One Punch Man Anime and Potential for Long-Term Failure: Unfairly Blaming J.C. Staff

Despite the poor reception after the release of the second season, fans have been eagerly anticipating the production status of season 3 of the One Punch Man anime. The recent announcement of its release window has only added to their excitement, although some fans were disappointed to discover that J.C.Staff will be handling the animation for the third season.

Fans had high hopes that Madhouse would take over production of the anime from J.C. Staff. However, this did not come to pass. To make matters worse, it appears that fans may be in for yet another disappointment. Strangely enough, the blame cannot be placed on J.C. Staff, but they will likely face criticism nonetheless.

Please be aware that this article may contain spoilers from the One Punch Man manga.

One Punch Man: The Challenges of Adapting from Manga to Anime

Saitama as seen in One Punch Man anime (Image via J.C. Staff)

As many may recall, the second season of the anime was met with a negative response from fans. The drop in quality between the second season, produced by a different company, and the first season by Madhouse was noticeable. The latter had exceptional animation sequences, captivating soundtracks, and superb voice acting.

Similarly, the second season produced by J.C. Staff was criticized for its lackluster animation. To fans, it appeared as though the anime was hastily put together in an attempt to maintain popularity, rather than being a compelling and worthwhile production.

Garou as seen in One Punch Man anime (Image via J.C. Staff)

Despite fans’ concerns, it has been confirmed that J.C. Staff will once again be animating the third season of One Punch Man, as shown in the recently released trailer.

Despite the promising appearance of the trailer, fans had concerns about its authenticity. There was a possibility that it simply showcased the studio’s best footage from the episodes.

Alternatively, it was possible that the trailer had been produced independently of the main anime. As a result, fans were not fully convinced about the animation quality for the third season.

Unfortunately, regardless of their efforts, J.C. Staff is likely to disappoint fans with One Punch Man season 3. The reason for this is that the manga’s creator, Yusuke Murata, has continuously improved his artwork over time, making it exceedingly difficult for J.C. Staff to faithfully adapt the story as it progresses.

Transitioning a manga into an anime is a notoriously challenging task. This is especially true for works with the level of detail and complexity seen in Yusuke Murata’s artwork. It is highly unlikely that the animation studio would not disappoint fans in the process.

Despite the limited budgets that anime typically receive, it is highly likely that J.C. Staff will struggle with producing the third season of One Punch Man. Therefore, the animation studio only has two options to overcome this challenge.

Regardless of the critical reception and sales, they have the ability to willingly produce the anime at a high quality, even if it means losing money. If necessary, they could also hire freelance animators to help them surpass their current limitations.

Despite this, the potential adaptation of One Punch Man anime season 3 could serve as a chance for J.C. Staff to showcase their skills. If they manage to produce the One Punch Man anime to a satisfactory level, they could potentially overcome the criticism they often receive.