I’ve been following One Punch Man since its incredible debut back in 2015, and I’ve got to tell you, watching what’s happening with Season 3 feels like watching a car crash in slow motion. As someone who’s been in the anime community for years, I never thought I’d see the day when One Punch Man would be ranked among the worst shows of any season, yet here we are in 2025, and that’s exactly what’s happening.
The numbers don’t lie – we’re talking about a disastrous 6.4/10 on IMDb for the premiere episode and a barely-better 6.92/10 on MyAnimeList. To put that in perspective, Season 1 debuted with a stellar 8.6/10 on IMDb, with the first episode scoring an incredible 9.5/10. Even the much-maligned Season 2 managed to hold onto an 8.0/10. This isn’t just a drop in quality – it’s a freefall off a cliff.
The Animation Disaster That Broke the Internet
When I watched the first episode of Season 3, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Remember those breathtaking fight scenes from Season 1 where Saitama would move with such fluidity and power? Well, forget about that. What we got instead was what fans are now calling a “manga slideshow” – literally minutes of static images with minimal animation.
I counted it myself: in Episode 3 alone, there’s 1 minute and 18 seconds of nothing but still frames. That’s over 6% of the entire episode consisting of what essentially amounts to a PowerPoint presentation. The most infamous example is that Garou sliding scene where he literally just floats down a hill without any movement in his body, no shadow effects, no grass displacement – nothing. It looks like someone copy-pasted a PNG image and moved it down the screen.
But it gets worse. I noticed that the production team actually recycled footage from a year-old trailer, and somehow the original trailer footage looked better than what we got in the actual broadcast. The action scenes are laughable – choppy movements, missing in-between frames, and sound effects that don’t sync up properly. It’s like watching a rough draft rather than a finished product.
From Madhouse Magic to J.C. Staff Misery
Let me take you back to 2015 when One Punch Man first hit our screens. Madhouse, under the brilliant direction of Shingo Natsume, created something magical. They assembled a dream team of freelance animators who delivered some of the most impressive action sequences ever seen in television anime. The show wasn’t just good – it was revolutionary.
Then came Season 2 in 2019, and while the switch to J.C. Staff was noticeable, it wasn’t catastrophic. The animation quality dropped, sure, but the story still worked, and there were some decent moments. Many fans, myself included, were disappointed but understood that replicating Season 1’s perfection was nearly impossible.
But Season 3? This is where everything falls apart. The decline is so severe that it’s actually making Season 2 look good by comparison. I’ve seen fans on Reddit literally apologizing to the Season 2 team, saying they were too harsh back then. Think about that – we’ve reached a point where Season 2 is now considered the “good old days.”
The Real Villain: Corporate Greed and Production Committees
After digging deep into this mess, I’ve discovered that the animation studio isn’t really the main villain here. The real problem lies with Japan’s production committee system. For those who don’t know, most anime aren’t funded by the studios themselves. Instead, a committee of stakeholders – manga publishers, TV networks, toy companies, and other investors – pools money to make the anime happen.
These committees hold all the power. They set the budget, they set the schedule, and they hire studios like J.C. Staff essentially as contractors. The problem? They’re business people, not artists. Their priority is profit, not quality. They want the anime out quickly and cheaply to cash in on the franchise’s popularity while it’s still hot.
Director Shinpei Nagai actually came out before the season aired and basically told us this was coming. He said, and I quote, “It might not please you or could even make you angry. But someone has to take it on. I am determined and ready to do so. It probably won’t measure up to Season 1. But the anime is infused with the creators’ tenacity and ingenuity.”
Think about that – the director basically apologized before the show even aired, telling us it wouldn’t be good. That’s not confidence; that’s someone being set up to fail.
The Human Cost: When Fans Turn Toxic
What’s really disturbing me is how this situation has escalated. The animation quality issues are bad enough, but the fan reaction has become downright toxic. Director Shinpei Nagai was harassed so badly online that he had to delete his social media accounts. In his final post, he talked about how the backlash was affecting his mental health and the quality of work his team could produce.
I get it – I’m frustrated too. When you wait six years for something and it turns out like this, anger is a natural response. But harassing individual animators and directors? That’s not the answer. These are people working under impossible conditions, with tight deadlines and limited resources. The real villains are the executives in boardrooms making decisions based on spreadsheets rather than artistic merit.
Vincent Chansard, an animator who’s worked on shows like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen, came out and defended J.C. Staff, explaining that these situations are far more complex than most fans understand. The studio alone isn’t responsible for all decisions – there are powerful people behind the scenes who never face the public backlash.
One Punch Man Isn’t Alone – This Is an Industry-Wide Problem
What’s scary is that One Punch Man Season 3 isn’t an isolated incident. This is happening across the anime industry. Look at what happened to Tokyo Ghoul – started strong, then derailed into a confusing mess, and ended with a disastrously rushed final season that tried to cram 179 manga chapters into 24 episodes.
