Episode 5 was highly anticipated because it featured talented animators like Vann Oba, who created the countdown on social media. Fans hoped this episode would turn things around.
To be fair, episode 5 showed some slight improvement compared to earlier episodes. Action scenes like Garou fighting Overgrown Pochi and Orochi had notable animation. Vann Oba’s sequence was among the best animation since J.C. Staff took over.
However, these good moments were very few and completely overshadowed by the bad parts. Episode 5 still suffered from all the usual season 3 problems: stiff visuals, lazy cuts, and poor action. The worst parts were even worse than any previous episode.
The Garou versus Orochi battle was the biggest failure: aside from Vann Oba’s scene, the entire fight was filled with low-quality graphics and animation rarely seen before. Despite all the hype, episode 5 turned out to be the worst episode so far, marking the final straw for many fans.
Is One-Punch Man anime beyond saving?
At this point, there is very little to praise in One-Punch Man season 3. The season has occasional good animation moments, but overall direction and animation quality make it an undeniably poor season, even worse than season 2, which was only average.
Much of the blame lies with the staff changes. The problem isn’t just that One-Punch Man moved from Madhouse to J.C. Staff, but that the talented freelancers from season 1 did not return for seasons 2 and 3.
However, J.C. Staff cannot be blamed entirely. Bandai Namco Filmworks, which owns J.C. Staff, is notorious for not providing enough time and resources. Poor management from Bandai can ruin a project even with a great team.
The only way to save One-Punch Man would be if Bandai gave J.C. Staff more time and better staff, which seems unlikely given the current situation.