Fans finally get their first glimpse of One-Punch Man Season 3 after the anime dropped its special announcement trailer last week. Of course, many celebrated to see Saitama’s return to the small screen after several years. But despite the animation quality controversy its second season received, many are surprised to learn that J.C. Staff has returned as the third season’s studio. As fans have expressed concern that the same issue may happen again, character designer Shinjuro Kuroda promises to do his best for the series.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kuroda expressed excitement over his involvement in One-Punch Man Season 3. So, to effectively do his role as the new season’s character designer, he revealed the approach he would take by leaving his fan side on the backseat.
“Up until now, I have enjoyed One-Punch Man as a fan, but thanks to a new opportunity, I will be taking a seat as character designer on One-Punch Man season three,” he wrote. “I will do my best. Thank you very much for your support.”
Along with releasing the third season’s trailer, the anime also announced the main staff for its return. Aside from seeing Chikashi Kubota's comeback as the character designer, he would work alongside Kuroda and Ryosuke Shirakawa. It also includes the return of Tomohiro Suzuki as the series composer and Makoto Miyazaki as the music composer.
Though this is the first time that Kubota will be working as a character designer, he’s no stranger to the anime industry. He has done animation for Sk& the Infinity and Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in Dungeon. That said, One-Punch Man Season 3 may be in good hands.
What is the One-Punch Man Season 2 controversy about?
The first season of One-Punch Man was produced by Madhouse and was released in October 2015 with critical acclaim. Its animation, humor, character designs, and incredible fight scenes were lauded. However, One-Punch Man Season 2 was the opposite of it.
After changing its studio to J.C. Staff, the second season received mixed reviews, with many complaining about the drop in its animation quality. From the direction to the fights to the pacing, everything was criticized. The final episode also received complaints, with many saying it wasn’t the right season finale. So, with the return of J.C. Staff to handle the One-Punch Man Season 3 animation, there are fears that it may face the same problem as the second season.
What is One-Punch Man Season 3 is about?
One-Punch Man Season 3 sees the return of Saitama on the battlefield. This time, he promises to perform his duty as a member of the Hero Association after alleged monsters from the Monster Association emerge. These villains hostage a child from the heroes’ group, so the S-class heroes plan to raid the enemies’ hideout. But as they do so, Garou wakes up, hinting at a much more intense battle.
You can read the synopsis below:
After three years of ‘special training,’ he’s become so strong that he's practically invincible. In fact, he's too strong-even his mightiest opponents are taken out with a single punch. Alongside Genos, his faithful disciple, Saitama, performs his official hero duties as a member of the Hero Association. One day, monsters claiming to be from the Monster Association suddenly appeared, taking a child of Hero Association executive as a hostage. The S-class heroes gather and plan a raid on the Monster Association hideout to rescue the hostage. Meanwhile, Garou, a "human monster" who was taken by the Monster Association during a battle with the heroes, awakens in the Monster Association hideout.
The anime is based on the manga of the same title by One. Originally released as a webcomic in 2009, its digital remake was published in June 2012 with illustrations by Yusuke Murata. It released 20 tankobon volumes as of November 2023 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga ever. Viz Media has licensed it in English.
Its first anime adaptation was produced by Madhouse and released in October 2015, while its second season was handled by J.C. Staff and premiered in April 2019. Viz Media also licensed the anime in North America, while it was released on Adult Swim’s Toonami in the U.S.
So far, One-Punch Man Season 3 has no official release date yet. Despite fans' concerns about the third season, J.C. Staff may do its best to improve its work and the animation it has done before to please the audience.
