Anime

One-Punch Man Fans Aren’t Thrilled With Season 3’s Animation (And That’s Putting It Lightly)

One-Punch Man’s third season took quite some time to finally debut on the small screen, and unfortunately, fans seem to believe that it wasn’t worth the wait. While the anime adaptation’s first season was brought to life by Studio Madhouse, the second was forged by JC Staff, which encountered plenty of controversy. Many viewers believed that the extra time in the oven would result in Saitama’s comeback, but, unfortunately, the same fans are beginning to point out instances where One-Punch Man season three fails to live up to the stellar animation of its past.

Videos by ComicBook.com

In the second episode of One-Punch Man’s third season, Garou and Saitama collide once again, with the latter easily defeating the hero killer with a single blow. Following Garou’s defeat, he is then tested by two members of the Monster Association who aim to see if the former student of Bang can truly join their ranks. While Garou’s latest fight employs some worthwhile animation, there are several key moments that many anime fans found lacking, including one that sees the Hero Killer sliding his way down a hill. The latest installment shows that JC Staff can adequately depict the fights of Saitama’s world, but at the same time, it still has a long way to go. You can see some of the responses from anime fans below.

One-Punch Man’s Director Speaks

Earlier this year, One-Punch Man season three’s director, Shinpei Nagai, explained the complications that transpired behind the scenes for the anime series’ return. “Then, when the consultation for One Punch Man Season 3 came up, I focused on incorporating a new workflow—something I discussed in CGWORLD, bridging 3D and 2D workflows—to squeeze out even one more second of production time. I sincerely apologize for keeping quiet about this. The team is giving it our all on site. I can’t discuss details about the production, but I’m open to answering what I can within limits.”

In a recent interview, anime animator Vincent Cansard stated that blame should not be entirely laid at the feet of JC Staff, “I think a lot of people blame JC Staff, but it’s a bit more complex. Sometimes, it’s not about the animation studio; sometimes it’s about the production committee that is on top of everything. JC Staff is just a studio that’s trained to survive, you know what I mean? Like again, the Japanese industry is very difficult.” He later added, “Right now, it’s very difficult for them.”

JC Staff has yet to officially comment on the animation that many fans have taken issue with in One-Punch Man season three, though viewers are still crossing their fingers that the studio can turn the ship in the episodes remaining. Certainly, from the animation employed during Garou’s fight, it appears as though the production studio can animate some hard-hitting moments.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!