Action anime is prone to crushing levels of hype behind its most anticipated renewals, and perhaps the most infamous was One-Punch Man season 3. Saddled with the expectations set by a dream-team staff and prestige studio Madhouse in season 1, J.C.Staff struggled to keep fans interested with season 2. Season 3, however, was a new struggle.
One-Punch Man season 3 had immense scrutiny leading up to its release, from disappointing behind-the-scenes updates, to its staff involved. In reality, fans will have difficulty discerning the extents of this action anime’s qualities until any action happens; with episode #1’s release, nothing of the sort has happened yet. But that hasn’t stopped One-Punch Man season 3 from courting controversy.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Premiere’s Animation Is Unsurprisingly Not Great
Following a frustrating extended wait as fans had to let One-Punch Man’s season 2 recap pass by on October 5, J.C.Staff’s return was not a triumphant one, at least not yet, for season 3. The premiere featured the usual frustrating traits of an action anime with no action taking place, with static characters trading dialog for virtually the entire installment.
For fans who followed the manga, this was to be expected. With the first tangible fight of One-Punch Man season 3 taking place in episode #2, it was to be expected that the first episode would not bring the visual goods people perhaps hoped for. Instead, the anime carefully adapted the characters and paneling of Yusuke Murata’s artwork as usual.
However, patience among anime fans is an infamously scarce resource. The 3-Episode Rule is what fans commonly abide when determining whether they’ll follow a series, and if a series fails to live up to the hype, drastic measures or petitions to cancel a series have happened. Animation quality is the true Dragon-level threat, unless fans find a worse fixation.
Fans Are Mocking One-Punch Man for the Wrong Reason
Beyond easy targets like One-Punch Man not always having Boros fight-level animation, the recent scrutiny has instead been placed on season 3’s director, Shinpei Nagai. This extends even beyond the concerns regarding his past statements about 3DCG anime, and, as of the premiere, has fixated on his resume. Shinpei Nagai worked on multiple hentai before One-Punch Man.
While working on adult anime content is not damning at all, it has affected Nagai’s perception by the fans in light of One-Punch Man’s season 3 premiere. Fans were quick to point out the anime’s compromising shots of Mizuki, scenes panning over Tatsumaki’s figure, and Fubuki’s clingy attire. To claim this diverts focus or resources is flawed because it’s mostly manga-accurate.
Shinpei Nagai’s work on hentai included various animation and directorial roles from the early 2000’s through the 2010s. He’s even worked on safer ecchi series such as
Fans aren’t necessarily wholly outraged, but their fixation undermines Nagai’s position.
Nagai previously directed episodes of Food Wars, which is famously created by an artist who previously drew hentai, yet nobody refers to Shun Saeki as “the hentai artist”, while Nagai does not get the same courtesy. Even the creator of Ghost in the Shell is well-known for having also drawn hentai, yet Masamune Shirow is still taken highly seriously.
Yet, this fixation, and even undermining Nagai’s position as director of an anticipated anime season, still has its positives. Yusuke Murata’s artwork commonly focuses on the human form, particularly of women, and season 3’s character renditions are among its greatest strengths. But One-Punch Man still lacks in one key arena with its premiere.
One-Punch Man Has Another Visible Issue in Season 3
Beyond the stiff characters, admittedly beautiful designs, and underwhelming opening credits sequence, the backgrounds of One-Punch Man season 3 leave much to be desired. The backdrops even in just the ending credits leave plenty of promise, but they hardly show in the episode, with the most egregious lack of atmosphere taking place in the Monster Association Headquarters.
While the manga doesn’t ave an elaborate setup for this scene, the bland backdrop and unnervingly still Orochi felt far less dynamic than even the various angles provided by Murata in its corresponding chapter. It’s difficult to say whether budgets are just allocated elsewhere when there’s no proof to say otherwise yet; fans, for now, just get an unsatisfying glimpse.
One-Punch Man fans know the incredible potential of Murata’s artwork when brought to life. When Saitama’s Serious Punch rended the skies after repelling Boros’ attack, viewers saw an astounding shot of Earth from space as being visibly altered by this attack. The anime is expected to reflect that, and that is an understated part of the pressure on season 3.
Yusuke Murata has famously dedicated his perfectionism to creating an ideal, massively fleshed-out manga rendition of ONE’s original webcomic. On VIZ Media one can find installments like their release of chapter #92, loaded with incredible shots, detailed fights, and dynamic character interactions in a world that felt alive; however, chapters like this clock in at an astonishing 151 pages.
Over six years, fans have waited knowing that the next One-Punch Man arc that it would adapt was to be the series’ most ambitious yet. With the eventual clashes with many of the series’ most powerful villains standing among the ultimate manga highlights, the anime has to consistently create a world reflective of Murata and ONE’s vision as its backdrop.
With an Underwhelming Premiere the Series Can Only Proceed Upward
While it’s an unfortunate possibility that the animation could be truly horrendous in subsequent episodes, or use CGI deemed unacceptable to the fans, One-Punch Man’s anime feels fundamentally series-accurate. The humor still feels properly present, with Saitama’s apartment scene being a welcome return for the hero, taking a video game break with friends.
The various Hero Association elites of One-Punch Man mostly took up focus, alongside a recovering Garou as he is brought in by Gyoro Gyoro after the loss of Centichoro. They even kept the gag about Speed-o’-Sound Sonic getting diarrhea and losing two kilograms after incorrectly cooking and eating a Monster Cell. In narrative and vibe terms, One-Punch Man is back.
They even kept the gag about Speed-o’-Sound Sonic getting diarrhea and losing two kilograms after incorrectly cooking and eating a Monster Cell. In narrative and vibe terms, One-Punch Man is back.
Still, with an understandable and warranted fixation on animation for an action anime, fans won’t be satisfied until their first true glimpse of fights in motion. Whether this is to feature a plethora of still images, or an explosive battle extravaganza, remains to be seen. But jeering at the resume of One-Punch Man season 3’s director is not the answer.
