OPM S3, Episode 7: The "Slideshow" Continues

I sat down for Episode 7 with low expectations, and honestly? It wasn't the absolute trainwreck that the last one was. But let's be clear: "Not an absolute trainwreck" is not a badge of honor for one of the biggest anime franchises in the world. It’s still not even half-decent, and that is the real tragedy here.

The core issue that’s killing this season the one thing that screams "rushed production" is the complete and utter lack of smoothening.

The Illusion of Motion is Dead

If you’re watching, you feel it the whole time, don't you? That feeling that if the animators had just added a few more frames, the scene would at least make sense.

Instead, we get these jarring, amateurish cuts. One frame lingers for way too long, holding the static image until your brain registers the stiffness, and then BAM! a completely new scene or pose pops up, as if the first one was a PowerPoint slide someone manually clicked past. There is zero continuity, zero fluid motion. It’s a series of disconnected, expensive stills.

It also looks like they are struggling with basic scene composition. I’m seeing some seriously inexperienced work, especially with large groups. The way the crowds are handled feels completely random; they pop in and out, stand in unnatural poses, and just generally look like assets randomly placed in the background. It breaks any sense of immersion or scale that the Monster Association Arc desperately needs.

🏆 The One Winner: Atomic Samurai

Here’s the thing that made me laugh/cry the hardest this episode: Atomic Samurai actually fit.

Think about it. Why does he feel less jarring than others? It's not because his section was animated well; it's because his character type naturally suits a slideshow! He's arrogant, he doesn't waste energy on small movements, and his signature atomic slash is supposed to be so fast you can’t even see it.

The entire time, I was thinking, "This guy barely has to move, so the studio can get away with it!" The limited frames actually reinforce his persona: Why would a master swordsman waste time with in-between movements? He's so cool and still, he fits perfectly into J.C. Staff's budget-saving production model. This is the definition of a backhanded compliment, but hey, at least one character made it out alive.

The Only Way to Cope

I've found my temporary fix, and I’m sharing this copium with you all: Watch it on 1.50x speed.

Seriously, try it. The faster speed covers up some of the missing in-between frames. The jarring cuts happen so quickly that your brain connects the dots better, and the whole thing gains an artificial energy it desperately needed. It becomes copeable which is the saddest word I’ve ever used to describe an episode of One-Punch Man.

📢 My Final Plea to Non-Manga Readers

If you haven't read the manga yet, please, for the love of Saitama, read the manga.

The experience is genuinely better. Yusuke Murata's illustrations are works of art, and I guarantee you the manga has more panels per fight than this anime has frames per fight. You will get a more complete, kinetic, and glorious version of this story. Don't let this adaptation be your only experience with the Monster Association Arc.

See you next week, where we'll find out if the budget magically reappeared for the climax. (Spoiler alert: it probably won't.)

If you have found a character that miraculously survived the animation downgrade, or if you have a better coping speed than 1.50x, drop it in the comments below!