It’s been a long wait for fans of Saitama’s bald-headed brand of overpowered absurdity. Nearly seven years after the divisive second season, One-Punch Man Season 3 finally dropped on October 12, 2025, kicking off what many hoped would be an explosive dive into the Monster Association arc. This saga, straight from ONE’s webcomic and Yusuke Murata’s polished manga redraws, promised high-stakes hero raids, monstrous showdowns, and that signature blend of satire and spectacle. But as the first four episodes have unfolded—streaming weekly on Hulu, Disney+, and Crunchyroll—the reception has been anything but unanimous. With J.C. Staff back at the helm and a new director in the hot seat, did the team deliver the knockout blow fans craved, or did it leave them swinging at shadows?
Sky-High Hopes After a Decade of Drought
The hype train for Season 3 had been chugging since 2019, fueled by trailers teasing Garou’s monstrous evolution and the Heroes Association’s desperate counteroffensive. Season 1, under Madhouse’s fluid mastery, set an impossibly high bar with its kinetic fights and vibrant character designs—think Saitama’s casual decimation of Deep Sea King. Season 2’s shift to J.C. Staff brought backlash for its stiffer animation and rushed pacing, but fans clung to optimism: this arc was meatier, more action-packed. “We’re finally getting the Monster Association raid we’ve been dying for,” one Reddit thread buzzed pre-premiere, echoing sentiments across X (formerly Twitter). Expectations zeroed in on redemption—smoother sakuga (key animation moments), deeper character beats for anti-hero Garou, and a return to the series’ witty takedown of superhero tropes. Budget whispers and production delays only amped the stakes; could J.C. Staff bounce back?
Enter Shinpei Nagai, the fresh face replacing Season 2’s Chikara Sakurai as director. Nagai, known for competent but unflashy work on shows like A Certain Magical Index, faced immediate scrutiny. Pre-air backlash erupted when his name dropped, with some fans digging into his past projects and decrying him as “unfit” for OPM’s bombast. Nagai himself addressed the storm in a September statement, acknowledging the “reactions” while vowing to honor the source. Little did he know, the online fury would escalate into full-blown harassment, forcing him to deactivate his X account by late October amid mental health pleas. It’s a grim reminder that fandom passion can curdle into toxicity, especially when a beloved series hangs in the balance.
Episode by Episode: Buildup, Backlash, and Flickers of Fight
With 12 episodes slated, the early stretch focused on setup—gathering heroes, plotting raids, and teasing Garou’s feral turn. But “setup” became code for “slideshow” in fan parlance, as static panels and minimal motion dominated. Here’s how the first quartet landed:
Episode 1: “The Strong Ones” (October 12)
A reintroduction to the brewing storm, recapping the Monster Association’s threat while spotlighting Saitama’s domestic ennui and Genos’ loyalty. The opener leaned hard on manga-faithful visuals, with gorgeous static compositions that popped in 4K. The new OP, “Get No Satisfied!” by JAM Project feat. BABYMETAL, injected electric energy, and the ED’s chill vibes offered a breather. But the animation? Barely there. Mouth-flaps and eye-twitches passed for dialogue, with one brief Do-S enslavement scene feeling more awkward than awe-inspiring. IGN called it a “slow and plot-heavy reintroduction” that didn’t hook like Saitama’s return deserved, while CBR deemed it a “complete flop.” X lit up with memes comparing it to a “PowerPoint presentation,” and scores hovered around 6-7/10. Defenders argued it was deliberate buildup—”not every ep needs flips”—but the damage was done: doomers predicted a season-long dud.
Episode 2: “Monsterization” (October 19)
A step up, shifting to Garou’s brutal awakening and the freelancers’ monster-hunting antics. The comedy clicked harder—Saitama’s deadpan quips landed with timing that felt authentically ONE-esque—and a cliffhanger Garou vs. Royal Ripper tease delivered the first real sakuga sparks. Animation remained sparse, but purposeful: fluid dodges hinted at bigger brawls ahead. Fans on X warmed slightly, with one calling it “neat fr” and rating it 7.4/10 for balancing humor and tension. Still, gripes persisted about “PNG animation” in quieter beats. Overall, a 7.5-8/10 vibe emerged, with hope flickering that J.C. Staff was warming up.
Episode 3: “Organism Limits” (October 26)
The action pivot everyone craved: Garou’s savage clash with the Monster Association’s elite. Freelance animators injected life, with dynamic dodges and slashes echoing Season 1’s flair. Art direction shone in Garou’s feral redesign, and the episode’s momentum recaptured that “right back at Season 1” thrill for some. But execution faltered—reused clips, unsmooth edits, and baffling still-frames (why freeze Saitama mid-motion?) drew fire. One X user lamented it as “unfinished storyboarding,” praising the fights’ intent but slamming the polish. Reactions split: defenders hailed it as vindication, while critics saw “Seven Deadly Sins S3 vibes” in the inconsistencies. Scores climbed to 7-8/10, but frustration boiled over, with calls for a remake gaining traction.
Episode 4: “The Raid Begins” (November 2)
Heroes mobilize for the big infiltration, laced with Saitama’s hot-pot hijinks and Genos’ sidelined angst. The comedy peaked here—everyone scrabbling over Saitama’s meal was pure gold— and the raid’s kickoff built genuine hype. Animation ticked upward, ditching most slideshows for competent movement, though color grading (that disco Garou flash?) and lingering static shots irked. X buzzed with “okay episode” takes, some calling it the season’s best yet for nailing the ensemble chaos. But the chorus of “boring, lifeless” echoed louder, with one fan canceling their sub in despair. Averaging 7/10, it felt like progress amid the pile-on.
Fan Fury Meets Fleeting Faith: The Great Divide
Social media tells a tale of two camps. X and Reddit erupted post-Episode 1 with vitriol—”worst experience of my life,” “slideshow scared me for the fights”—fueled by comparisons to Season 1’s glory. Hashtags like #RemakeOPMS3 trended as fans blamed tight budgets (echoing Season 2’s infamous six-month crunch) on the production committee, not overworked animators. Nagai’s ordeal amplified sympathy, shifting some ire toward toxic echo chambers.
Yet positivity persists. “Starting to feel like the hate is forced,” one reviewer noted after Ep 2’s laughs, while others praised the story’s fidelity and OSTs as lifelines. On rewatch, even skeptics found Ep 1’s humor shining brighter, urging patience for the raid’s escalation. A vocal minority even rates the arc higher than the manga for added webcomic nods.
Punching Above Its Weight? Or Down for the Count?
J.C. Staff and Nagai haven’t fully quelled the storm—animation woes stem from systemic squeezes, not lack of heart—but glimmers in Episodes 3 and 4 suggest the heavy hits are inbound. Fans’ critiques, from editing flubs to unmet spectacle, are valid; this isn’t the fluid frenzy of old. Yet the core endures: Saitama’s ennui, Garou’s rage, a world poking fun at capes and crises. As Episode 5 looms, the question lingers—will the raid redeem, or will it fizzle? For now, One-Punch Man Season 3 is a flawed fighter, bloody but unbowed, reminding us heroism’s as much about heart as haymakers. If nothing else, it’s sparked the rawest fan discourse since the caped baldy’s debut. One punch? Not quite. But the combo’s just getting started.
ALSO READ: Echoes of Eternity: The Top 10 Must-Watch New-Gen Anime (2011-2025)
