One Punch Man Season 3

Episode 6

What are we even doing here, man? We're now halfway through a season of an anime that Viz Media keeps telling me is supposed to be hype as hell, and SO LITTLE has happened! Episode six of this season is an absolute slog that, once again, has dozens of characters talking about getting into cool fights with monsters rather than actually fighting. Especially with the limited animation, lack of detailed visuals, and poor composition of still images, this entire endeavor is beginning to feel entirely unnecessary.

The only thing of consequence that happens in episode six of this season of One Punch Man is that the heroes move from their headquarters to City Z, where the conflict with the Monster Association will (finally) take place. Basically, the entire episode is taken up by characters resharing information they and the audience already know, and turning what could be a one-sentence explanation into multiple paragraphs of dialogue. On a lark, I showed my partner the first episode of the first season of One Punch Man before watching this episode, and I cannot even begin to describe how this season of the anime has completely lost everything that made the original so incredible.

While the previous episode was at least an attempt at making this season visually interesting with the limited resources available to this team, the folks at J.C. Staff completely gave up on making One Punch Man look even half decent in this episode. The sharp details that filled these characters with so much personality in the first season are all but completely gone. They are now flatter and less interesting than ever, even as more is technically happening in the plot. Even the still images in this episode have less detail and skilled composition than Yusuke Murata's illustrations in the manga, which makes the entire exercise of adapting this manga into an anime feel perfunctory.

The only praise I can give episode six is that it's still fun to see Tornado brat out and insult other heroes in professional settings, while those on the receiving end of her insults ignore her like the sassy child she is. I'll also give the animation team credit for changing Superalloy Darkshine's lips so that they're less evocative of racial stereotypes. More than anything, though, this episode is a reminder of just how far this franchise has fallen, and I hate that it's inspiring nothing but contempt for a series I used to adore.

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When he's not doing 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10k run every day, Lucas DeRuyter is penning some kind of media or social critique. You can get updates on his hero ranking by following his Bluesky account, and keep up with his heroic exploits by checking out his portfolio. When he isn't bargain hunting, you can find him contributing to ANN's This Week in Anime column.

One Punch Man Season 3 is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the U.S., and Netflix and Crunchyroll in other regions.