The announcement of Shinpei Nagai as the director for the third season of the anime series One Punch Man was met with backlash from segments of its fanbase online.
The reaction stemmed from fan disappointment over the animation quality of the show’s second season, produced by J.C. Staff, which was widely seen as a decline from the critically acclaimed first season animated by Madhouse. Ahead of the third season’s reveal, some fans had anticipated a different studio and a more established director to helm the project.
Shimpei Nagai, the director of One Punch Man season 3, took to his official X account to address fans and explain why he was selected for the role. In a detailed statement, he acknowledged the strong reactions to his appointment and said he wanted to clarify his background and vision for the anime.
Nagai, who began his career as a freelancer, said he entered the anime industry after completing his apprenticeship at 37, working first on Hiiro no Kakera. He later gained experience blending 2D and 3D animation through projects like Aquarion Logos and spent a brief period at a 3D company contributing to productions such as Altered Carbon.
Shimpei Nagai’s Vision for One Punch Man season 3
According to Nagai, J.C.Staff frequently entrusted him with storyboards and direction, even though he remained relatively unknown in the industry. Because of this, he said he initially avoided drawing attention to himself, fearing his lack of standout credits as an animator might create a negative impression.
When the opportunity to consult on One Punch Man season 3 arose, Nagai explained that he pitched a workflow designed to better integrate 3D and 2D techniques, a process he had previously discussed in industry publication CGWORLD.
He emphasized that this approach aimed to maximize production efficiency and quality despite tight schedules.
Nagai also expressed regret over not sharing his role earlier, saying he kept quiet to avoid misunderstandings.
“Then, when the consultation for One Punch Man Season 3 came up, I focused on incorporating a new workflow—something I discussed in CGWORLD, bridging 3D and 2D workflows—to squeeze out even one more second of production time. I sincerely apologize for keeping quiet about this. The team is giving it our all on site. I can’t discuss details about the production, but I’m open to answering what I can within limits,” he stated.
One Punch Man season 3 is scheduled to start airing on Oct 5, 2025.
The first season of the anime, produced by Madhouse, was broadcast in Japan from October to December 2015. A second season, produced by J.C. Staff, was broadcast from April to July 2019.
Source: X
