REVIEW: ‘One Punch Man’ Season 3 Episode 3 — ‘Organism Limits’

One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3 is the most interesting episode of the season so far, as it finally showcases some exciting fights and advances the plot in a meaningful way. However, some of the faults featured in the previous season still exist.

The episode begins after the last episode’s post-credits scene left off, with little-known hero Zombieman confronting malicious scientist Dr Genus. The scientist apparently conducted experiments on several people, including Zombieman, which led him to use his newfound strength to destroy one of his facilities. He has been chasing the scientist ever since. The two discuss Genus’s experiments and why he stopped. He reveals he stopped because he met Saitama, who broke his limit through sheer determination rather than external factors.

The fight scene in One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3 is really well-choreographed.

This conversation seems to confirm that Saitama’s bizarre strength isn’t the result of external factors like experimentation. However, the conversation also seems to come out of nowhere. While it adds more narrative details and highlights a lesser-known character, it feels out of place and isn’t in any way related to the events that follow. Hopefully, it leads to a subplot that’s more relevant as the season progresses.

The fight between Garou (Hikaru Midorikawa) and the two monsters resumes, and it is the first time the season has featured a proper fight. Garou fights the two at once and, for a while, holds his own quite well until he’s back stabbed and stabbed brutally by King the Ripper while trying to rescue the kid.

The fight scene, while short, featured really good choreography and flashy effects from J.C Staff. The characters also moved at impressive speeds, and each motion was sufficiently detailed. The only notable issue is that the fight still featured some drawn-out, unnecessary stills despite its short length.

One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3 showcases that the monsters aren’t just mindless henchmen.

After defeating Garou, the two monsters return to their base, where we finally see the official’s captured son and learn that the monsters are preparing for their imminent fight with the S-Class heroes. We also learn that the only reason the Monster Association exists is to wipe out all the S-class heroes, and that, despite their nature, the monsters have grouped up for this specific goal.

The monster hideout also showcases various types of monsters, all uniquely designed and offering a nice variety, especially the humanoid and human-looking ones. We also see a random practice bout between two of the humanoid monsters, and this fight scene is just as impressive as the first, as it features some detailed fight choreography. However, like the last fight scene, it also featured some awkward stills.

The segment of the episode highlighting the monster base in detail does a great job of showing that the monsters aren’t just a bunch of mindless henchmen. However, there isn’t much nuance to their motivations, as most seek only strength, bloodshed, and the heroes’ deaths. Regardless, it seamlessly reveals how unique each monster is physically and personality-wise.

Saitama’s house is packed as always in One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3.

Meanwhile, the episode shows Saitama’s house, which is as packed as always. Fubuki (Saori Hayami) returns to nag him about leaving the bill with her in the last episode. He’s then visited by Genos’s mentor and engineer, Dr. Kuseno. Despite his annoyance at his packed house, Saitama (Makoto Furukawa) changes his tune instantly after being given some meat by Kuseno.

This segment is the only humorous part of the episode, but it doesn’t feature any actually funny moments. It does, however, confirm that Saitama will not be used in many serious scenarios and will mostly be used for comic relief. However, it makes sense that the one guy who ends all fights in one punch isn’t featured in most fights.

Overall, while not without flaws, One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3 is the most entertaining episode of the season thus far, thanks to its fight scenes and revelations. The episode ends by showing that, despite how he appears, Garou is still alive, and with the monsters preparing for a fight, the next episode should be worth looking forward to.

One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 3 is streaming now on Crunchyroll. 

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