One Punch Man

One time somebody said that One Punch Man was the new Attack on Titan, and I died a little inside. Nobody wants their new favorite show to be the new Attack on Titan, but god damn it, I can't help myself but like it.

One Punch Man started off as a webcomic with really shitty art, but after it became super popular, some ho made a manga out of it, and now it's an anime.

The story is very fun. It's about a guy who wanted to be a hero for fun, but soon became too strong, and stopped having fun fighting people and stopping bad guys. ... It was all too easy. Then a cyborg kid who wanted to stop evil and kill the cyborg who killed his family came along, and insisted that our hero Saitama teach him how to be a hero and to become strong.

The characters are all super funny and ridiculous. I think the characters are what made me love this show, particularly Saitama.

I really enjoyed the show, so I definitely recommend it.

I haven't watched much anime in recent years. Like a lot of users, I was an avid consumer of the medium in my early 20s, but my viewership steadily declined as I approached 30 and other interests took over. A few years ago, I watched "Attack on Titan" and it was dreadful, giving me the impression that I wasn't missing out on much.

One night, on a lark, I decided to give "One Punch Man" a shot, which I didn't have particularly high hopes for.

Not only did it turn out to be an excellent series, but it revitalized my interest in anime. ...

The show is simple enough, following the exploits of heroic, dull-witted Saitama, who decides to become a costumed hero after failing a job interview and encountering a half human, half crab mutant in his underwear attacking people nearby. Unfortunately, after three years of training, he has reached a point where he kills every opponent with a single punch, leading to a boring existence where no villain, no matter how terrifying or deadly, presents any challenge to him.

Surely, this one-note joke would wear thin quickly?

It doesn't, thanks to the series' masterful navigation between action, humor, and parody, all within the same episode.

As a pure action series, cutting out all the jokes, it's very good. Fight choreography is crisp and frequently inventive, featuring an array of moves and bizarre combatants. Madhouse did a fine job animating it, with numerous frames and a keen eye for detail. Hell, "One Punch Man" is a much better fight anime than most dead serious shows in the genre. Consider the match between Genos and Mosquito Girl. Take away Saitama's presence, and you have a memorable fight that wouldn't be out of place in any classic action anime.

And that's an important point to keep in mind. The fights themselves are always treated with full seriousness, never as a joke. This gives them meaning, important in a series where the protagonist's victory is assured.

As a comedy, it's not uproarious, but it has plenty of funny moments. Saitama's calm, dull-witted attitude towards life in the midst of inhuman freaks, a silly professional Hero Association, and a generally bizarre world produces considerable amusement. At the same time, it doesn't go too far, to the point of making Saitama an idiot or embarrassing him, as so many other series do. This is especially important because at crucial moments throughout the series, Saitama proves that he is a real hero, not merely in physical strength but in strength of character.

In fact, the entire cast shines here. The teen cyborg Genos is a trusty, likable sidekick to Saitama. Amai Mask and Metal Knight are both enigmatic, seemingly villainous entities whose intentions are shrouded in mystery. Even one-note characters like Spring Mustachio or Puripuri Prisoner are funny and have more inspired designs than many leads. Everyone has a unique look and defined personality.

As a parody, there are numerous characters and moments inspired by other shows. Some are played for laughs, like the arrogant ninja killer Sonic being a hapless, overconfident take on Hiei from YuYu Hakusho. Or the Deep Sea King's fangs and heart decorations reminding one of Dio Brando from JoJo.
Others are worthy tributes to the original, like Genos being a version of Casshern.

Combine the action, humor, and parody together, and one has a truly special, excellent series, one whose mass popularity is genuinely deserved. Strongly recommended for all anime fans.

One of the best anime in 2015
The main ingredient, which is action, is depicted quite well. Being famous as a one-hit kill, Saitama is indeed doesn't need much action screen time by his side. His opponents? well they got the privileges. And the anime makes it quite well timed. Although the character developments doesnt seem too good, it's tolerable. Since the anime only have 12 episodes.

However, the comedy, which also it's strong component, can't come to terms VERY FUNNY. It tickles, but you wont screaming laughter or walk funny after watching. This anime was hyped for being gagful and laughable. But the execution on the ... comedy part is a bit lousy.
Maybe there's also this minor thing where we actually can enjoy this anime in a long-term show because of these mysteries in our mind about the power all the S-class squad. But the PH squeezed it into one- forcefully trying to be amazing- season consists of 12 episode

Overall, this anime is quite good. I myself feel refreshed because there's finally a new mascot in anime world. Not just over-popular main chara like Kirito, Kaneki,etc. But a new Goku, Naruto, or Conan.
But it's not worth the hype.
This anime is Majestically Great, but not Perfect.
All im saying is, this anime is worth re-watching, but not worth the hype.
The hype for this anime,for me, is something that should be dedicated for anime that maybe scores 11/10.
Thanks

He punches people one, sometimes more than once though.

Story: 10

He punches people, but for justice!

Art: 10

He punches people, in beautifully colored well drawn art.

... Sound:10

When he punches people, the sound effects are on point. "Pow, slap, boom!"

Character: 10

With every punch you will fall more in love with the beautiful, punch loving, character that is Saitama.

