One Punch Man Season3 Episode9: Finally, The Show Remembers How To Have Fun

Okay, let’s cut to the chase—One Punch Man Season3 has been a wild ride of “is this even the same show?” moments. We’ve had wonky animation, weird blue filters that made everything look like a TikTok edit, and scenes that felt like they were drawn during a lunch break. But Episode9? It’s like the team finally woke up and said, “Let’s give the fans something to actually geek out over.”

First off, the fight everyone’s talking about: Child Emperor vs. Phoenix Man. If you love Power Rangers-style mechs, this is your jam. Child Emperor pulls out a giant robot that looks like Optimus Prime and a Megazord had a baby—lasers, big punches, the whole nine yards. And Phoenix Man? Dude goes from a majestic angel-like bird to a full-on demon mode with glowing red eyes and sharp claws. That transformation scene? Chef’s kiss. No more of those annoying blue filters (thank goodness) and the camera actually moves with the characters during the fight—like, when the mech threw a punch, I could feel the weight of it. Takashi Hashimoto (the guy from Bleach) did the storyboards, and it shows—this isn’t the copy-paste manga stuff we’ve been getting lately.

But let’s be real, not everything was perfect. Some parts felt a little choppy—like, one scene would end abruptly and the next would start without warning. And pacing? Yeah, it’s still off. But for once, the animation didn’t make me cringe. Fans on MAL are saying this is back-to-back decent episodes (after Episode8 was a surprise hit), which is a big win for Season3.

Now, the elephant in the room: Where’s Saitama? We got a tiny scene of him dodging some attacks, but that’s it. A lot of fans are still salty about that—like, this is One Punch Man, not “Child Emperor’s Mech Adventure.” But hey, baby steps, right? At least the episode didn’t feel like a PowerPoint presentation (looking at you, earlier episodes).

For us teens, the question is: Is it fun? Yes. The fight scenes are cool, Phoenix Man’s transformation is iconic, and finally, no more blue filters. It’s not Season1-level good, but it’s way better than the mess we’ve been dealing with. Some fans are still complaining, but let’s be honest—after all the low-budget episodes, this feels like a win.

Final verdict: 7/10. If you’re here for sick fight scenes and don’t mind waiting a little longer for Saitama to do his thing, this episode is worth watching. Phoenix Man’s demon form alone is reason enough to hit play. Let’s hope the finale keeps this energy up—we need more of that classic OPM vibe, but for now, Episode9 is a solid step in the right direction.

P.S. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch the mech fight. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 🤖🦅🔥