One-Punch Man is currently in the process of making season 3 of the anime and it will truly be a turning point for the future of the series. One-Punch Man has had one of the strangest paths for an anime television adaptation seen in recent memory.
Not only did it start with an original web comic from the creator of the ONE series, but it was later adapted into an official manga with new art from illustrator Yusuke Murata. From there, it finally got an official anime adaptation from Madhouse with a single season in 2015. After that, it lay dormant for four years.
The first season of the One-Punch Man anime is highly regarded as one of the best anime seasons of all time. There's good reason for that, as the team behind this one really gave it their all in every aspect. From action scenes, to comedy, to everything in between, One-Punch Man looks so incredible from start to finish, that fans are already excited to see what the future might hold.
Then season 2 happened, and now the anime is in a much more precarious position as fans wait to see what's to come from the third season.
What happened to One-Punch Man?
One-Punch Man season 2 premiered in 2019 and fans got a completely different experience than what they expected. The second installment is handled by a completely new studio, with a completely new team behind it. JC Staff adapted the One-Punch Man sequel, and it was a tough challenge.
The One-Punch Man season 2 anime later faced criticism from its initial promotional materials, comparing it to the first season. While the final product was luckily much better done, with some final touches and adjustments before the film was released, it was clear that the production team behind the new installment wasn't up to the task. what the first part had.
One-Punch Man part 2 kicked off the adaptation of the Human Monster Saga. Unlike the episodic storytelling of the previously seen Hero Association Saga, which allowed fans to get to know Saitama and the other heroes, the Human Monster Saga introduces a new character – the Hero Hunter Garou.
This new Saga follows Garou as he challenges the heroes in an attempt to make himself stronger. Finally, the introduction of the Monster Association.
This means that part 2 focuses less on Saitama. Even though that is the core of the series, the lack of focus on the main character still makes the audience feel disappointed.
What can One-Punch Man part 3 do to fix this?
One-Punch Man part 3 will begin the story right in the middle of the Monster Association arc. Overall, the Human Monster Saga is 140 chapters long, and the Monster Association battles make up two-thirds of them. The final episodes of season 2 brought the events up to chapter 85, and that means there will probably be nothing beyond this saga for the next season.
A continuous series of battles will become the draw for the third season. Although there won't be much of Saitama, there will be plenty of battles between S-Class Heroes and the strongest monsters.
However, the main issue here is that JC Staff will once again be behind the upcoming third season of One-Punch Man, but the production team has yet to be announced.
One Punch Man season 3 has officially been confirmed to be in the works for 2022, but the studio hasn't said who is behind it.
One-Punch Man season 3 will be the film that shows the success or failure for the future of the series. As long as it's better than the second season, new episodes of One-Punch Man will be a hit.
But if for some reason this third season falls short of expectations, or worst case scenario gets even worse, One-Punch Man will never be viewed in the same way again.