One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Another Week, No Knockout

Quick heads-up: spoilers for One Punch Man season 3, episode 2 ahead.

Episode 2 edges out the premiere by a hair, but that doesn't suddenly make it good. The action count is basically one-and-a-half fights, the jokes mostly thud, and the pacing feels like the show is stalling for time. I get why some fans are already bracing for the rest of the season to turn into another "slideshow." And no, even if you put season 1 expectations in a box and slide it under the bed, this episode still doesn't stack up to a lot of the current shonen crowd-pleasers.

What actually happens

• Garou and Saitama finally cross paths. Saitama does what he does: one punch, Garou rockets off like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.
• When Garou comes to, he can't remember the encounter at all. He has no clue he just got deleted by Saitama, which sets him up to misjudge him again later.
• Garou squares up with Royal Ripper. He lands a hit, the intensity ticks up, and... roll credits. It's a tease that basically confirms he's still got plenty of fight left and will likely wipe out the Monster Association recruits next time.
• There's a stretch where Garou, ironically for a "monster," steps in to beat up human bullies, then proceeds to eat like he's auditioning for a shonen food gag reel.
• Meanwhile, Saitama is out eating too, realizes he forgot his wallet, panics, and then conveniently bumps into Fubuki. He sticks her with the bill and bolts after a dine-and-dasher.

The comedy problem

The episode keeps aiming for light, goofy irony and mostly misses. Garou playing vigilante against human jerks should be darkly funny, but the beats are obvious. Saitama slapping the check on Fubuki and sprinting after someone else's crime is a classic Saitama bit on paper; here, the timing is so telegraphed it barely registers. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the runtime is just people talking about eating or actively eating, which is a weird choice when fans are hungry for momentum.

Animation and pacing: still rough

The episode leans hard on long holds and pans that scream budget triage. You can feel scenes stretching to fill minutes, especially around the Garou vs. Royal Ripper setup. It's not that nothing happens; it's that what happens is presented like a PowerPoint with a soundboard. When the show does pop (Saitama vs. Garou), it's over in seconds. That contrast makes the draggy parts feel even draggy-er.

So, is it better than episode 1?

Slightly. But "slightly better" isn't the same as "good," and it's definitely not enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other big shonen episodes dropping right now. The memory-wipe twist with Garou is a smart way to keep that rivalry simmering, and the Royal Ripper cliffhanger hints at a more satisfying throwdown next week. Still, two episodes in, the season needs more than teases and food comedy to shake the "slideshow" stigma.

One Punch Man season 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll. What did you think of episode 2: a baby step up, or another letdown?