One Punch Man is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime of this century. For over a decade now, the franchise has ruled millions of hearts from all around the globe. Today, the release of One Punch Man Season 3 is on the minds of every otaku. However, neither Madhouse (Season 1 producer) nor J. C. Staff (Season 2 producer) has talked about the anime’s future. Will it ever return? What will the new season be about? Hence, here’s everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated sequel.
One-Punch Man is a popular Japanese superhero franchise that debuted with a webcomic back in 2009. Created by famous artist ONE, the story went on to be published as a manga series, illustrated by Yusuke Murata. Later on, the series started releasing as tankōbon volumes in December 2012. Ever since, a total of 23 volumes have already come out. Due to the manga’s popularity, Studio Madhouse approached artist ONE for an anime adaptation of his work.
The first season of famous anime was produced by Madhouse studio with Shingo Natsume as the director. It debuted around Japan back in October 2015 and ran for a total of twelve episodes. Well, the television series took no time to top the anime charts of that year. On top of that, it became a fan favorite and received much appreciation from critics and audiences alike. As a result, viewers were all expecting a sequel to return sooner. Yet, Season 2 took four-long-years to hit the screens again. Even though it received some criticism, the installment became one of the most popular anime series of 2019.
Is One Punch Man Over?
Since the second season of the One Punch Man anime received several negative reviews, fans are afraid about the third installment. Given that it’s a massive project, the decision to renew OPM Season 3 can be hard for any studio. On top of that, back when Season 2 was released, the One Punch Man manga did not have enough source material for more episodes. Hence, within no time, rumors began to claim that we might not get to watch our favorite superhero ever again.
Fortunately, none of the companies related to the anime’s production have officially canceled the show. In fact, when Season 2 ended, the official Twitter page of the series confirmed that One Punch Man is not over. As they thanked viewers for watching the second season, OPM creators promised that they’ll do their best to deliver the anime again. Moreover, they asked for support from followers so that the third season gets approved sooner.
One Punch Man Season 3: Renewed Or Not?
The first season of the anime aired on Japanese television between October to December 2015. Despite its brilliant performance and popularity, the series didn’t get a renewal up until a year later. Viewers were delighted when Studio J. C. Staff waved the green flag in September 2016. Yet, the new episodes did not hit the screens for almost three more years. After the sequel was finally released in April 2019, fans were doubtful if the same will happen with OPM Season 3.
However, sadly enough, it’s about to be two years since the second installment was released, yet, we are still waiting for the official renewal. Since the next season of One Punch Man is not greenlit yet, it could premiere much later than Season 2 did. Well, it’s easy to point out that the Coronavirus outbreak has affected the schedule of One Punch Man Season 3. It was reported that Studio J. C. Staff was struggling to start the productions during the early days of the pandemic. Although now that companies are resuming their work, it is still not confirmed if they have started working on the third installment.
Is There Enough Source Material For OPM Season 3?
Mangaka ONE rose to fame with their first project One Punch Man when it was released as tankōbon volumes back in 2012. The artist took away several awards for the manga and has only been improving ever since. The One Punch Man manga series has already been released for a total of twenty-three volumes over the course of its eight-year run. As of now, Volume 24 is expected to launch sometime around mid-2021.
Studio Madhouse covered the first seven manga volumes for the debut season of One Punch Man anime. Four years later, Studio J. C. Staff released the second installment that consumed the plot of Volume 8 through halfway of Volume 17. Hence, the animation studio of One Punch Man Season 3 currently has only six (and a half) volumes for adaptation. If no more manga volumes release after Volumes 23, creators won’t have enough source material for the third season.
Fortunately, the OPM manga is still in the run, and given the popularity, it is likely to continue longer. Neither ONE nor the publishers of the manga have hinted towards its end. Well, it is speculated that One Punch Man Chapter 138 or the next few volumes would likely finish the current story arc. The Monster Association Arc, which is the fifteenth story arc of the series, began from Volume 15 Chapter 78. Now that it is almost ending, ONE might start another story arc with Volume 24 or 25.
What Will Be The Plot Of One Punch Man Season 3?
The last few episodes of OPM’s second season had already started the Monster Association arc. Since the arc is still running, the entire number of episodes of One Punch Man Season 3 are likely to follow the same arc. Season 2’s finale episode ended with the plot of manga’s Chapter 82 and 83. Hence, the third installment will begin the story somewhere near Chapter 83-84. As per the upcoming manga volumes, the next season of One Punch Man will feature S-class members of the Heroes Association engaging in several one-on-one battles with the Monster Association.
The new episodes will likely feature many more monsters this time. Well, given Saitama’s invulnerable powers, he can easily beat any of these monsters that create any havoc. However, our favorite superhero now wants a rival challenging enough to defeat him. It is also speculated that Garous would gain new powers, and if that happens, the One-Punch Man might not be able to beat him with a single punch anymore. It will be exciting to wait for their fight in the upcoming season.