Enjoyment: 10

As a punch loving action enthusiast, I cant help but marvel at the glory of the anime titled "One punch man:

Overall: 10

One punch man is a beautifully orchestrated anime of a young man with a love for kicking butt by punching things. He also has a side kick and some enemies but they aren't nearly as punchy.

This anime is so simple, yet so compelling. It's about as stripped-down in terms of world building and characters as you can get without going too far. At least what you do get is exactly what the storyteller wants you to receive, which is a lot of funny and cool stuff.

I don't feel like the story in One Punch-Man is necessarily amazing, but it works for what the message is meant to portray: Saitama, the protagonist, is so powerful, his superheroing is boring. He somehow got so overpowered, the joy of the fight, the struggle to survive and the "kill-or-be-killed" is utterly erased from his ... life. Try to find a story about this sort of character elsewhere and you probably won't find it. Thus, we have a very original, unblemished premise.

This premise is born out of the cliched tropes used over and over again in your typical superhero storytelling in order to turn it on its head. Most of what happens is the opposite of what usually happens in a typical hero's journey.

Usually, the hero is young, especially in anime/manga, and he starts out weak, but grows stronger and stronger as the story progresses through loads of training. He's usually not the most powerful character in his story world. His antagonist usually is. But, Saitama is 25-years-old and just IS the most powerful right from the beginning; there is nary an antagonist who can withstand being punched by him more than one time.

With a story premise like this, where do you go from there? It might seem like it would dead-end, but that's why this anime is so great. It actually goes into that territory to reveal that it doesn't have to be a dead-end, after all. We find that our hero is not the picture of perfection, thus we can have conflict, after all. He is very strong, but not a perfect human being. He's a good guy, but he has no job and he's not the smartest guy out there, nor is he the most handsome. Hardly. He even has a totally bald head, which is about as opposite the typical anime/manga hero as it gets, with their usually trademark crazy green/blue spiky weird hairstyles.

On top of that, his sidekick disciple, Genos, is younger, better-looking and cooler than he is! (Well, Genos is a cyborg, so....) Genos is so much more the hero-in-progress than Saitama, but he is the support role in the story, not the main character. Again, a typical trope turned upside-down. He is also one of the few characters that recognizes Saitama as the over-powered being that he is.

Which leads me to the next interesting aspect of this story: Saitama, while being ridiculously strong and regularly saves people and the world from destruction, never really gets the recognition or praise he is due by other people. In fact, he is barely known by anyone and is even sometimes despised by others because he allows other heroes in the Registry to take credit for his accomplishments. (Talk about a humble guy.) And, because of this, he is often shown sporting some jealousy of Genos when he is opening up the packages of fan mail he regularly receives, full of gushing praise for how "kakkouii" he is. All Saitama gets is a thank you note from another hero in the Registry, if not some hate-mail.

In this world, there are hundreds of Registered "heroes" and they are all ranked according to video game standards, "S" being the highest, while "C" seems to be the lowest rank. A "C"-ranked hero is basically a regular human being who is just brave enough to intervene in stopping purse-snatchers and muggers as they are in the act of committing their crimes. There are hundreds of these guys, and we see how cut-throat it is being in the Registry.

Mumen (Licenceless) Rider, who is just a guy on a bicycle, stands as the Everyman. He is brave, but powerless, and will fight against his own anger at himself while trying to defeat a monster beyond his scope. You realize you relate to him the most because he is a metaphor for every human being whoever tried to live their life in this rat-race of a world we live in. It is merciless and we are powerless to control what happens, and to even do anything about it. Those few who are capable rise to the top (like the higher-ranked heroes with real superhuman abilities), whether they deserve it or not, and they usually do not. Neither do the higher-ranked heroes, as they are self-centered egomaniacs only concerned with how popular they are, just like real people who do well in life often are.

I see a lot of Gintama in this anime. Gintama fans should totally dig this, but where Gintama parodies specific animes/mangas and Japanese culture, One Punch-Man parodies this one section of anime/manga/comics tropes, which results in a masterful parody of modern life itself. Check this out for the laughs, the turned-on-their-heads tropes and the fantastic characters who grow on you very quickly.

Video Version: https://youtu.be/N3WlH4ud_mk

In recent time, every other coming out is so hyped that it is treated as god's gift to mankind and every fanboy claims that it is the “savior of anime”. And the show this season that has been labeled “the savior of anime” is One-Punch Man but is this show really as good as the fanboys say or is it just another overhyped pile of garbage. Let’s find out.

Story

In case you don’t know the plot of One Punch Man, it’s pretty self-explanatory, the guy wants to become a hero so he trains really hard that he loses his hair and can now defeat ... any of his opponents in just one punch. And the plot for any given episode is very basic: Saitama meets a really ridiculous and over the top bad guy and with that comes comedy then he is defeated in just One Punch and rinse and repeat you get One Punch Man. But I’m not going to sit here and criticize its story because that’s not what One Punch Man is even about and if you go into it expecting an amazing story, you’re going to miss the whole point of the show. But I must say that in the story department, One Punch Man is quite lackluster.

Characters

One Punch Man follows the story of Saitama. You know the rule in anime that the longer the hair the greater the power, the rule that Naruto Bleach and Dragonball follow and in the midst of this comes Saitama as a parody of the whole shounen genre. Saitama was a normal guy working a normal job, but all of this changed when he saves a child and decides that he will now become a hero for fun. And from then on Saitama trains day in and day out to become stronger and, as a result, he trains so hard that he loses his hair… Because that totally makes sense. Saitama is a very funny character and the juxtaposition of what he looks like and what he can do is pretty amazing and he definitely is a badass. Though Saitama is funny and is a badass he is just that. He is very 2D and there isn’t much to him other than those two traits. But that’s the charm of his character.

