One-Punch Man Season 3 Director Shinpei Nagai Deletes Twitter After Online Harassment
The director of One-Punch Man Season 3, Shinpei Nagai, made a drastic decision amid the premiere of the anime’s new season. The director deleted his Twitter account after facing waves of online criticism and harassment, as well as seeing his statements twisted to generate hate-driven content for profit.
Why the One-Punch Man Season 3 director left Twitter
Before deleting his account, Nagai posted a message explaining his reasons for leaving. According to him, some people pretended to support him but were actually taking his words out of context to create controversial “rage-bait” posts. The director stated:
“There are followers pretending to be allies but exploiting my words to stir anger and make money. I’ve decided to delete my account. I can’t overlook behavior that violates NDAs or twists staff statements.”
Nagai added that the situation had become unsustainable for the project, harming both the team and genuine fans. He also said he doesn’t plan to create any new social media accounts in the future.
Since being announced as the director of One-Punch Man Season 3, Shinpei Nagai has faced skepticism from fans. Many questioned his experience, as he previously worked on romantic comedies such as 2.5 Dimensional Seduction and I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying (and even some adult anime), but not large-scale action productions.
The fact that the studio and staff names were kept secret until shortly before the premiere also fueled distrust. Some fans hoped this new season would restore the prestige that One-Punch Man lost after Season 2.
Shinpei Nagai’s farewell message
In his final post, the director talked about the emotional toll the criticism had on his mental health and on the production team:
“This is affecting my mental health and only brings negatives to the project and the staff. To the kind fans, I offer my gratitude and apologies. It was truly enjoyable.”
Nagai also criticized content creators who profit from hate and disrespect the staff’s hard work. He said such behavior tarnishes the series’ image and discourages those who put their effort into it.
Some YouTubers have been speaking negatively about the anime. One of them, Nicholas Light, has gone viral as many accuse him of doing “rage-bait” reactions, overreacting to One-Punch Man’s animation.
Expectations and fan reactions
When Shinpei Nagai took on the project, he himself admitted it would be hard to reach the level of the first season, directed by Shingo Natsume and widely praised for its animation quality. In a previous statement, he said:
“It probably won’t match the first season, but the anime carries the creators’ dedication and creativity. I hope you can at least accept that.”