Many fans ofOne-Punch Manhave been awaiting a third season of the show with varying degrees of anxiety. Some areexcited about what new episodes could bringbased on Yusuke Murata’s manga adaptation, but there are also ample reasons not to welcome a continuation with open arms.
Case in point is JC Staff’s disastrous handling of Season 2’s animation, which robbed the series of its former status as a paragon for quality animation. If they are the ones animating Season 3, it will be a travesty. In almost no other case has a change in studio caused a show’s visual quality to drop so precipitously.
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Why Season 2 Failed
At least part of the disappointment with Season 2 can be reasonably attributed to just how amazing Season 1 was. Madhouse animated the first 12 episodes immaculately, creating one of the most visually impressive anime ever.Saitama’sfights withCarnage Kabuto and later Boroswere filled with life, color and energy. It was clear that the animators prioritized creating a captivating visual experience, and they poured their blood, sweat, and tears into it. Every character, down to the background, feels as fluid and alive as they do in the manga, and the lighting is almost always perfect. Season 1’s quality is so great that it’s even fun to pause repeatedly and view each individual frame as the piece of art that it is.
JC Staff took the helm and promptly dispensed with all of this in favor of a cheap and stripped-down production. Characters routinely look odd and stiff (their expressions and movements), and certain characters' costumes are noticeably less detailed, such as Genos. Even the colors feel muted compared to Season 1. The area least affected by the transition is the lighting, but even it suffers in certain moments.
All of that could feasibly be forgiven if JC Staff had preserved the quality of Season 2’s fights. Fights are the most expensive and time-consuming thing to animate, and JC Staff’s attempt to cut corners and costs are impossible to ignore. Gone is any sakuga, kinetic realism, or (in some cases) any animation at all. JC Staff resorted toDragon Ball Ztactics, trading complex and unique animations for obscuring clouds of dust, close up and static shots, and repeating animation cycles. ButDragon Ball Zwas animated over a quarter-century ago, and standards have changed dramatically since. And evenDragon Ball Zat its worst looked better thanOne-Punch ManSeason 2.
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Even when attempting to retain some objectivity, it’s hard to perceive the rotten fruit of JC Staff’s labor as anything other than unpleasant. With the previous season acting as a shining beacon in terms of good animation, the contrast is palpable. Keeping that in mind, it should come as no surprise that fans and commentators weren’t happy when Season 2 finally aired in 2019. Major anime YouTubers like Mother’s Basement and Gigguk made lengthy videos trashing its animation, with some warning fans of the manga not to watch it at all. As a result of said critical panning and general dissatisfaction from once-loyal fans,One-Punch Manlost a good deal of its luster, and its reputation as an anime has been harmed perhaps irreparably.
Arguably the largest victim in this mess is not the fans, butOne-Punch Man’s creator,ONE, along with Murata. They deserved better. Story-wise,One-Punch Manis still a hilarious and thrilling exploration of the superhero genre, and even across the vast shonen genre there’s really nothing quite like it. Itsdecidedly parodic conceptand tone also separates it well from Shueisha’s other big superhero series,My Hero Academia.And while his black-and-white drawings can’t top Madhouse’s interpretation, Murata, who famously drew Shonen Jump’sEyeshield 21, is a masterful artist who gave ONE’s characters so much life. These truths make it all the more disappointing that Season 2 will likely overshadow their work for some time to come.
Where We Go From Here
JC Staff’s handling ofOne-Punch Manwas a tragedy, but fans of the series mostly seem to agree that it deserves another season. It’s been almost 3 years, so there’s a lot of the manga to cover, and the story and fightsonly get crazieras things go on. That said, JC Staff have proven they can’t be trusted to continue animating the series, and production should be returned toMadhouse or another studio with a similar pedigree. In the event that this doesn’t happen, the lack of a third season seems almost preferable.
Even if a third season ends up having animation comparable to Season 1 (or at least better than Season 2), the damage is done. Any fan choosing to binge-watch the series today would be exposed to the drop in quality between episodes 12 and 13 seconds apart, rather than waiting a couple of years, laying the differences between the studios even barer. Whether or not the manga is eventually adapted in its entirety, Season 2 will remain aneyesore.
Unless, that is, Season 2 is completely reanimated. To be fair, the likelihood of this happening is negligible, as it would entail everyone involved in moving the production from Madhouse to JC Staff admitting that it was a mistake, not to mention the massive amount of time and money it would take. But it remains the only way to truly bring some redemption to this stain on anime history. Season 2 covers some great fights and storylines, and they deserve another shot at brilliance.
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