Six years after the premiere of its sophomore season, the superhero comedy anime sequence, One-Punch Man, returns to screens with a 3rd season streaming now on Hulu. Tailored from one of many best-selling manga sequence of all time, One-Punch Man premiered in 2015 to nice acclaim because it instructed the story of unbiased superhero Saitama (Makoto Furukawa), who spent three years coaching so onerous that he went bald and ended up with the power to defeat any opponent with only one punch.
After the present’s manufacturing workforce modified from Madhouse to J.C. Workers for the second season, there have been noticeable variations in animation fashion and different artistic choices that left some viewers disenchanted. However will the years spent working in the direction of Season 3 be sufficient to show the animation and followers’ opinions of it round, or will the present ceaselessly be doomed by the overwhelming shadow of its personal profitable beginnings?
Opening Shot: We’re leaping straight into the brand new title sequence and opening theme that options the titular One-Punch Man, Saitama (our beloved Caped Baldy), in addition to photographs of his predominant allies and enemies forward on this newest season.
The Gist: Everyone seems to be licking their wounds and gearing up for a contemporary combat within the wake of Season 2’s occasions. The Hero Affiliation discusses the rising risk of the Monster Affiliation, particularly now that they’re seemingly allied with Bang’s (Kazuhiro Yamaji) finest martial arts scholar, turned self-proclaimed Hero Hunter, Garou (Hikaru Midorikawa). Their different predominant concern is to avoid wasting the son of one in all their executives, Narinki (Koichi Soma), from the Monster Affiliation. Hero Affiliation member Sekingar (Yoshihito Sasaki) is chosen to steer a rescue mission, recruiting elite heroes like Horrible Twister (Aoi Yūki), Little one Emperor (Minami Takayama), Pig God (Daisuke Namikawa), Superalloy Blackluster (Satoshi Hino), Atomic Samurai (Kenjiro Tsuda), and Good-looking Kamen Amai Masks (Mamoru Miyano) to seek for the Monster Affiliation’s hideout.
B-Class top-ranked hero Fubuki (Saori Hayami) needs to take motion too, and goes to Saitama’s home to recruit him for her rogue rescue efforts now that her complete Blizzard Bunch crew has been worn out. After a baffled Fubuki confronts Saitama, King King (Hiroki Yasumoto), Bang, Bang’s older brother Bomb (Shinya Fukumatsu), and S-Class cyborg hero Genos (Kaito Ishikawa), Saitama finally leaves to trace down Garou. In the meantime, Garou wakes up on the Monster Affiliation, the place a higher-up one-eyed monster known as Gyoro-Gyoro (Takehito Koyasu) holds court docket earlier than a crowd of jeering monsters. Gyoro-Gyoro welcomes Garou warmly and provides the Hero Hunter a management place amongst the Monster Affiliation beneath one situation set by the large boss, Monster King Orochi (Atsushi Ono), that Garou should show he’s a monster by presenting Orochi with the pinnacle of a hero.
What Reveals Will It Remind You Of?: One-Punch Man is like if you happen to took the superhero facet of My Hero Academia, then mixed it with the supernatural points of sequence like Mob Psycho 100, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, plus the farce and humor of sequence like The Disastrous Lifetime of Saiki Ok and Gintama.
Our Take: The primary episode of One-Punch Man: Season 3 is actually a giant recap to reintroduce you to our predominant forged of characters, in addition to the rising stakes and drama. Consequently, it’s very dialogue-heavy and lacks the sequence’s ordinary (or any) thrilling motion. However hey, it’s been over half a decade for the reason that final episode of Season 2 aired, so it’s actually comprehensible that we would want a refresher on who’s who and what’s what.
That being stated, some viewers positively gained’t be pleased with the dearth of motion, and a few will likely be much more disenchanted concerning the barely underwhelming visuals. Since there’s not a lot happening within the first episode, the characters are fairly static, and the scenes largely include panning nonetheless pictures which have seemingly simply been lifted and coloured straight from the manga. The brilliant spots are the opening and ending themes, which do embrace well-animated, vibrant movement that hopefully trace at what’s to return in future episodes of this season.
Finally, underwhelming animation or not, true followers of One-Punch Man will doubtless simply be joyful that the sequence is again with contemporary content material of their favourite sequence, and that alone ought to preserve them curious and expectant concerning the season forward.
Intercourse and Pores and skin: No intercourse. The our bodies are (largely) clothed, however the photographs of assorted characters’ muscle groups (and different anatomical options) in tight-fitting garments and bandages definitely depart little to the creativeness at occasions.
Parting Shot: Gyoro-Gyoro asks sinister-looking Demon-level threats, Insect God, and King the Ripper, to tail Garou throughout his Monster Affiliation initiation job of looking a hero.
A post-credit scene reveals that villainous ninja Velocity-o’-Sound Sonic (Yūki Kaji) has joined the Monster Affiliation with the only real purpose of utilizing them to defeat his self-proclaimed rival, Saitama, by no matter means vital… Even when it requires turning right into a monster, or getting indigestion within the course of.
Sleeper Star: For the primary episode, I can’t assist however wish to shout out Fubuki/Hellish Blizzard (Saori Hayami) because the sleeper star only for coping with Saitama’s (unintentional?) rage baiting and having to see Bang’s naked outdated booty within the wake of mourning the lack of her Blizzard Bunch.
Most Pilot-y Line: Saitama discussing Garou’s final offense… daring to disregard him: “On my method house, I heard that he hunted down extra heroes. That’s unforgivable. Particularly since he hasn’t come for me but.”
Our Name: Followers of One-Punch Man have waited so lengthy for contemporary content material that they might as effectively give Season 3 a shot and STREAM IT. No matter animation (though participating, fluid visuals are positively most well-liked), the present’s inherent humor, spirit, and depth are nonetheless there in some kind and needs to be sufficient to maintain diehard followers coming again for extra (…even when it hurts).
Nonetheless, for brand new viewers or those that have misplaced curiosity within the sequence over time, this season is probably not sufficient to reel you in if the primary episode is any indication. However hey, we nonetheless are charmed sufficient by the sequence to hope that One-Punch Man: Season 3 finally proves us unsuitable and finally ends up being a complete knockout.
