Last Updated on November 14, 2025 by “Talha”
After much anticipation, One-Punch Man Season 3 has finally arrived, but many fans feel it misses the mark due to low-quality animation. What should have been a triumphant return is instead framed by complaints about stilted visuals, low-frame animation, and key moments that fail to land.
One-Punch Man is a superhero/comedy anime based on the webcomic by ONE and the manga adaptation by Yusuke Murata. It centers on Saitama, a hero so powerful he defeats his enemies with a single punch and now struggles with boredom as he looks for a worthy fight. The show blends absurd humour, satirical takes on hero tropes, and, at its best, spectacular animation during its intense fight scenes.
When Season 1 premiered in 2015, it quickly became a standout for its art, animation, fight choreography, and comedic timing. Fans praised the smooth flow of action, dramatic camera work, and the way Saitama’s power was telegraphed not just by story but by visuals that felt cinematic. Because of that high bar, expectations for subsequent seasons, and especially a long-awaited Season 3, were enormous.
Comparing One-Punch Man Season 3’s Animation with Previous Seasons
One of the clearest ways you can see the drop-off in One-Punch Man season 3’s animation is by comparing it with seasons 1 and 2.
Season 1 is widely acclaimed for its fluid fights, dynamic camera angles, and strong impact visuals. Season 2 already showed signs of decline with fewer high-budget scenes, less consistent animation quality. Season 3 appears to continue, or even deepen, that decline. Critics point to scenes that feel flat, movements that lack energy, and backgrounds that are underutilised.
Perhaps the saddest outcome of One-Punch Man season 3’s animation decline is that pivotal scenes just don’t land the way they used to. In Season 1, major fights felt dramatic, visceral, cinematic. In Season 3, some key moments feel underwhelming, pacing feels off, animation is minimal, and effects are weak. When a show builds its identity on spectacle and punchy moments, failing on that front undermines the experience.
Comparison with the Manga
The original manga by Murata is famous for its page-after-page detail, intense flow, and high-impact visuals. The anime has always been an adaptation of that, but when an adaptation cuts corners, the difference becomes stark. In the manga, many pivotal fight sequences are long, intricate, and packed with motion and detail. In Season 3, critics say many scenes feel “lifted” directly as static panels or near-still frames, rather than animated fully.
In short, when you’re adapting something known for its dynamic visuals and you deliver near-static shots, the contrast shows. We know that it is not fair to compare the award-winning artwork of manga with anime, as it is realistically not achievable due to budget and resources, but the animation doesn’t have to be as bad as it is in the currently airing Season 3.
“One Frame Man”
One of the most commonly cited issues was the feeling that many scenes are practically slideshows, with minimal in-between animation. Several fans have labelled the season “One Frame Man” because of the frequent use of still images rather than fluid motion.
As one example, the “Garou sliding” scene was widely mocked; he’s shown moving down a slope yet depicted with static frames and minimal motion.
This matters more because in a show where fights are the main draw, motion is the language. Without it, the impact of a punch or the fluidity of a combo just falls flat.
A significant contributor to the decline is the studio change and subsequent production issues. Season 1 was produced by Madhouse, a studio with a reputation for high-quality animation and fight choreography. From Season 2 onward (including Season 3), the work is by J.C. Staff. Many fans and critics believe that J.C. Staff haven’t been given, or haven’t delivered, the same calibre of production.
What People Are Saying
Fans of the show stormed Reddit to share their opinions and disappointment with the new season.
“So after so long, finally the first episode is out … there is absolutely no animation/movement, most of the shots are still images with the camera either zooming in/out/upwards/sideways.”
“I went through … every single manga panel the anime adapted in episode 4. … literally the exact same but far, far worse.”
One-Punch Man Season 3 had big shoes to fill and a long time to meet expectations. Unfortunately, the animation quality is not living up, especially when compared to the show’s past and its manga origin. The shift to a different studio, production pressure, and low-frame animation are major culprits. For fans who came for impactful fights and dynamic visuals, this may feel like a let-down.
I think what’s happening here is a perfect storm: the legacy of a stellar first season, a long wait, enormous expectations, and then production constraints that seem to hamper execution.
Yet this situation is not necessarily hopeless. Some reports suggest that some popular animators have shared that their work will be featured in the upcoming episodes. Well, if that’s true and One-Punch Man season 3 eventually delivers truly standout animated battle sequences, it might redeem itself. But as of now, things definitely don’t look good for our once beloved show.