The second main character is Genos aka Tony goddamn Stark as that is pretty much what he is. He has a very cool introduction, but he is a very weird character as though he is a good companion to Saitama and both of together are a good duo and have charisma together it always felt like he was the damsel in distress always needing Saitama to come save the day.

There aren’t really any other characters that actually matter apart from the antagonists. A great antagonists can make or break a show such as Johan Liebert from Monster or Gilgamesh from Fate Zero and on that front, One Punch Man definitely delivers. You know amazing antagonists such as a Giant Crab Wearing underwear and a mole, a goddamn mole! All joking aside, that’s not what One Punch Man is even going and by no means will you remember the antagonists because they only get around 3 to 4 minutes of screen time per episode.

Music

The music for the show was good. The OST perfectly compliments the tone of the show with intense scenes with intense music. And the opening and ending songs are pretty amazing.

Production/History

One Punch Man is the adaptation of an ongoing webcomic of the same name written by the manga author ONE and has been adapted by Studio Madhouse. And I must say, Madhouse has knocked it out of the park keeping in mind this is what the source material looked like. Almost every episode has, at least, one scene that looks incredible. But the animation definitely the highlight of the show. One Punch Man premiered in the Fall of 2015 with 12 episodes and knowing Madhouse, we probably won’t get a sequel.

Negatives

At points, One Punch Man was just kind of childish and didn’t make me laugh but these scenes were few and far between. This is not a series you can marathon, it gets boring and repetitive easily as the joke becomes less funny as each episode passes and some episodes such as episodes 3 and 4 being absolutely boring.

Positives

But This anime does something that most fail at. One Punch Man handles tonal shifts very well, it goes from totally dumb to totally badass and back. It is a very self-aware show and isn’t trying to be the next big masterpiece. One Punch Man is one of the only anime that actually made me laugh.

Conclusion

And with the ridiculous amount of hype surrounding this show, I’m kinda sad to say that it doesn’t live up to the hype and it is impossible for it but the show is definitely entertaining if all you're looking for is some dumb fun but if you want any more from this show you will definitely be disappointed especially if you’re on the hype train. And it certainly not the best anime of the year but it definitely is one of the most enjoyable ones. And with all that being said I give this anime a 7/10.

Details:
Story: 5
Art: 9
Sound: 7
Characters: 6
Enjoyment: 8
Overall 7

A little history of One Punch Man, it originates from a webcomic. At first, the first chapter of One Punch Man was drawn by ONE as a test of a new app to draw manga. He later uploaded the chapter on his site, somehow it got recognition and more demands on the next chapter. ONE continued drawing and it became a huge, reaching 15 millions views in one week. Yusuke Murata approached ONE to make a collaboration. Yusuke Murata is responsible for the redrawing and ONE improves the plot of the manga.

Story 9/10

The story is very basic, even a kid would understand thus this ... anime is very suitable for everyone. It's about a guy, who trained so hard that he became so strong to the point he can defeat everyone with a punch. Yes, I know what you're thinking. One punch and it's over, isn't that boring? The author knows that it would be boring, that's why the story does not only tell about Saitama, it tells about others too. Saitama isn't the only character in this anime.

Art 10/10

The anime was done by seven different studios under the name of MadHouse, the animators are famous for their amazing artwork and choreography. Natsume Shingo, considered as a legend of fight scene animator is in charge.

Sound 10/10

The OSTs in this anime are very amazing. The sound effects are realistic and most of the voice actors are very popular.

Character 10/10

A bald dude in a jumpsuit who is a planet buster? Check
A cyborg? Check
A scientist? Check
A samurai? Check
A ninja? Check
A hotheaded delinquent? Check
A hot guy who is a celebrity? Check

Enjoyment 10/10

The battles are just crazy, it has some casual jokes and the events coming at you nonstop.

Overall 10/10

I highly recommend you to watch this anime.

(No spoiler)First thing you must do when you are watching one punch man is understand the idea of the anime is a anime with so much humor so do not expect that everything make sense.

The story pratically do not exist i could resume in a monster invade the city and saitama win but don't think it's a bad point the anime have so much humor and the characters make you want to continue the anime.

The art is spetacular i think funny how this anime use the face of saitama of the manga is spetacular, the design of the characters is very much good is very ... unique and the animation is spetacular too in the dialogs and in the fights.

The sound is very good i like it very much the opening is great but the ending is that generical ending of anime and the soundtrack while the anime is good but nothing spetacular the great point in the sound is in the opening.

The characters are great mainly the main characters(saitama and genos) they have so much charisma and are unique saitama isn't that generical protagonist of the shounen he is really diferente.

The enjoyment is very good you will want to continue and continue so the end comes and the characters and the humor make this happen.

One punch man is a great anime i don't was waiting for something so good, I recomend but please do not take this anime seriously if you keep in your head that this anime is made for doesn't make any sense and just be cool you will like it.

