The director of popular anime One Punch Man’s third season has deactivated his X account, citing backlash from fans over the latest episodes’ animation quality.
One Punch Man’s first season debuted in 2015 to massive praise from viewers, who lauded the show’s visual appeal and top-notch animation both in and out of fight scenes.
In fact, the anime became renowned for its striking and fluid animation style — so when season two finally dropped in 2019, fans were massively disappointed by a sudden drop in quality.
This is owed to the show changing hands from one animation studio to another; season one was animated by Madhouse, known for famous titles like Death Note, Hunter X Hunter, and Hellsing Ultimate, to name just a few.
Season two was handled by J.C. Staff, known for anime staples like Azumanga Diaoh, a Certain Magical Index, and Date a Live III. Despite their impressive catalogue, the style of One Punch Man season two left a lot to be desired compared to season one, sparking outrage and confusion among viewers.
J.C. Staff also took over production for season three. Although fans hoped that this season would have improved quality, it seems like a repeat of season two all over again — but the backlash is so intense that the director has addressed the issue head-on.
Shinpei Nagai is the director of One Punch Man’s third season. You might have seen his work directing Psycho Pass and Vatican Miracle Examiner.
In response to the growing discontent surrounding this season of One Punch Man, Nagai published a statement on X, revealing that the outrage has become so overwhelming he’s decided to delete his account.
“I have some rather unfortunate news,” he began. “There are a few people among my followers who are pretending to be allies but are actually engaging in rage-baiting, so I’ve decided to delete my account.
“Their actions—such as taking my statements out of context, trying to elicit comments that violate NDAs, or turning them into profit—are unacceptable and cannot be overlooked. I’ve always done my best for the fans with utmost sincerity, but I’ve come to the conclusion that continuing in this environment is untenable for this project.
“It’s always the genuine fans who end up suffering the most. I cannot forgive those who tarnish the staff’s honor or exploit the struggles of the creators for profit through hate.”
He went on to state that he will avoid creating any further accounts on X in the future, saying the issue is taking a severe toll on his mental health.
“To the fans who have been truly kind to me, I want to express my gratitude and apologies.
It was truly enjoyable,” he concluded.
Sadly, this is far from the first time someone in the anime industry has had to distance themselves from social media due to backlash. It’s impossible to count how many people involved in the production of anime series have suffered from issues like harassment, death threats, and other negative behaviors.
For example, Attack on Titan author Hajime Isayama received over 1,000 death threats after the series was published, and the voice actress for Mikasa Ackerman was also the target of a very specific threat that landed the person behind it in prison.
This latest statement from Nagai follows his defense of this season’s visuals in September, where he begged fans to “stop with the harassment and the persistent questions that I can’t answer due to NDAs.”
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