One-Punch Man Has Officially Become Anime’s Biggest Disgrace

Few anime have ever had unceremonious downfalls quite like One-Punch Man. When the action-comedy series first premiered in 2015, it was hailed by many as one of the greatest anime of all time. But, following a massive drop-off in its animation quality during Season 2, One-Punch Man has become a shell of its former self.

After a disastrous second season, One-Punch Man has only become an even bigger disgrace with Season 3. While many were skeptical, there were fans open to giving J.C. Staff a second chance to live up to the hype generated during Season 1 by the anime’s original animation studio: Madhouse. But, with the first several episodes of One-Punch Man Season 3 now out, it’s apparent that the series will never have anything of value to offer again, and that all it does have to offer is animation resembling a slideshow.

One-Punch Man Season 3 is an Even Bigger Disappointment Than Season 2 Was

When it was first announced that Madhouse wouldn’t be animating One-Punch Man Season 2, there was a sense of dread in the air. Madhouse is one of the most legendary anime production studios of all time, and the quality they brought to One-Punch Man Season 1 was nothing short of breathtaking. By contrast, J.C. Staff is infamous for being an average to mediocre animation studio, which made it seem doubtful they could ever replicate the magic brought to the world of Saitama and the Hero Association by their predecessor. Sure enough, Season 2 became one of the biggest disappointments in anime history due to its lackluster production quality, and One-Punch Man Season 3 is continuing this trend.

With two official episodes released, along with a special recap episode, One-Punch Man Season 3 is exactly as ugly as fans feared it would be. Its animation ranges from stilted to non-existent, making its action unappealing to watch, and making its jokes fail to land. For a series that established its reputation with its outstanding fights and hilarious comedy, this is unacceptable. It’s so bad that some fans are even attempting to use AI to improve the anime’s visuals. This all without even mentioning the other, less important problems from Season 2 that One-Punch Man Season 3 is perpetuating, such as its underwhelming sound design, particularly during fight scenes.

Anime Fans Need to Give Up on Saitama & One-Punch Man

One-Punch Man had its moment in the spotlight and, bright as it may have been, it’s time to push it out of sight. Season 3 needed to start with a bang in order to prove that it wouldn’t be repeating the mistakes of Season 2, and it has failed to do that. It’s disgraceful what has happened to One-Punch Man, especially as it’s clear now that things are never going to improve.

To an extent, it’s understandable why Season 2 turned out in the sorry state that it did, as it was J.C. Staff’s first time working on an anime of this magnitude. However, even keeping in mind that there were copious production issues, there are no excuses for the botched mess that One-Punch Man Season 3 is turning out to be. If J.C. Staff couldn’t nail Season 3’s opening episodes, there’s no reason to believe the quality of the animation will improve for the rest of Season 3, and there’s no reason to have an iota of faith in a potential Season 4. Absolutely no one, no matter how disappointed they may be that One-Punch Man will be remembered primarily for one of the biggest quality drop-offs in anime history, should be harassing the involved employees at J.C. Staff, who were largely just doing their best in the face of bad decisions made by the company’s higher-ups. What everyone should be doing, though, is to no longer give ample attention to an anime that doesn’t deserve it.

Not every anime needs spectacular animation to be good, but One-Punch Man is a prime example of what happens when an anime that’s only great because of its visuals suddenly finds itself in a lacking position. There are other things people like about the anime, with the characters standing out as a prime example, but this isn’t nearly enough to make up for its massive loss. One-Punch Man Season 3 is an action-comedy series that fails to provide both awesome fights and funny jokes, meaning it has no value at all.