One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 1 Explained

Has the most powerful punch in anime lost its impact? After a six-year wait, fans finally have One-Punch Man Season 3, but the premiere episode may not have been the knockout everyone was hoping for.

Heroes in Crisis

The moment the episode starts, the threat from the Monster Association becomes apparent. The Hero Association is worried that the hero hunter, Garou, will track down more heroes and must be stopped at any cost.

They issue an emergency alert, preparing for the upcoming threat. On top of this, Sekingal takes charge of an operation to rescue a sponsor's son.

But the heroes do not know the perpetrators' base, and Child Emperor tries his best to find it. Atomic Samurai is also notified of the situation, highlighting how fate seems to be working against the Hero Association.

The Strongest Hero's Boredom

Meanwhile, Saitama is playing games at home with his new, high-ranking hero friends. Fubuki arrives and is stunned to find the top-most heroes all chilling with Saitama, where they hold a strategy meeting.

Saitama becomes miffed that Garou has not come to hunt him yet. He believes it is because of his hero name, 'Caped Baldy', an unforgivable slight in his eyes.

Finally, we find Garou with the Monster Association that saved him last season. After the rescue, they offered him the position of their leader.

A Disappointing Return

Undeniably, One-Punch Man Season 3 Episode 1 was not befitting of one of the most beloved shonen anime. As detailed in a review by Leisure Byte, the animation was nothing special, and neither were the pacing nor the events. The editing also felt patchy, with jarring cuts between scenes.

Some might even call this episode a step down from Season 2. Even though it was meant to build suspense for the next episode, that tension cannot be felt.

Frustration Mounts

The only thing that can be felt is frustration. As Fandomwire points out, the episode delivered a 'rough start' with 'zero action', leaving the audience wishing for something, anything, to happen.

Not even a scene with Saitama and King playing a video game could add a little humour to this disaster. While many characters are introduced, their goals or threat level remain unclear, other than a general desire to create terror.

Ultimately, the episode felt like a low-budget opening to a much-anticipated season. The six long years of waiting now feel worthless, and the studio needs to prove itself sooner rather than later.

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