Story OP/10, Art OP/10!!!, Sound OP/10, Character OP/10, Enjoyment OP/10!!!, Overall OP/10. 'Cause Saitama.
I liked this. I really really really like this anime. 'Cause Saitama. You'll like it too. You'll really really really like it. 'Cause Saitama. Have some bug spray at hand though. OP/10 Would punch that play button again. 'Cause Saitama.

There once was a man with hair on his head,
who beats up people, "boring" he says.
He swore to himself he would become stronger,
on behalf of other people who won't even bother.
He ran 10 kilometers, every single day,
to become a hero for fun, not for the pay.
As for the fame, that is a ... different story,
he doesn't seek the riches, only the glory.
With 100 sit ups, push ups and squats.
All for three years, is what he plots.
After it's been done, he stands proud,
infront of his restroom mirror, is where he vowed.
There was one problem, it was his hair,
it disappeared, to be seen no-where.
With a potatoe for a face, he stood still,
his eyes went dotted and so did his will.
If for only a second, he was pale,
he turned back around and this was his tale.

ONE PUNCH!!!

That's all that it takes! A power of Gods,
his limits? No breaks!
He nails every villain that threatens the world,
ending with a smile, with his fingers curled.
Explosions like a nuke, those were the impacts,
creating a vortex without landing smacks!
Once with his disciple whom he left shocked,
turning around to see a mountain... No mountain,
while Saitama simply walked.

Saitama is Love, Saitama is Life,
don't piss off the baldy, he's scarier than a wife.

Hype is the first thing that pops up in your head when hear One Punch Man, and why wouldn't it. One Punch Man fans have been extremely excited ever since it was confirmed to get an anime series. Nevertheless, with hype comes a lot of expectations. One mess up and you’ll get hate from both manga/webcomic fans and those who wanted to see what One Punch Man is all about. Luckily Madhouse knows what they’re doing very well and they didn’t disappoint. The anime is a page-by-page adaptation of what fans wanted, and what newcomers are now interested in. Its satirical style parodying shounen and ... superhero tropes makes this a breath of fresh air in the anime medium. A gateway anime to many, One Punch Man helps in increasing the anime community.

~{Story}~
The story focuses on Saitama, an average, bald-headed, expressionless man. However, little can one expect him to be the strongest man on earth who defeats all of his opponents with just one punch (hence the title!). The problem is that he is so strong that he is craving for a strong enough opponent so he can have fun with what he’s doing. The story right off the bat feels very unique. Many anime focus on the protagonist becoming more and more powerful. However One Punch Man focuses the aftermath of that story, and how being the strongest may not be as good as it sounds. Though it may see uninteresting at first, because for how long can you have fun with a protagonist that is flawless in his strength, however the anime does a great job handling that as it’s jokes end up staying fresh and its focus on other characters makes you still keep your interest. One Punch Man may not have the most fantastically written story, but it gets the job done. And it’s the simplicity of the story that makes it the more enjoyable. Just leave your brain somewhere else and you’ll have a blast with One Punch Man.
Story: 8.5/10

~{Presentation}~
As a superhero-action anime, it delivers with its large-scale battles. As a parody-comedy it delivers with its satirical humor and hilarious characters. One Punch Man exactly what it is and it makes sure to only focus on that. No deep messages (besides Mumen Rider’s speech), no buildup, no tragic storylines, just a crap load of fun. One Punch Man is sort up built up of small story arcs that rarely connect to one another besides its characters. And each arc delivers in entertainment, whether it be large-scaled, beautifully animated action, or slapstick humor. The pacing is also really good, as the anime takes its time on focusing on other characters and delivering consistent entertainment without any empty moments. The concept of One Punch Man is something that easily could have been a disaster, but luckily doesn’t. It’s absolutely perfect in its presentation. It’s an anime that can bring in the most experienced anime watchers, and those who are entering this medium and are new to it. It parodies on superheroes is something that can appeal to a larger audience than just anime fans. The mixture of comedy and action makes this one of the greatest anime to come in recent times.
Presentation: 9.5/10

~{Character}~
Saitama is a breath of fresh air in terms of action protagonists. Most characters focus on getting stronger, Saitama would envy those characters as he is too strong to enjoy his fights, if they can even be considered as fights. Saitama is hilarious and badass at the same time, so no wonder why he is so likeable. Saitama’s transition from a detailed expression to expressionless will get me every time. Saitama’s disciple, Genos, is one complete badass. He wants to become stronger, and Saitama is his hope. Even if he gets his ass kicked more than he does to others, his style and fighting skills are what makes him get a lot of fans, in the anime and outside. One Punch Man offers a humongous cast of character and each of them are unique in their own way. You have Sonic, the baddie that can’t admit someone can be stronger than him, Mumen Rider, who may not have the most strength, but he has the most heart, and so much more. The heroes impress with their uniqueness and their humorous presentation, the villains impress with their over-the-top concepts and designs. There’s always a character you end up loving in One Punch Man, because of the likeability of all of the characters. However, there are some characters that do get sidelined at times are just used to merely be a contrast for Saitama. However characters are great enough to cover up this flaw.
Character: 9/10

