Viz Media has officially announced that the highly anticipated third season of the One-Punch Man anime will begin streaming this October. Honestly, this isn't too much of a surprise, as Viz Media also acquired the license for the two previous seasons.
However, accompanying the news is a new trailer, offering fans their first glimpse at the upcoming episodes.
However, the reveal comes with a familiar concern for many viewers: J.C. Staff, the studio behind the divisive second season, is returning to animate the series. This immediately reignites discussions about animation quality, as the studio shift from Madhouse (Season 1) to J.C. Staff for Season 2 led to a noticeable drop in visual fluidity and impact, a point most anime fans readily acknowledge.
Sadly, if the new trailer is any indication, it appears J.C. Staff hasn't significantly elevated its game, leaving some fans worried about the visual consistency of the next installment.
The widely perceived dip in animation quality after Season 1 is largely attributed to the unavailability of its original director, Shingo Natsume. Natsume was reportedly a magnet for top-tier freelance animators, whose exceptional talents were crucial to the first season's breathtaking sequences.
One-Punch Man Season 1 was, in many ways, a "passion project" that assembled a dream team under Natsume's visionary leadership. However, when Season 2 was greenlit, Natsume was already committed to other projects like Boogiepop and Others and Sonny Boy.
Without his guidance, many of the talented freelance animators who had contributed to Season 1 moved on as well. This left the production committee in a difficult position, opting for a new studio, J.C. Staff, to meet the desired release timeframe.
While J.C. Staff is a reputable studio with many solid productions, the specific alchemy of talent that defined One-Punch Man's visual style in Season 1 couldn't be replicated under the new circumstances and tight schedule.
As October approaches, fans will be watching closely to see if Season 3 can defy expectations and recapture some of the original magic, or if the animation quality will continue to be a point of contention.
The One-Punch Man manga is currently ongoing and is a remake of ONE's original web manga. Where as ONE also supplied the art for the web manga, the legendary Yūsuke Murata supplies the art for the offiicial manga.