AsOne Punch Man’s highly anticipated third season looms closer, the excitement for the series' return is quickly turning sour as fans become more worried about the state of the production. Furthermore, the entire situation around the production has been worrisome for quite some time, but recent events on social media have hit the nail on the head.
On X (formerly Twitter), two animators involved inOne-Punch Manseason 3 made some very worrying posts that alluded to the anime’s unhealthy schedule. Fans on the platform expressed their worries and frustration about how the animators were being burdened, as well as the long wait of more than a half-decade,resulting in a potentially mediocre adaptation. This year has not been good for fans of the franchise, as themanga also scrappedmore than a year and a half’s progress to redo the Ninja Village arc, and now, the anime might not do justice to possibly the series' best story arc.
The Animators Are Already Worried About The Reception Of The Season
Kenichiro Aoki, who refers to himself as @jumpaoki on X, tweeted that they are worried that their lack of skills will be revealed when the anime airs, which is heartbreaking, to say the least. He has been working on the anime as one of the animation directors and key animators, and also on other series such asPrison School,A Certain Scientific Railgun S, and more, having produced some incredible sequences and scenes that show just how good he is. This sense of insecurity about his work on the upcoming anime can only be attributed to a messy and bad production schedule that doesn’t give the animators enough time and freedom to make something good.
Fortunately, Kenichiro felt very encouraged by fans and promised to do his best.
Kazunori Ozawa, a veteran animator and effects editor for some of the biggest anime, such asJujutsu Kaisen,Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures,My Hero Academia, and more, tweeted that he was losing motivation. For reference,Ozawa single-handedly animated the latest promotional video forOne-Punch Manseason 3, and while this is amazing, it’s also worrying. A trailer is something that shouldn’t be done by only one person, and the results prove this, asfans weren’t too excited about how it looked. Ozawa is a fantastic animator who has more than proved how good he is with an exceptional track record, and there is no doubt the trailer would have been much better if given the proper time and manpower.
The Studio Has Been Taking On More Than It Can Handle
J.C. Staff Has Announced Too Many Anime
Over the past few years, J.C. Staff has been announcing many new and returning anime such asHoney Lemon Soda,2.5D Seduction,Danmachiseason 5,Maou 2099,Can a Boy and Girl Friendship Hold Up? (No, It Can’t!!),Fairy Tail: 100 Year Conquest,Magilumiere, and many more. In 2024 alone, they aired about 15 cours of anime, and this, combined with other factors, stretches the studio’s staff too much to where barely any of their series look their best. J.C. Staff has long had a bad reputation among anime fans for the quality of their work, but recently, it has only gotten worse.
One-Punch Man Season 3 Really Fumbled Its First Trailer, Teeing Up a Disappointing Return
The first teaser trailer for One-Punch Man season 3 is finally out, and unfortunately, it’s only made people feel less confident about it.
One-Punch Manseason 2, while not a terrible adaptation, was a big disappointment, especially compared to the stellar and incredible season one by Studio Madhouse. One of the biggest factors that held back the season were production issues and a bad schedule, and it seems the issue still persists years later. Fans who have had to wait for this long are disappointed by the trailer and the key visual, which has been called uninspiring and lacking in creativity by many.
Besides the trailer and the tweets made by the two animators, one of the most worrying aspects about the anime is that the director ofOne-Punch Manseason 3 is still unknown, which raises major red flags about the production. There is no other reason the committee would withhold the name of the director unless they don’t have anyone to fill the role, and this makes sense since it is very difficult to find someone willing to take on such a role with a bad schedule. Furthermore, other important members of the staff, such as the art director, animation director, effects director, and many more, are still unknown, and this is very bad, given that the anime only has a few months until it airs.
One-Punch Man’s Best Arc Might Not Get The Adaptation It Deserves
The Upcoming Arc Deserves Only The Best
Oftenregarded as the series' best portion, the Monster Association arc sees Saitama and the Hero Association finally go head-to-head against the monsters after the son of a prominent donor is kidnapped. The arc will see some of the best and most explosive fights, massive lore reveals, the introduction of new and exciting characters, and some very shocking plot twists that change the trajectory of the series. Furthermore, the art in the arc was possibly the best and most ethereal, which makes the challenge of making a good adaptation all that much harder.
Unfortunately, this situation isn’t unique to J.C. Staff only, as it is something very prevalent in the anime industry. The biggest recent example isJujutsu Kaisenseason 2, where many animators spoke up about the terrible work conditions imposed on them by Mappa and the little time they were afforded.Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' last arc is another big example, and there are many more anime that suffered from poor planning. While there have beenimprovements in the anime industryover the past few years, there is still a long way to go.
Studio MAPPA’s Long Story Of Controversies Overshadows Its Success
Studio MAPPA is regarded as one of the best anime studios around, but there are, unfortunately, a lot of controversies around their work environment.
While there is still some time until the anime is released and a potential new trailer atthis year’s Anime Japan event, the state ofOne-Punch Manseason 3 is quite concerning, and there is a big chance the anime will drop the ball in some or all places. However, fans should keep in mind that the staff and animators are working as hard as they can to bring to life the iconic series, and if the anime does not end up living up to the years of expectations set on it, it will be because of factors outside their control.
