Alright, fellow anime fans, we need to talk about One Punch Man. Do you remember when this series came out of nowhere in 2015 and completely knocked other anime out with how incredible it looked? That first season was just gold. Madhouse went all out on the animation. Each punch had weight, every fight had energy, and even the comedy bits landed like perfect jabs to the funny bone.
And then, of course, Season 2 happened. And yeah, we’re still bitter. We’re now looking at an October 2025 release for Season 3, yes, it actually is happening, but guess what? Not much animated stuff is out yet from the upcoming session. Let’s dive a little deeper.
One Punch Man Season 2 hurt, like, really bad
Alright, let’s take a step back. When One Punch Man Season 2 was released in 2019, everyone was totally hyped. We were begging for those crazy fights, some more back-story, and all the goodness that the manga promised. But rather than blow-your-mind animation, what we were served up looked like something thrown together at the last minute on some dying laptop.
The fight scenes were stiff. The camera angles felt lazy. The energy? Gone. The spark? Gone. The hype? Evaporated like Genos after a surprise attack. Why? Well, the series changed studios, from Madhouse to J.C. Staff. And while J.C. Staff has done solid work on other anime (like DanMachi, Food Wars, and all that), One Punch Man is a different beast.
This series needs high-caliber visuals. It lives and breathes by how insane its action sequences look. And Season 2 just couldn’t deliver. Fans felt betrayed. Like, “I waited four years for this?!” kind of betrayed. It’s been a long, hard road since, and for real, a lot of people still haven’t forgiven the series.
So here we are in 2025. They’ve finally announced that One Punch Man Season 3 is coming in October. Awesome, right? Well, not so much. Honestly, there are trailers out there. But let’s not pretend they’re giving us much to chew on. Most of what we’ve seen is somewhat cool, but is it enough to restore confidence? Not even close.
What the fans actually need to see is some action animation, you know? A glimpse of how Garou’s fights are going to look. Something to prove that Season 3 won’t be another awkward slideshow of missed punches and lifeless direction. But so far, that kind of footage is nowhere to be found. And for a series that desperately needs to prove itself after Season 2, that silence is loud.
Can One Punch Man Season 3 still pull a comeback?
Let’s not sugarcoat it: J.C. Staff did not deliver last time. Season 2 looked rushed, flat, and just off. And yes, they’re back for Season 3. Now, perhaps they have reorganized the staff. Perhaps they have hired some more qualified animators. Perhaps they have learned something.
But if they have, they’re doing a terrible job of showing it. No production breakdowns, no behind-the-scenes features, no reassurance that things will be different this time. Just some dramatic music, a few character close-ups, and a whole lot of trust-the-process vibes. Which, let’s be honest, isn’t going to cut it.
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What makes it worse is that Season 3 is going to cover the Garou arc. Garou isn’t just a villain, he’s a one-man wrecking crew with actual depth. His evolution from Hero Hunter to something much more complex is what makes this arc so beloved.
But to truly make it work, it needs some serious visual oomph. Fast, fluid animation and strong direction here. Not recycled action shots and awkward pacing. So far? We’re not seeing the confidence that they can deliver that. So this is the thing: fans aren’t asking for another Season 1 miracle.
They just want to know that the people behind the show actually care. That they’re putting in the effort to make this the comeback it deserves to be. One Punch Man Season 3 should be its redemption arc. The story is there. The hype is there. But honestly, until we have some solid proof that this season won’t mess up like it did in 2019, the trust just isn’t there.
So, to the team behind it: show us something real. Give us animation that slaps. Make us believe that the king is back. Because if you don’t? Even Saitama could end up getting bored.
One Punch Man Sessions 1 and 2 are currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
