The long-awaited One Punch Man Season 3 is facing heavy criticism following the release of Episode 5. What was once anticipated as a turning point for the series has now become one of its most controversial episodes, with both fans and animators expressing deep disappointment over its production quality.

Episode 5 was expected to reignite the spark of One Punch Man with spectacular animation and thrilling battles, particularly the much-hyped showdown between Garou, Overgrown Pochi, and Orochi. However, the result was far from expectations. Instead of delivering explosive energy and intense choreography, fans were met with sluggish pacing, abrupt transitions, and underwhelming visuals that stripped away the urgency of the original manga scenes.

Animator Reveals Internal Production Struggles

Animator Vann Oba, who contributed several key cuts to the episode, took to social media to express his frustration. He revealed that while he was proud of his raw animation work, the final product failed to capture his intended impact due to poor art direction and compositing choices.

“The art direction and compositing didn’t do my cuts justice,” Oba wrote, confirming what many fans had suspected — that the core issue wasn’t animators’ laziness, but production mismanagement.

Other animators also voiced similar concerns before the episode aired, indicating that production had been rushed and underfunded. The show’s director, Shinpei Nagai, later deleted his X (formerly Twitter) account after facing intense backlash from viewers, reflecting the mounting pressure surrounding the project.