One Punch Man season 3 kept fans waiting for six years, only to deliver the most blatantly disrespectful episode 1. The first episode of the season is simply a reintroduction of every character, all of whom are charged for battle, only for it to never come.
Of course, it is important to set up the rest of the season; however, fans expected at least something from episode 1. Yet, what did the episode deliver? Next to nothing.
One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 1 Delivers Another Slideshow
One Punch Man season 3 episode 1 began with the hero organization focusing on the need to find out the hideout of the Monster Association. Yet, even by the end of the episode, absolutely nothing is revealed about where the association is actually headquartered.
On the other hand, every hero is charged with tension. They know that a huge battle is coming, and all of them have been kept on standby. The episode showed a bit of the political side of the Hero Association and how steps have to be taken carefully. Maybe all of that talking would have come to fruition, but ultimately it was Saitama who went out to find Garou.
Towards the ending of the episode, Garou has also been tasked to bring back the head of a hero. The two have yet to meet, and the episode featured zero battles.
The pacing was glacial, with viewers trying to suppress their yawns during episode 1’s 24 minutes of runtime. The stage might be set, but how can anyone expect to watch the entire episode with a sane mind without sighing at least a few times? Of course, no one expects animators to waste their talent on talking scenes, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that people had anticipated the debut of season 3 to be more worthy.
A Rough Start That Does Not Bode Well for the Rest of the Season
There is no denying the fact that One Punch Man season 3 episode 1 was not befitting of one of the most beloved Shonen anime of all time. Overall, the animation was nothing special and nor was the pacing and events. The editing was also very patchy, and the cuts between different scenes did not make the transitions smooth.
Some might even call this episode a step down from season 2! Even though the episode was supposed to build up suspense for episode 2, it really cannot be felt. The only thing that CAN be felt is frustration. The frustration of the heroes leaks out of the scenes because even the audience wants something, anything, to happen.
Not even the scene with Saitama and King playing a video game together could add a little bit of humor to this disaster. Of course, a lot of characters have been introduced, but nothing about their goals or threat level has been clarified other than the obvious fact that they want to create terror through their actions.
Ultimately, One Punch Man season 3 episode 1 was nothing but a low-budget opening to a much-anticipated season. The six long years of wait feel worthless now, and the studio needs to prove itself sooner than ever.
What did you think about One Punch Man season 3 episode 1? Did you find it lacklustre? Let us know in the comments below.
The One Punch Man anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