Or more recently, Blue Lock Season 2 faced what fans called the “PowerPoint Lock” scandal, where an animator confirmed that the production committee forced them to cut frames and “eliminate all the movement” to meet an aggressive deadline. Sound familiar?
This is a destructive cycle: a great first season creates hype, the committee rushes a sequel to cash in, the quality plummets, and the fans who made it a hit are left feeling betrayed. With the anime industry now worth over $25 billion globally, you’d think there’d be more investment in quality, but instead, we’re seeing the opposite – more focus on quantity and speed, less on craftsmanship.
The Monster Association Arc Deserved Better
What makes this whole situation especially painful is that Season 3 is adapting what many consider the best arc in the One Punch Man manga – the Monster Association arc. This is supposed to be the story’s peak, with incredible battles, character development, and some of the most iconic moments in the series.
Instead, we’re getting a butchered version that does a disservice to the incredible source material. The manga panels by Yusuke Murata are gorgeous, full of dynamic action and emotional weight. The anime adaptation should be enhancing that, not diminishing it. At this point, I’d honestly recommend new fans just read the manga instead – you’ll get a much better experience.
What This Means for the Future of One Punch Man?
The big question now is: what happens next? If Season 3 continues to perform poorly in ratings, it could spell the end for the One Punch Man anime. Some fans are even saying it would be better to cancel the show than to continue damaging the franchise’s legacy.
But here’s the scary part: if Season 3 somehow becomes a commercial success despite its terrible quality, it sends a dangerous message to the industry. It tells producers that for big franchises, brand recognition is all that matters, and quality is optional. They could keep churning out low-quality adaptations knowing that fans will watch anyway.
I’ve seen some fans on Reddit calling for active boycotts – leaving low scores, downvoting official clips, and creating as much negative press as possible. While I understand the sentiment, I’m not sure that’s the right approach either. What we really need is for the industry to hear that quality matters, that fans won’t accept subpar adaptations of beloved series.
My Personal Take as a Long-Time Fan
As someone who’s been with One Punch Man since the beginning, this whole situation breaks my heart. I remember the excitement of watching that first episode back in 2015, being blown away by the animation quality, the humor, the unique take on superhero tropes. It felt fresh and revolutionary.
Now, seeing what’s happened to the franchise, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Not just in the quality drop, but in what it represents – the commercialization of art, the prioritization of profit over creativity, the treatment of animators as disposable resources.
But I haven’t completely lost hope. The One Punch Man manga and webcomic are still fantastic, and there’s always the possibility that future seasons could learn from these mistakes. Maybe if enough fans speak up about wanting quality adaptations, the industry will listen.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About One Punch Man Season 3
Why is One Punch Man Season 3 rated so low?
The season currently has a 6.4/10 on IMDb and 6.92/10 on MyAnimeList due to extremely poor animation quality, including long sequences of still frames, recycled footage, and choppy action scenes.
What studio is animating One Punch Man Season 3?
J.C. Staff is handling the animation, the same studio that did Season 2. However, many argue that the real issue lies with the production committee system rather than the studio itself.
Will One Punch Man Season 3 improve?
Based on the first few episodes and the director’s own statements suggesting it won’t measure up to Season 1, significant improvement seems unlikely. The production issues appear to be systemic rather than fixable mid-season.
Should I watch One Punch Man Season 3 or just read the manga?
At this point, I’d recommend reading the manga. The Monster Association arc is excellently drawn and tells the story much better than the current anime adaptation. You’ll get a more complete and visually appealing experience.
Is there hope for future One Punch Man seasons?
It’s uncertain. If Season 3 performs poorly commercially, it might end the anime adaptation. However, if it succeeds despite quality issues, it could encourage more low-quality productions. The best hope is that industry feedback leads to better production practices.
What can fans do about the quality issues?
Rather than harassing individual animators, fans should provide constructive feedback through official channels and support quality anime adaptations. Voting with your viewing habits and supporting well-made shows sends a stronger message than toxic behavior.
The Bottom Line
One Punch Man Season 3 represents everything that can go wrong when commercial interests override artistic vision. It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when the anime industry prioritizes speed and profit over quality and respect for the source material.
As I wrap up this article, I can’t help but feel sad about what could have been. The Monster Association arc deserved so much better than this. The fans who waited six years for this season deserved better. The animators working under impossible conditions deserved better.
Maybe this will be a wake-up call for the industry. Maybe we’ll see changes in how anime productions are handled. Or maybe this is just the new normal – big franchises getting low-quality adaptations because the studios know fans will watch anyway.
What do you think? Are you still watching One Punch Man Season 3, or have you given up on it? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. And if you want to read more about the latest anime news and reviews, be sure to check out our other articles like our coverage of One Piece’s record-breaking episodes or our guide to the Fall 2025 anime season.
Remember to bookmark this page for future updates on One Punch Man Season 3 and other anime news. The story might not be over yet, and I’ll be here to keep you informed every step of the way.