One Piece animator defends studio behind fellow anime show One-Punch Man, following backlash over season 3's lackluster animation

The artist says One-Punch Man's issues are "a bit more complex" than fans realize

A One Piece series animator has come to the defense of J.C. Staff's anime show One-Punch Man after fans complained that the animation style on the most recent season still isn't up to scratch since the show jumped studios.

"I think a lot of people blame J.C. Staff, but it’s a bit more complex," said beloved animator Vincent Chansard during a live stream with KOL: Requiem on YouTube. Chansard is best known for working on anime projects such as One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Castlevania, and more. "Sometimes, it’s not about the animation studio; sometimes it’s about the production committee that is on top of everything."

Based on the popular manga of the same name, the One-Punch Man anime series launched under Madhouse in 2015 but was dropped after season 1. The show was then picked up by fellow Japanese animation studio, J.C. Staff. However, when season 2 hit screens four years later, it was clear that J.C.'s animation style was not quite up to par. Fans then had to wait six years for One-Punch Man season 3, but when it premiered on October 12, 2025, fans were saddened to see that the animation had not improved.

However, despite how disappointed anime heads may be, Chansard believes that J.C. Staff is under a lot of pressure, and fans attacking animators and even going as far as to harass artists on social media is not the way forward. "Right now, it’s very difficult for them," Chansard continued. "J.C. Staff is just a studio that’s trained to survive, you know what I mean? Like again, the Japanese industry is very difficult."

Reuniting us with our favorite super-abled punching machine, One-Punch Man season 3 continues the Monster Association arc from the hit manga by Yusuke Marata. This arc sees the Monster Association arrive at the Hero Association with a message about wanting monsters and heroes to co-exist. However, it quickly becomes apparent that this is a ruse.

One-Punch Man season 3 episodes 1-2 are available to stream on Crunchyroll now, with new episodes releasing weekly. For more, check out our list of the best anime, and keep up with new anime heading your way.