One-Punch Man Is Failing Unless It Changes One Thing
With a unique premise, a strong sense of humor, and fantastic animation, One-Punch Man took the anime world by storm when it debuted in 2015. Unfortunately, its sterling reputation was tarnished when after a four-year wait the second season received a tepid response, followed by an even longer wait for the still unreleased third season. It’s become apparent that One-Punch Man can’t remain relevant with these massive gaps between releases.
One-Punch Man’s Premise
One-Punch Man presents a familiar world of superheroes battling various monsters but upends its standard action shonen setting with its protagonist, who can defeat any opponent with a single punch.
This premise is generally played for laughs, contrasting Saitama’s unbeatable power with his very inconspicuous demeanor. Despite being a comedy at heart, it has great conventional action scenes alongside its comedic moments seamlessly blending the two genres.
One-Punch Man Criticisms
While the writing and humor of One-Punch Man have been consistent through both of its seasons, the pacing and animation quality of season two were heavily criticized.
These changes are generally seen as resulting from switching animation studios, the first season being created by Madhouse under the director Shingo Natsume while the second season was animated by J.C.Staff and directed by Chikara Sakurai. A four-year wait, followed by a noticeable decline in quality is a major problem for fans.
Too Long Of A Wait
The wait between seasons two and three has been even longer and while promotional materials for season three are finally coming out there’s still no solid release date.
While the pandemic certainly played a role in these delays and animation always takes longer to produce than live-action shows, five years is a long wait for One-Punch Man fans.
If the quality hasn’t improved after an even longer production delay than the last one, many fans are likely to give up on the series altogether.
Raising Fans’ Hopes
Even worse, One-Punch Man fans had their hopes raised when it was announced that MAPPA would be taking over animation duties, only to have that decision rolled back. MAPPA is one of the most highly regarded studios in anime, animating hit shows like Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen and fans had high hopes they would return One-Punch Man to its former quality. However, the deal with MAPPA fell through, leading to season three once again being produced by J.C.Staff.
Massive Delays And Disappointments
Between the massive delays between seasons, a disappointing second season, and the negative association with J.C.Staff One-Punch Man is in a sticky situation. The longer the delay is between seasons the more important it is for the next season to justify that delay.
Another poorly received season followed by another multi-year delay would be catastrophic for the show’s future.
Tough To Maintain Hype
One-Punch Man needs to be of a satisfactory quality to keep its fans happy, but just as importantly it needs some form of consistency.
It’s nearly impossible to maintain hype for a show that only releases approximately two seasons a decade. The attention span of any audience is only so long and even if season three of the show earns the fanbase’s trust back it needs to be followed up on quickly to keep that momentum going.