~{Art}~,
Madhouse really went on point with the art of One Punch Man. There were two ways to tackle it: make the art cruddy looking to add to the humor (just like the webcomics), or make the art extremely detailed and fancy (like the manga remake). Madhouse manages to find a place between the two as the anime uses sketchy-style drawing as an effect, yet have detailing that makes the anime still gorgeous. This way, the studio gets to please both webcomics and manga fans, while bringing in new fans. The backgounds are well detailed. The color palette is restricted for the better. Vivid and bright colors wouldn’t work with One Punch Man, so the limited color usage is great. The character designs are superbly presented. Each character looks totally unique in their own ways. Characters such as Watchdog Man wearing a dog costume to fight crime is just one of the many ridiculous designs this anime has to offer. Not to mention Genos looks extremely great with his cyborg design. And the most important part, Saitama is designed perfectly with him jumping around between an excited character with a detailed, buffed-up design, to an unenthusiastic, minimal detailed, average looking character.
Art: 10/10

~{Animation}~
Just like the art, Madhouse manages to deliver extremely smooth animations that can satisfy for webcomics and manga fans. The sketchy and smooth feeling combine to make superb animations. With its large-scale battles, all over-the-top, the animations bring those to life. The smooth rotations used in this anime show how beautifully animated it is. The contrast between the over-the-top animations with Saitama’s simplistically drawn face adds up to its already excellent humor. Only very few anime can be so consistent with its style and One Punch Man manages to succeed. The animations are so fast that they don’t give you time to breath and that is just perfect. The fast-pacing and the animations perfectly blend together. Not to mention that the final fight was so well done, and so well stylized that I couldn’t help but grin like a creep for the entire episode. There are very slight hiccups with the animations, but they easily get overshadowed with the animations that are great in One Punch Man. Also character movements have a very realistic feeling to it (such as Mumen Rider getting of his bicycle). The realism makes it feel like as if the animations were rotoscoped at times.
Animation: 10/10

~{Voice Acting}~
Since there is an abundance of characters in One Punch Man, a large seiyuu cast is required. The two main characters of One Punch Man, is voice acted by seiyuu that weren’t much heard of, yet they still manage to do an excellent job as Saitama and Genos. Furukawa Makoto does a great job as Saitama as he can give both energy and a lack enthusiasm at perfect times. He is the perfect voice for Saitama. And it’s funny how they got a zero to voice act Satama and after this anime he might become a hero. Ishikawa Kaito does Genos and he does it perfectly. He is able to add the coolness to Genos and that desperation of trying to get stronger. He really did make Genos into a fan magnet with his voice acting skills. A lot of big name seiyuu do some pretty minor characters, considering their talent. Miyano Mamoru is Amai Mask, Namikawa Daisuke is Doctor Genus and Pig God, Hayami Saori is Fubuki, Sawashiro Miyuki is Mosquito Girl, Nakamura Yuuichi is Mumen Rider, Miki Shinichiro is Snek, Kaji Yuki is Sonic, Yuuki Aoi is Tatsumaki, and Sakurai Takahiro is Zombieman (He only said one line!). Everyone manages to do fantastic with their role, because of their excellent skills.
Voice Acting: 9/10

~{Music}~
At first, I was pretty afraid about the music as One Punch Man needs the perfect music to be more than what it can be. Once again, One Punch Man doesn’t disappoint in this category. The Opening “THE HERO !!”, is perfect as it perfectly represents what this anime is about. It’s super catchy and it warms you up for what is yet to come. However the ending “Hoshi yori Saki ni Mitsukete Ageru”, is the complete opposite as it’s too peaceful and soothing to be an One Punch Man ending. However, that’s what makes it more enjoyable as it adds so much irony to the anime. Not to mention it’s a beautiful song. The OST is outstanding. Every track impresses. Its adrenaline filled beats are sure worth listening to on repeat. The Genos Theme in particular is what impressed me the most. And the OST that is played when Saitama gets the job done is perfect too. Oh, and who can forget Mumen Rider’s Theme! The music is so well placed during the action scenes that I couldn’t be more impressed as a One Punch Man fan.
Music: 10/10

~{Enjoyment}~
The entertainment values One Punch Man has is through the roof. With is hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor, its parodies on superhero and shounen tropes and its large-scale battles, you’ve got one entertaining anime. Add the beautiful animations and art, and some fantastic background music, and you’ve got this anime elevated to a whole new level. One Punch Man’s got something for everyone, whether they be experienced anime watchers on newcomers, One Punch Man is here to appeal to anyone. It manages to please One Punch Man’s webcomic and manga fans as it incorporates both styles together in one in the anime version.
Enjoyment: 10/10

Overall, One Punch man is a breath of fresh air in the anime medium. It’s a great gateway anime for those who aren’t familiar with the anime medium, and its feels something unique and fresh for those who have been watching anime for a long time. It pleases manga and webcomic fans by being loyal to the original source. With its great humor and over-the-top action, mixed with its high production values, great animations and fantastic music, it’s a complete entertainer. If you haven’t watched the most hyped anime of the decade yet, you’re missing out. Try it out and see how you like it! I’ll be off to make some more One Punch Man gifs!

+ A complete entertainer in both comedy and action.
+ Fantastic concept about the life of an overpowered character.
+ Great cast of characters, that are all unique and they stand out from one another.
+ Production values are through the roof as the art and animations are some of the best ever made.
+ The OST is superb as it is totally adrenaline boosting.
- Some supporting characters get side-lined at times.

