The Fall of One-Punch Man Season 3 Isn’t JCStaff’s Fault, It’s an Industry-Wide Problem

The one-punch man Season 3 is the most anticipated event of fall 2025, but perhaps not for the most positive reasons. With the unfortunate precedent set by the subpar Season 2 compared to Madhouse’s historic Season 1, it’s hard not to see why fans would be worried, especially since some of manga’s most jaw-dropping moments are about to be adapted.

But The one-punch man fans were unimpressed with the Season 3 premiere, with a disappointing MyAnimeList score of 6.84, not unsalvageable, but mostly a sharp drop from its enormous heights. The immediate, and perhaps understandable, reaction is to blame the studio behind seasons 2 and 3, JC Staff. However, the real problem is more complex than studio issues.

One-Punch Man’s downfall isn’t just JCStaff’s fault

Looking back The one-punch man season 2, it’s immediately obvious how disappointing its execution was compared to season 1. While the story remained compelling, and even arguably improved, its animation suffered, with poor CGI backgrounds in crucial scenes and hideous CGI integration like for Genos’ cyborg features.

Professionals in the field deplore the difference, but as the famous One piece Host Vincent Chansard, accusing JCStaff’s choices, such as taking over the project, of not seeing the forest for the trees. JCStaff is an animation studio in a constantly overworked industry, and in trying to survive, they’ll be biting off more than they can chew.

For The one-punch man For Season 2, JCStaff collectively took on eight anime for this corresponding calendar year, 2019, compared to the relatively fewer five projects for Season 3 in 2025. This doesn’t equate to better time management, however, with production initially confirmed in August 2022. The story is more complicated, with the production committees playing a role.

I think a lot of people blame JCStaff but I think it’s a bit more complex. Sometimes it’s not about the animation studio, sometimes it’s about the production committees who control everything and choose. JC Staff is just a studio trying to survive.

-Vincent Chansard October 8, 2025 KOL: Requiem interview

Chansard offered his frank assessment of The one-punch man season 3, praising the first season while reporting on its disappointment in season 2 without going into detail. The last hour of his interview with KOL: Requiem thus discourages jumping to the fault when in reality, the headquarters of the association of heroes credited in season 3 is at least partly responsible.

Production committees are actually a voluntary coalition or partnership to decide on factors such as funding, scheduling, and overall decision-making. This means that JCStaff is virtually not part of major decisions regarding The one-punch man, this being rather decided by the majority of its production committee.

Studio or staff harassment is not the solution

Fans harassing creative entities like animation studios is nothing new, and in the case of The one-punch man, it’s something they’re well aware of, including multiple Change.org petitions to replace them with Madhouse. Knowing what we know about production committees, asking for their removal when it’s not yet entirely their decision is a real punch to the gut.

If I talk about anything related to One Punch Man, I’ll have to close my SNS…sorry. However, I will respond on other things.

-Shinpei Nagai on X, October 17, 2025

Director Shinpei Nagai even discouraged fans from asking him to discuss it. The one-punch man, he could potentially lock his account or close his account if he engaged. His stance at this point is sympathetic, especially since his goal was to maximize the anime’s production time. Bound by an NDA, he is unable to address fans’ concerns.

Talk to Nagai or other members of the The one-punch man the team is unlikely to deliver results. With precisely a new episode released on October 12, there isn’t much to discuss yet. But that hasn’t stopped fans from focusing on other factors they find problematic.

One-Punch Man fans focus on season 3 director’s previous work

As previously stated, Shinpei Nagai has had a footprint in several anime franchises. His work on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Psycho-Pass, Food Wars, Gangsta., And Dr. Stone are often overlooked nowadays due to his previous work on several ecchi and hentai series. In the eyes of fans, he is now the “hentai director” hired to take charge The one-punch man.

This has led to a fan evaluation of the series that, while not necessarily bad, undermines its dedication to the job at hand. The particular depictions of its female characters, namely Mizuki, Do-S, Tatsumaki, and Fubuki, regardless of how accurate they are to Yusuke Murata’s original work, are considered “where the budget went”.

However, as fans like @ParasiticEager2 on X were quick to point out, Hironori Tanaka, an extremely prolific anime director and animator, has worked in hentai in addition to high-profile projects. This includes examples as recent as 2023 in addition to One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and many other famous names.

It is wrong and harmful to suggest production details based on one’s resume, beyond even risky content. Nagai’s promotion of CGI has set off alarm bells for fans, especially with the poor implementation of Season 2. However, under Nagai’s leadership, this problem has yet to manifest itself, and even Genos is considering a return to normal.

One-Punch Man Season 3 Speculation Doomed It to Failure From the Start

Setting aside possible funding and timing issues, one can assume The one-punch man Season 3’s visible problems when it premiered, truth be told, even a stellar premiere should live up to monolithic success. Given the dialogue-driven opening episode, even with neat lines and enjoyable characters, its stiff presentation is hard to overlook in the final product.

Due to factors such as production staff, like Nagai, being unable to discuss the anime without facing consequences, this is all just a matter of speculation that will increase with each new episode. There will be actions in The one-punch man season 3, episode #2, but even the disturbing visual fidelity and limited backgrounds of episode #1 are somewhat revealing.

It’s hard to really say whether season 3 will go well or poorly overall. After all, The elusive samurai season 1 had an incredibly well-animated premiere, but it made horrible use of CGI horses in episode 4, a flaw that’s impossible to ignore. Sometimes the production is uneven depending on what the committee allows or the studio’s specialties.

The one-punch man season 3 also has the unfortunate position of going up against anime like Spy x Family, whose studio collaborations aim to alleviate much of the issues JCStaff is currently facing. It’s hard to say whether the anime will offer more than just a return to Genos’ 2D weapons and remarkable fights in time for Cosmic Fear Garou.

The important thing to note, however, is that it is hasty to direct anger toward those who are not in control of the situation. Harassing the studios and their employees will get fans nowhere. The one-punch man Season 3 may not be what fans wanted, and the hype around what the source material provides makes its success, or even the bare minimum, a relentlessly difficult target.