Why One Punch Man Season 3 is taking so long - Understanding the delay

Fans of the One Punch Man anime have been left wondering why season 3's release has been repeatedly delayed. The majority of fans are disappointed that the anime is yet to announce a release date, even after three and a half years.

One Punch Man, based on a webcomic by ONE and adapted into a manga by Yusuke Murata, was an instant hit when the first season of the anime was released. Even though Madhouse animated the first season, J.C. staff adapted it for the second season, and the result was a letdown for fans (read: poor animation quality.)

Now, after three and a half years, fans finally have news beyond the confirmation of a third season.

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Why One Punch Man season 3 is taking so long to come out?

Saitama as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

When One Punch Man season 2 ended back in July 2019, many fans questioned whether a third season for the anime would be ordered. The official Twitter account for the anime, however, thanked viewers and asked for their continued support until the third season premiered.

Although this confirmed season three, the key visual of Saitama and Garou, inked by Chikashi Kubota, was not revealed until much later. Kubota has worked on the first two seasons of One Punch Man as the show's character designer.

With the character designer returning to create the new key visual, it appears that they will also be involved in the third season's production. The anime, however, made no mention of any other returning crew members.

Because no other returning crew members were announced, fans wondered if J.C. Season two's staff will return to oversee the new season.

However, it appears that fans' concerns have been alleviated, as reputed anime news Twitter leaker @shonenleaks has revealed that One Punch Man season 3 will be animated by MAPPA studio. This gave fans a sigh of relief because MAPPA studios has consistently produced high-quality anime, thus eliminating their concerns about possible poor-quality animation in the third season.

Eren Yeager as seen in Attack on Titan Final Season (Image via MAPPA)

MAPPA studio recently got really popular after they took over Attack on Titan Final Season and Vinland Saga season 2 from WIT Studio, followed by animating other projects such as Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, etc.

Given how the news surrounding MAPPA's takeover of One Punch Man was only out on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, it is understandable why the anime has been delayed by so long.

Saitama and Genos as seen in One Punch Man season 1 (Image via Madhouse)

The anime's first and second seasons were clearly separated by four years, so it was only natural that the third season would follow suit. Nonetheless, the world's COVID-19 pandemic has only pushed the project back further, which explains the project's delay.