Overall: 9.4/10

This is the first review I wrote for one of the most hyped anime series ever! And boy, the hype was worth it. This anime was a blast. Oh, and also: THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS.

Story/Enjoyment: 8.5/10
I couldn't really see a plot in this anime, which was why I combined the score of the story and the enjoyment. This absolutely had no story whatsoever, BUT... it doesn't change the fact that this is a parody. There was no intention for a story. This was just a sit-back-and-relax type of series where you don't need to think and take it seriously; and I don't mind that; because ... I freakin' LAUGHED MY ARSE OFF HERE! This was hilarious. The battle scenes were very intense and exciting to see as well!

Art: 9/10
Well, what to expect from Madhouse Studios. The animation... Two Words: Madhouse Level...
Extra words: Which is GODDAMN AWESOME!

Sound: 9/10
The sound FX were like the extra sprinkles added onto a CAKE! Yep, not a turd. The sound effects had made me fall off my chair. The final battle scene was one of the MOST INTENSE AND EXCITING SCENES I'VE EVER SEEN!

Character: 10/10
I loved how Saitama had went through each of the "arcs" and finally take on one of the most powerful enemies he's taken on. First of all, it was like eating a piece of sultana. Then as the series progressed, the enemies had become harder to beat until at the final battle, he couldn't beat the enemy within ONE PUNCH.

Overall: 9/10
That was worth the 6 hours of me watching this. I'm also excited for the second season airing in 2017!

"Do you honestly think you won't get any stronger for the rest of your life? Instead of sitting around frustrated, it's better to keep on moving forward. I'm going now. Today's a special day in case you didn't know. The market's selling veggies at 30% off."

This quote is basically everything what One Punch Man is about.

Mixing serious thoughts with comedy might be the best way how to deliver something deep without looking like a smart aleck. Well, the action side of this series is worth watching as well – mainly due to its very nice and fluid animation, but also because there are plenty of ... other interesting characters who can actually get hurt.

I think that the people, who didn’t enjoy this show, were trying to find something in it that was never intended to be there. I am talking about romance and other daily problems a normal person can relate to. Maybe it is because of the way OPM is parodying other superheroes series. It takes all the overly used stereotypes and confront them with the real world, which makes you realize how stupid they actually are. E.g. every hero has to have a tragic background story, revenge is the number one motivation, an attack is only as powerful as its name, etc.… The other thing this show is taking from a real world is the human nature. Even though there are some nice people, the majority is not – especially in the times, when something is screwed up, the need for a culprit is bigger than the need for a hero. All those things might lead you to a conclusion that this show will get more and more real, but it won’t. So don’t watch it if that is what you were looking for – you will not enjoy it.

Luckily for me OPM was just what I wanted. Actually just the imagination that I myself should come up with a watchable 12 episodes long story based on a character that is so overpowered that no one can defeat him and stick to it for the whole time is certainly something I have never seen before.

The key lies in the diversity. So far a lot of characters were introduced, but almost every one brought something new in the show:
Saitama’s main purpose is to deliver us wisdom in a way that will entertain us as well. "Let me make one thing clear! I'm not working as a hero because I want you morons to admire me! I do it 'cause I want to!" As I’ve stated in my preview before the way I understood this is that whatever it is we do in our lives, we should always be passionate and enthusiastic about it.
Genos carries the potential plot, which might make the show be even more interesting in the future.
Mumen Rider … even though he is weak, his extreme sense of justice and devotion to help others is provoking me to be a better person too.
Sonic is an embodiment of an egocentric person. He is not a real villain. He just wants to be acknowledged. The only reason we get to see him more is just because Saitama is aware of it as well.
S-heroes … they are all unique. We haven’t seen everyone in action yet, but they seem to have very different characters, plus their special powers are making the show more exciting.

Besides the opening I wasn’t aware of any music that would stand out. But if you take the time to listen to the OST you may actually be surprised how good the soundtrack is.

So, if you have the time and you like super heroes, I recommend you to watch it. Really! I was more excited to see the last episode than the new Star wars movie. It had to be very difficult for the author to keep the show fresh every week, but it was executed very well.

A simple webcomic with sloppy drawing and started out as a hobby, re-drawn by a god-tier manga artist, and now it has an anime adaptation which is now the most Popular Anime of the Decade. This Anime exceeds the expectation of the many which makes this anime incredible especially for its fight scenes, but for now, it has ended and we have to wait for more than a year in order for this anime to have a sequel, since the source material still lacks for it to be animated.


Anime vs. Manga vs. Webcomic
Now I just want to tell people that I’ve read the Manga version ... and the Webcomic before this anime was announced, it was March at that time, going back to its comparison the Anime is no doubt the best of the three, since it’s the final package of adaptation, but it doesn’t mean the Manga can be ignored that has breathtaking art almost comparable to its anime, as for the Webcomic, which is the origin of the series, excels in plot and character development, the crème of OPM series which lacks on the anime. The Webcomic has already finished its top notch arc, the Garou Arc, but the manga is still preparing for that arc which is the most incredible plot with great character development with balanced fights of OPM series, though I don’t want to talk about it since it will be a spoiler and it’s not yet re-drawn.


