One Punch Man season 3 episode 9 offered a great battle between Child Emperor and Phoenix Man, or at least it is great compared to the majority of season 3’s episodes. While fans can definitely praise the animation and the action scenes, it wouldn’t be fair to call the episode engaging.
The entire episode focused on Child Emperor and his efforts to save Waganma while the entitled kid tried to annoy the audience as much as possible. Yet, even great episodes can be dragged down if the battle just can’t resonate emotionally.
Episode 9 Embodies the Shonen Spirit It Was Meant to Parody
One Punch Man is a parody of Shonen anime and the traditional battles in them. The entire premise of the anime is built on establishing the common tropes of the genre before mocking them. Yet, as season 3 aired, the anime seems to have given up on the satirical part completely.
Episodes seem to keep focusing more and more on battles, and Saitama is nowhere to be seen. The protagonist did make an appearance in episode 9, but only for a brief few seconds towards the end. Child Emperor might have pulled out one new gizmo after another, and they were indeed interesting, but nothing felt engaging.
As a viewer, it is hard to connect with Child Emperor’s struggle to defeat Phoenix Man, especially when Saitama is meant to be the last showdown anyway. Phoenix Man’s backstory was also extremely shallow, but it was the only thing that actually felt like a satire on the last-minute flashbacks that villains tend to receive in Shonen anime.
One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 9 Plants Hope for the Finale
Saitama’s absence from the episode hurts | Credits: J.C. Staff
Despite the forgettable battle, One Punch Man season 3 episode 9 does plant hope for the season’s finale. After airing one ridiculous episode after another for 7 weeks straight, episodes 8 and 9 feel like shining stars in comparison. It is clear that most of the budget and time were reserved for the latter episodes of the season.
This is a hopeful indication of what the finale might be like. If the animation stays on the same level, then the finale might actually be watchable instead of another invitation to create memes.
Still, Saitama’s absence from the show is too striking. The season is focusing on every character other than the protagonist, which is messing with the magic of the anime. Saitama’s absolute deadpan face and emotionless punches are the backbone of the series, and they are sorely missed.
What do you think about One Punch Man season 3 episode 9? Let us know in the comments below.
One Punch Man is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll in the US.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
