English Dub Review: Thunder 3 “FINAL ATTACK”

Overview

For the first time, humanity has hope. Pyontaro gives the Small 3 a new Name, “The Thunder 3”. But above, the Alien Mothership turns its cannon on the Heroes…

Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, “Thunder 3” finally reaches the end of its painfully slow first season, only to leave much of its story unresolved while immediately teasing a second season. The finale suffers from reused footage, excessive reaction shots, and an absurdly long recap, making an already sluggish series feel even more padded. After twelve episodes, the show still struggles to deliver the momentum and payoff it constantly seems to promise.

What makes this frustrating is that there are flashes of a much better anime buried underneath the problems. The chibi characters are charming, the mech designs and backgrounds can be impressive, and the contrast between the two visual styles could have been a major strength. Unfortunately, awkward CG, dead air, repetitive scenes, and painfully slow pacing repeatedly get in the way. The series often feels like a much shorter story stretched far beyond what it needed to be, which makes its potential all the more disappointing.

Overall, “Thunder 3” ends its first season feeling less like a satisfying conclusion and more like a prolonged setup for something that might eventually become interesting. There are certainly aspects worth appreciating, but the frustrating pacing and lack of meaningful progression make it difficult to overlook the show’s shortcomings. With a second season announced for 2027, perhaps the series can finally find its footing, but after this first season, I can’t say I’m exactly counting the days.