It is indeed unique, unlike any shounen premise which has a basic formula of “Fight and Train until you get stronger” nor the western style of “Super” w/ a story of fighting for humanity. OPM utilizes itself for its “Gag Purposes” that destroys the common principle styles and logic which is always used on many shows and series and which destroys what was set in the common mentality. The story is incomplete that leaves me unsatisfied, the story in the Webcomic is yet to come and the manga has uncovered many characters which makes it fun to read, but the anime is still on its introduction, more likely, it has covered up its awesomeness of its theme, and after that, is quite underwhelming, but It doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, but rather, it is really predictable when it comes to plot device, we already know who’s going to win, so basically we already know what’s going to happen and we’re just waiting for to see the results, the reaction and the scale of the fight. It needs a sequel to appreciate this anime completely, and because of that I encourage people to read the Manga at Chapter 37, and if you’re into plot, just finish the ongoing manga and read the Webcomic version at Chapter 51.


Aesthetic sound and Visually Outstanding, when it comes to its Output, everything is just awesome, no doubt that this is one of the best anime when it comes to Art and Sound, it’s really good that even reading the manga the anime had exceed my expectation, the only problem when it comes to animation was the “Impact Factor” the manga did it, every small detail of art nor the casual and funny scenes is just artistically outstanding, well the manga has the best dedicated manga artist who dedicated his life into it, going back to the anime, the art of the anime is good, but sometimes it becomes mediocre then it goes to fight scenes, the show cuts loose with evocative smears, spinning cameras, and wild linework combined with great guitar solo and memorable music which brings the fights into life, so it’s like a switch, it’s like an “on and off” concept which makes the anime sometimes underwhelming, especially after overwhelming fights which heightens the tension of the anime scene. The Last episode is the very evidence of it, the first half was just awesome, then the second half is quite underwhelming.


What made me love this anime was the Sound, it’s the best, I wish I can copy the guitar solos through hearing, but for now, I want to point out that this Anime has a magnificent anime Opening, which didn’t spoil any audiences and have created a story while showing how cool Saitama is, and the Background music which livens everything especially when it comes to its fighting scenes, the only thing that I hate was the Ending[ed] especially the memorable alarm clock with a sad song to end its awesomeness of each episode.


Now for the characters, the highlights of the whole series, they are just memorable, they’ve got unique appeal and their character designs fit their very image. There’s a simple symbolism for Saitama and Genos, they are liken to Yin[white and Yang[black] that balances them in this series. Though Saitama’s Highlights would fall to episode 7 and 9, I don’t want to talk about since it will be a spoiler for those who didn’t watch the anime. OPM’s supporting characters makes this story, they are appealing and they are awesome, but only few of them have developed and the others were just shown just to show their scale of power to win the fight, to observe, or to lose the fight. The antagonist are very clichéd, there’s nothing bad to them nor good points, they are just there to show the scale of power of different level and to be defeated by mc, fortunately some heroes were given a time to show off their skills. There might be flaws when it comes to plot character device, but there are some hidden ethics and logic in this anime, and there’s more in the its manga and webcomic.


Now most of the viewers have enjoyed this anime, while some have loathed it since its too overrated, but for me, it’s really good, the fighting scenes was good, one of the best executed anime, it’s jaw dropping and the visually stunning with great combination of impressive sound, the characters are really unique that many people have been captivated into them. Many have created thousands of arts, have been cosplayed by many audiences, many have become bald just to do that, and many who are new to anime have watched this and most of all, it’s heavily known throughout the world, it’s just popular that it has conquered social meds, forums and more. It’s funny(not sure why some people doesn’t find it funny) and sometimes it touches the audiences, but most of the time, it’s awesome.


It’s worth to watch, it’s an all ages anime[but it’s R - 17+ (violence & profanity)] it’s really good to recommend it to new to anime, but the anime is still incomplete, it needs a sequel in order to bring out its full potential, it’s still lacks since it has covered only the first half of the whole series, while the best quality of this series exist in its manga and webcomic.


The anime is really good and no doubt enjoyable, the people behind it made it really good, and the funny thing is, people were inspired by Saitama’s Training Regimen that many NEETS, Otakus and many more have worked out that a joke turned into motivation. I want to recommend this as an action comedy, highly recommended for new to anime viewers and casual viewers.

REUPLOADED:

You really have to watch the whole show to pass judgement on it. OP Man is an anime that goes from simply parodying Shounen to analyzing society and what it means to be a hero. This anime is not simply joke after joke, and those who are worth their anime mettle must check this show out.

Story/Character:

These two are tied together, so I'm going to just throw my entire analysis here.

**There will be spoilers, but only to pertinent things.**

The first thing we're gonna look at is the character of Saitama himself. He is basically the end-game of every Shounen protagonist, and a deconstruction of ... Shounen in general. He's become so powerful that he's bored with life. Nobody challenges him anymore. He's become apathetic with life. He's literally lost most of his ability to feel emotions.

He lets the villains rant and go to full power (typical shounen fashion) to see if they give him a challenge, and then ends it with one punch. He lets the villains rant on and on about how amazing their powers are (again, shounen) before telling them to shut it.

His character evolves through the series, and only becomes more and more likable. He goes from a jokingly overpowered to...well, he doesn't change there.

His initial motivation for registering as a hero is to gain recognition for what he's done for everybody. But as the series goes on, we see that he's happy to throw his popularity under the rug in favor of doing the right thing. He loudly disregards the crowd's opinion of him, finding it idiotic that they have all this time to hate him. He acts like a jerk to give credit to the other heroes who actively risked their lives to try and stop a monster.