On the other hand, fans might also get to know more about Lord Orochi in One Punch Man Season 3. Well, all anime viewers have only seen that other monsters were afraid of being eaten by the leader of Monster Association. Other than that, the previous season did not explore his powers at all. Being the only one who could defeat Saitama, their fight will be one of the best on the show so far. As of now, we can only hope to see Saitama and Lord Orochi face to face in OPM Season 3.
Will The Studios Change In One Punch Man Season 3?
One of the main reasons why Season 2 of the One Punch Man anime received negative reviews was due to the change in studios. The debut installment was loved and adored by millions of people from all around the world. The series’ animation and direction were some of the highlights of the show. Studio Madhouse and anime director Shingo Natsume were both praised for the first season. However, they were both replaced for the sequel.
It was later reported that the switch was due to Natsume’s busy schedule. Moreover, many of OPM’s creators moved with the director to work with him. Hence, in lack of a proper team, the entire animation studio had to be replaced. Studio J. C. Staff picked up the second season, while Chikara Sakurai replaced Shingo Natsume as the director. Moreover, several other members of the cast were also changed.
Well, viewers did not object when J. C. Staff first announced that they’d pick up Season 2. However, this switch in the animation studios did not suit them well when the new episodes were finally released. Many of them criticized the animation style and direction. Hence, a large number of fans now want another studio to produce One Punch Man Season 3 instead of J. C. Staff. While people still want Madhouse to return, others have also appealed to Studio Bones to pick up the sequel. On the other hand, several people have signed petitions to at least bring back Season 1 director Shingo Natsume for the next season of One Punch Man.
Who Will Be In The Cast Of OPM Season 3?
After the sudden change in studios, fans really missed the creators of the first season. Hence, they are now adamant that the cast of all upcoming One Punch Man anime seasons must remain unchanged. Fortunately, as of now, almost all actors from previous seasons will be back to play their roles. This includes the acclaimed voice actor of lead character Saitama, Makoto Furukawa.
On the other hand, fans will get to watch Ueda Youji in the role of Bespectacled Worker alongside Shota Yamamoto as the voice of Bearded Worker again. Nobuo Tobita will return to voice Sitch alongside Yoshiaki Hasegawa as Eyelashes, Sawashiro as Yuuichi, and Hiromichi Tezuka as Commentator. Moreover, the fan-favorite character Genos will be played by Kaito Ishikawa, yet again. We hope that all other cast members from the previous seasons return to play their characters in One Punch Man Season 3.
Is The One Punch Man Manga Ending?
Mangaka ONE has been writing the OPM manga series for over a decade now. The artist rose to fame after their very first webcomic One Punch Man, and went on to work on several other project in the future. Some of their best works include Mob Psycho 100, Monster Of Earth, and recently launched Reigen. In fact, the manga artist ended up winning some awards for Mob Psycho 100, which was later adapted into an anime by Studio Bones. Moreover, it became almost as popular as the One Punch Man anime.
In recent rumors, it was said that the current story arc (Monster Association arc) could also be the anime’s last one. It was later speculated that the last arc could end with Volume 23 or 24. This frightened several fans of the manga series, who’ve been reading OPM for over ten years now. Fortunately, no official source has confirmed these rumors. Manga artist ONE has not talked about the end of One Punch Man yet. Besides, looking at the franchise’s popularity, the artist would not want to complete his most successful piece of work anytime soon.
Is There A Trailer For The Next Season Of One Punch Man?
Studio J. C. Staff’s Twitter confirmation has hinted that One Punch Man Season 3 could go into productions anytime soon. The creators do not want to end the anime just yet. Hence, the studio might wave the green flag sometime in the upcoming months. Well, any trailer or teaser usually arrives after the announcement of its renewal. However, it will likely come out a few months before the official One Punch Man release date. As of now, the official trailer is yet to hit the screens. Thus, we will update this article once the video is launched.
One Punch Man Season 3: Release Date
The second season of One Punch Man anime was delayed due to the switch in studios. It took over four years to return to the screens, yet fans weren’t satisfied with its quality. Hence, if fans continue to protest to change the studios and direction team again, OPM Season 3 might take even longer than before. In fact, if the switch happens, any new episodes of the next season of One Punch Man might not arrive anytime before 2022 or 2023.
However, if J. C. Staff remains the animation studio in One Punch Man Season 3, it might not take long to return. If the productions begin sooner this year, the upcoming sequel will likely arrive as early as mid-2022. In that schedule, the studio might launch a trailer or teaser around late 2021. Keep an eye on this section for the official One Punch Man release date and all future updates about the popular anime.
Do you want J. C. Staff to be the animation studio of OPM Season 3? Which other studio do you prefer for the next season of One Punch Man? Please share with us in the comments below.