Thunder 3 is airing as a Summer 2026 TV anime on Fuji TV's +Ultra block, streaming worldwide on Netflix, with weekly episode reviews from Anime News Network rating the adaptation poorly. The series follows three middle school friends searching for a missing sibling, with a multiverse twist in the premiere.
The Thunder 3 anime adaptation of Yuki Ikeda's manga premiered on July 8, 2026, on Fuji TV's +Ultra block, with worldwide Netflix streaming the same day. The premiere delivered a multiverse twist and adapted the manga's first chapter closely, with added arrangements. Opening theme 'Thunderbolt' by Yuri and ending theme 'Shururerira' by Otoha-otoha- were announced ahead of the broadcast.
Reviews from Anime News Network have been consistently negative. The first three episodes were called Summer 2026's strangest isekai, with an off-putting art style and delayed central premise. Episode 4 introduced a second genre shift, sidelining the appealing otherworldly characters for a dull human protagonist, Segami. Episode 5 criticized still-frame flashbacks and poorly-rigged CG models. Episode 6 noted the continued sidelining of the main characters, The Small Three, and called the pacing glacial. Episode 7, scoring 3.0, was called the worst CG anime since EX-ARM and the worst manga adaptation since Ubel Blatt.
Director Hiroyuki Seshita and scriptwriter Hiroshi Seko said at Anime Expo that the jarring visual contrast is intentional, and each episode is built around a cliffhanger. The manga by Yuki Ikeda ended on June 5, just over a month before the anime premiere. The rebellion faction cast was revealed in a promotional video released July 8.
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Anime News Network's episode 9 review of Thunder 3 finds the Small Three finally acting, but only in the final scene. The reviewer criticizes the slow adaptation pacing, notes the manga concluded in Japan with volume 10, and argues this season likely covers only the first half, which includes the weakest material in volumes 2-4.
Thunder 3 episode 8 is a slight improvement for the maligned adaptation, mainly because several plotlines finally start to converge. The teacher who lent the kids his PS5 game in the first episode returns to ask for his disc back, then lets other students into his house and drags another group of kids into the war-torn dimension. Futaba stays stuck on the alien spacecraft with Q-chan, and the Rebellion fighters begin using their nasal-spray powers, though the direction undercuts the spectacle.
Anime News Network's review of Thunder 3 episode 7 gives the series a community score of 3.0 and calls it the worst CG anime since EX-ARM and the worst manga adaptation since Ubel Blatt. The reviewer says the production is boring, poorly lit, and static, with character rigs that look cut and pasted into scenes. The episode's alien nasal spray plot device is introduced too late to save the arc.
At Anime Expo, Thunder 3 director Hiroyuki Seshita and scriptwriter Hiroshi Seko discussed the anime's intentional mix of art styles, their love of cliffhangers, and the inspiration behind the series. Seshita emphasized the strength of Japanese comic art, while Seko cited The Goonies as his entry into the industry.
Anime News Network rates Thunder 3 episode 6 at 2.8, criticizing the continued sidelining of the main characters, The Small Three, and the flat, emotionless portrayal of the real-world cast. The review calls the fight sequence boring and the pacing glacial, with the only saving grace being the opening scene featuring Futaba and her new friend Q-chan.
Anime News Network's review of Thunder 3 episode 5 finds the anime adaptation still falling short of its source manga's intensity. The episode is called a marginal improvement over the previous one, but the reviewer criticizes the slow pacing and the animation quality, particularly the still-frame flashbacks and poorly-rigged CG human models. The episode introduces a JSDF pilot's suicide attack and pushes protagonist Segami toward action.
Anime News Network's review of Thunder 3 episode 4 finds the series' second genre shift a failure. The episode sidelines the main characters to focus on Segami, a dull human whose only trait is wanting a girlfriend. The review criticizes the poor CG animation and stiff character models, calling the episode a potential drop point for viewers.
Anime News Network's review of the first three episodes of Thunder 3 calls it the strangest isekai of the Summer 2026 season, with an off-putting art style, a delayed central premise, and a weirdly structured first episode that adapts the manga's first chapter closely. The show's cutesy prologue and crude CG alien world may struggle to find an audience.
The TV anime adaptation of Thunder 3 began airing on July 8, 2026, on Fuji TV's +Ultra. The first episode features a shocking twist as the protagonists enter a multiverse. Non-credit opening and ending videos have been released. The episode faithfully adapts the manga's first chapter with added arrangements. Celebrity fans including Hanako Okabe Dai and Shinku Jessica Gaku praised the adaptation.
The Thunder 3 anime released a main promotional video and visual on Thursday, revealing seven new cast members for the rebellion faction. The video also features the opening theme song 'Thunderbolt' by Yuri. The anime premiered on Fuji TV's +Ultra block on July 8 and is streaming worldwide on Netflix. The manga by Yuki Ikeda ended on June 5.
The opening theme for the TV anime 'Thunder 3' will be Yuri's new song 'Thunderbolt'. The anime, based on Yuki Ikeda's manga, premieres July 8 on Fuji TV's '+Ultra' slot. A fan event in Shibuya will distribute lightning-shaped fans on the same day.
The TV anime adaptation of Yuki Ikeda's manga Thunder 3 will premiere on Fuji TV's +Ultra block on July 8 and stream worldwide on Netflix the same day. The second PV and ending theme information were also released, with Otoha-otoha- performing the ED song 'Shururerira.'