When the One-Punch Man anime adaptation dropped in 2015, it immediately took the entire industry by storm. Although the manga up to that point was already beloved by many, the franchise was still relatively under the radar in terms of global popularity. Madhouse's spin on the series changed everything with its incredible animation, gripping story, and unforgettable characters.
Fast-forward to 2026, and things have never looked worse for the One Punch Man franchise as a whole. There are a plethora of reasons why the anime, in particular, has suffered such massive backlash from fans, from unreliable animation quality to pacing issues. Overall, these five reasons are why getting into One-Punch Man in 2026 isn't a walk in the park.
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5 The Worst Drop in Animation Quality in Recent Memory
One of the biggest reasons why One-Punch Man made such a splash when it arrived on the anime scene was because of its unbelievable animation quality, which many have even dubbed some of the greatest of all time. With the heights that Season 1 reached, particularly with Saitama's ultimate battle against Boros, fans have always looked forward to similar visuals in subsequent seasons of the show.
When Season 2 dropped, there was a notable drop in terms of animation quality, but fans were still largely pleased. However, Season 3 marked the lowest point, during which the animation was sometimes little more than static frames and moving PNGs. This turned off most fans from the series completely, as One-Punch Man went from the best animated series to one of the worst.
4 The Wait Between Seasons Is Too Long
Season 1 of One Punch Man was released in October 2015, and the conclusion took the entire anime industry by storm, making fans wait with bated breath for the highly anticipated next season. This hype stayed around for quite a while, but eventually started to die down, as Season 2 wasn't just right around the corner as some had hoped, airing four years later.
The reason for this was largely due to behind-the-scenes problems regarding the production of the show, as well as a major switch to a different animation studio. This problem remained with Season 3, which took a whopping 6 years to release, with poor animation quality to boot. Due to the long wait between seasons, most of the hype was more or less killed, with many fans giving up on the series entirely.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
3 Season 3's Mid-Season Break Makes No Sense
As previously stated, Season 3 of One-Punch Man has been maligned for many reasons, chief of which was its poor animation quality. However, despite this, some fans stuck around out of love for the story, since it and the characters remain captivating in Season 3's adaptation of the Monster Association arc, which is widely thought to be the franchise's highest point.
However, to make matters even worse for Season 3, it was revealed that the season was to be covered in two parts, with Part 2 slated for release in 2027. Despite a 6-year gap between Seasons 2 and 3 to deliver a product that was largely disliked by the fandom, the rest of the third season is now a year away, which is sure to get rid of many of its remaining fans.
2 Even The Highlights Are Poorly Adapted
Although the animation of Season 3 has been talked about relentlessly due to how much of a step-down it is from the rest of the show, it's made even worse when acknowledging that even the highlights of the arc have suffered. Quite often, even anime that have generally poor animation typically save the best they have for highlights of an arc, such as the important fights.
A prime example of this is Dragon Ball Super. While later arcs have somewhat decent animation throughout, standout moments and fights are animated exceptionally well, such as when the incredibly talented Yuya Takahashi animated standout moments like Ultra Instinct Goku's fight with Jiren. For One-Punch Man, however, the poor animation quality stays throughout the series.
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1 The Infrequency of the Manga Hurts the Franchise
Just like with Season 1 of the anime, the One-Punch Man manga is revered for its impeccable visuals and the jaw-dropping art style of the insanely talented Yusuke Murata. Quite often, One-Punch Man finds itself at the top of the list of those series with the best art across the entire industry.
However, despite Murata's immense talent, the manga doesn't come without its own set of problems. Namely, the release schedule is all over the place, with many weeks or even months going by without a chapter release, or entire story arcs being rewritten, which makes reading One-Punch Man frustrating at times. While this may not initially seem to signal problem with the anime, it can still bleed over from the page to the small screen.
One Punch Man can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
