I know you’ve been waiting forever for season 3 to drop. It’s been over a year since they first announced it was happening, but we ain’t heard squat since then. That is why fans thinks that One Punch Man season 3 facing an indefinite delay due to MAPPA’s challenges.
Rumors were swirling that MAPPA was gonna be animating it, but that turned out to be cap. So now everyone’s wondering if season 3 is just stuck in limbo or something.
I feel you though. The lack of updates has been whack. It’s got fans speculating like crazy about when we’ll finally see Saitama and the gang back in action.
The details have been mad sparse. No release date, no studio, no staff info. It’s a mystery, man. But have hope people! We gotta believe they’ll bless us with the deets soon and this wait won’t feel neverending.
One Punch Man Season 3 Facing Indefinite Delay Due to MAPPA’s Challenges
In December 2022, an anonymous leaker with the handle @shonenleaks posted that MAPPA would be animating One Punch Man season 3.
This contradicted the studios behind the first two seasons, Madhouse and J.C. Staff. After the criticism received for season 2, many thought the series was due for another studio change.
MAPPA seemed a likely candidate at the time since they were taking on various high-profile anime adaptations.
However, official sources tied to One Punch Man soon refuted the MAPPA rumor. This led to @shonenleaks’ account being removed for spreading unverified information.
Initial Excitement and Denial: The MAPPA Rumor
Fans initially got excited about the prospect of MAPPA helming season 3 given their impressive portfolio.
However, the quick denial from officials caused the community to reconsider MAPPA’s actual involvement. While the studio switch remains plausible, the leaked news of MAPPA animating the next season turned out premature and questionable.
With no studio confirmed devotees continue anxiously awaiting updates on who will produce One Punch Man’s third season.
The anonymous leaker made assumptions that unfortunately don’t seem accurate according to the anime’s representatives.
While MAPPA animating One Punch Man season 3 was refuted at the time, some recent developments hint the leak may have been accurate after all.
MAPPA’s Trajectory and Plausibility
MAPPA was founded in 2011 by former Madhouse staff. Early on they produced acclaimed anime like Banana Fish, Kakegurui, and Dorohedoro. However, MAPPA took on much more high-profile adaptations after acquiring Attack on Titan.
This led to them also announcing series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, and Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku. While raising MAPPA’s prestige and revenue, taking on so many major franchises spread the studio’s resources thin.
MAPPA expanding their workload aligned with the leaked claims of them taking over One Punch Man. Their bandwidth may be stretched at this point, but MAPPA continues to pile on major anime projects.
The initial denial from officials could have been to hide MAPPA’s involvement until formally announced.
Given their trajectory after the leak, MAPPA does seem a viable candidate now to produce One Punch Man season 3. The studio’s growth matched the rumor even though it was shot down at the time.
MAPPA’s willingness to adapt the celebrated series makes the leak seem more plausible in hindsight.
Recent issues with Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 production lend more credence to MAPPA animating One Punch Man season 3.
Recent Issues and Production Challenges
Animators working on Jujutsu Kaisen 2 have anonymously voiced problems stemming from poor planning and conditions imposed by MAPPA executives. Some episodes are reportedly getting finished just hours before airing, very atypical for quality anime creation.
With a standard 12-episode anime usually taking a year to produce, One Punch Man season 3 should have had its studio announced by now since it was confirmed back in August 2022. But there has been silence so far on who will animate it.
This timeline strengthens the argument that MAPPA had taken on One Punch Man 3 as rumored but needed to clear up bandwidth first. The leaked plans would explain why MAPPA denied involvement back then, but their overloaded schedule now syncs with having taken on too many major franchises.
Given the intense criticisms about their workload, MAPPA may end up passing One Punch Man to another studio or delaying it indefinitely. But the production crises at MAPPA lend credence to them initially taking on season 3 despite earlier denials. The lack of updates continues to frustrate fans eager for new episodes.