One-Punch Man Season 3 Director Breaks Silence on Fan Backlash: “Calm Down”

One-Punch Man has finally revealed the staff behind Season 3 ahead of its premiere this Fall, and the director behind it all has broken their silence on fan backlash to the new episodes. One-Punch Man fans have been concerned about the future of the anime series as following an outstanding debut for the first season decades ago, the second season failed to reach those same heights. As the third season readies for its own premiere, it’s sparked all kinds of worries once more as very little has been revealed for the new season so closely to its actual Fall premiere.

One-Punch Man just dropped its biggest update for Season 3 of the anime yet, and with it has revealed the mysterious staff behind the project. Director Shinpei Nagai will be directing the new season at J.C. Staff, and took to social media to respond to fan backlash over the newest promotional materials thus far. The director explained that they kept their name a mystery for so long because they felt like it would give a bad impression (because they are relatively unknown in the space) but asks fans to “calm down” and hear them out as “The team is giving it our all on site.”

One-Punch Man Season 3 Director Responds to Fan Backlash

When the director for One-Punch Man Season 3 was first announced, fans negatively reacted to Shinpei Nagai’s credits before this new season. But taking to social media, the director wanted to clear up the fan reactions to the announcement, “I’m Shimpei Nagai, the director of One Punch Man Season 3. I completely understand everyone’s reactions. Please calm down and hear me out, if you would. I’ll explain why I was chosen, and it might be a bit long, but please listen,” the director began. “I’ve been a freelancer from the beginning, and that hasn’t changed.” Nagai then revealed more of their credits in the field.

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“At 37, I wrapped up my apprenticeship and stepped into the anime world with a work called ‘Hiiro no Kakera.’ I learned how to create hybrid animation with 3D in a project called ‘Aquarion Logos,’ and after that, I switched to a 3D company for just one year, contributing to image boards for ‘Altered Carbon’ and such,” Nagai continued. “My goal was always Manglobe. I honed my skills on Episode 6 of ‘GANGSTA.’ and ‘Samurai Flamenco’ among others. I was aiming for a hybrid of 3DCG and hand-drawn animation, but as everyone knows, Manglobe ended up closing down.” The director then explained how they came to work with J.C. Staff, the studio behind One-Punch Man Seasons 2 and 3.

One-Punch Man Director Explains Silence So Far

“In the midst of that, J.C.Staff became a long-term partner, commissioning me for storyboards and direction throughout the year,” Nagai continued. “However, since I’m relatively unknown and don’t have standout achievements as an animator, I thought it might give a bad impression, so I asked to keep it under wraps.” In moving on to the new season, Nagai explained that he wanted to quietly focus on a new workflow that would allow him to get as much production time as possible.

“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,” Nagai continued. “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.”

With One-Punch Man Season 3 also setting a release date of October 5th, fans won’t be waiting much longer before they get to see how this one pans out.