One Punch Man Season 3 Review: Story So Far

One Punch Man Season 3 finally returns, and while the story direction and character focus are stronger than Season 2, the big problem is impossible to ignore. The animation. It is inconsistent, stiff, and at times shockingly rough, especially for a franchise known for god-tier visuals in Season 1.

Garou Still Carries the Series

Despite the production issues, Garou remains the highlight. His evolution into the “Hero Hunter” is written well, and his scenes have real emotional weight. The problem is that the animation often struggles to keep up. What should be fluid martial arts choreography sometimes looks sluggish or static, which seriously undercuts how intimidating he’s supposed to be.

Still, his personal arc is compelling. Garou’s ideology, backstory, and conflicts with the heroes make him the most layered character this season.

Monster Association Chaos Feels Huge but Not Polished

On paper, the Monster Association arc is perfect for an explosive return: tons of monsters, massive stakes, S-Class heroes everywhere. In practice, many episodes feel under-animated. Long panning shots replace movement and some episodes barely move at all.

The story is great. The execution? Not so much.

S-Class Heroes Get Shine, Even if the Animation Doesn’t

Flashy Flash, Tatsumaki, Atomic Samurai, Zombieman — they all get solid character moments. You can feel the scale of the arc even when the visuals aren’t delivering it. But whenever the scene demands fast motion or dynamic camera work, the flaws show.

Tatsumaki especially deserves higher-quality animation. Her psychic attacks are powerful conceptually, but the visuals don’t always land.

Saitama Still Brings the Comedy

Saitama remains the comedic backbone of the show. His jokes land, his deadpan reactions are still gold, and his casual monster-slaying is entertaining. But even his scenes suffer from stiff animation at times, which is wild considering how iconic his Season 1 motion was.

The Animation Is the Weakest Part

Let’s be honest, this season 1 quality, it isn’t even close.

The limited movement, choppy frames, awkward transitions, and occasional off-model shots are noticeable. Fans have compared some scenes to “slideshows,” and it’s sadly not an exaggeration.

It’s clear the studio is under pressure. But this franchise deserved more.

Verdict

The story is strong. The characters are great. Garou is phenomenal. But One Punch Man Season 3 falls short visually, and the animation is a major step down for a show built on hype and spectacle.

Score so far: 6.5 out of 10. Decent.

Strong narrative and character arcs held back by noticeably weak animation.