He is one of few genuine heroes in this whole series, despite there being a whole organization of them.

But he doesn't get a happy ending. In the finale, he easily defeats an alien emperor named Boros who had conquered the universe until he was bored of it. Essentially, Boros is a weaker, evil mirror of Saitama himself. He had moved throughout galaxies to get to Saitama, just looking for a good fight.

During their fight, there are numerous parallels between Boros and Saitama in his dream back in episode 1. In both situations, the person had finally found someone who they can go all out against. Boros is insanely happy at finally being able to do so, and you can hear his joy in his voice as he unloads all he has. Unfortunately, Saitama is bored and ends the fight with a punch that has some weight behind it.

As Boros lies on the ground dying, he lets Saitama know that he could tell that he still wasn't going all out. Boros never stood a chance, it wasn't even a battle. His parting words to Saitama were essentially "you're too strong for your own good". Saitama doesn't respond and just walks away. He'll probably never find an opponent strong enough to challenge him. He's never going to find the battle thrill that Boros managed to find at the end of his life. It was an incredibly powerful scene that highlights just how lonely Saitama really is at the top.

The next character we'll look at is Genos. He's basically the typical Shounen protagonist. He has a dark past that traumatizes him, and he vows revenge and wants more strength to exact said revenge. His design is also incredibly cool.

His character isn't only there as a foil to Saitama. It's also there as a commentary on public perception. When he and Saitama first register with the Hero Organization, he gets a ton of fan mail even though he literally hadn't done anything yet. Why?

Because he's an S-rank hero and he looks cool. Thus, the public assume he's an amazing hero regardless of accomplishments.

His character also evolves as the series goes on, going from being fixated on revenge to becoming more of a hero, thanks to him constantly witnessing Saitama's heroics. In the final episode, he sees a ruthless hero murdering a bunch of enemies who had surrendered already, and notes that he could have turned into that person if he hadn't met Saitama.

The third character we have to look at is Licenseless Rider. He's the embodiment of a real hero, and resembles Saitama pre-training personality wise. Saitama recognizes him as a real hero, because they're so damn similar. One key difference, however, is that Licenseless Rider actually gets recognition for his work, and has a decent fanbase despite being basically a dude on a bike, through sheer force of personality and will.

His role in the serious arc is a deconstruction of a typical anime trope: the one where the hero, through sheer determination and the "strength of the people who believe in him" can bridge a power gap and somehow beat the villain. It looks like it would happen here too somehow. He gives a speech that shows his pure heroic personality, and brings the people on his side. They start cheering for him, putting all their faith in him...and then he gets taken out of the fight instantly. Reality ensued.

The other heroes all get their moments as well. Every hero in the show is portrayed in a very human way. One shits his pants, literally, when he meets an opponent he can't win. Another hero tries to help, but realizes he's basically useless compared to another hero. A group of heroes refuse to fall back and find another strategy because they know their strengths, and they have nothing but brute force to rely on. Even the most hateable hero has a point that you can agree on despite him going about it in the most dickish way.

Now we take a look at the themes. There are three I want to touch on.

The first theme is society's tendency to build people up to knock them down. This is true in real life as well. We make celebrities immensely famous, but still delight in secret gossip and scandalous happenings until eventually, the celebrity can't take the pressure of having his/her every move being watched and just fades away. We expect famous people to be perfect, and delight in proving that they aren't.

The same thing happens in One Punch Man. Slightly exaggerated like most animes, but still. The straightest example of this is when an S-rank Hero fails to stop a monster (the top rank), the media immediately denounces him as a failure the next day. You can see it affecting him immensely.

Another example would be after Saitama destroys a world threatening meteor, but the public instead blames him for property damage from the debris. However, Saitama challenges these views and calls them out for the BS selfish asses they are.

A third example would be that one asshat in episode 9. Words cannot properly describe how angry I am with that sack of baboon shit. Watch for yourself.

The second major theme is a question: what is a hero? The vast majority of the heroes in this show are selfish. They became a hero to become popular and possibly hit it big. The higher rank a hero is, the more popular they become.

There are heroes in this show who will actively try to discredit another hero for publicity, heroes that don't care about other heroes unless they're a certain rank, heroes who even sneer at being heroic unless it suits them properly.

Yet, during the first serious arc of the show, we see just what being a hero means. There's a hero who tries to build his fanbase by giving his rank and name before going in for a fight, but gets demolished. There are other heroes who are high rank and try to fight the monsters off, but end up getting annihilated.

At the end of the day, though, it's the people who stand up and fight no matter what who are the heroes. As the amazing Licenseless Rider says, "If the Heroes run and hide, who will fight?".

A third theme is public perception. The main reason Saitama isn't immensely popular and known for his deeds is because of his appearance. He's basically always slouched over with an 'idgaf' face on, and his lame costume certainly doesn't help. When he displays his power, people can't quite believe that he did it, and accuse him of being a cheat. He simply doesn't have the charisma or appearance to garner much respect from anyone.

Yet, when Genos became a hero, he instantly develops a fanbase. Lamewads like "Tank Top Tiger" end up being much better known just because he looks more the part. The public practically always sides against Saitama just because of his appearance.

Doesn't this mirror our society in a way? The more attractive looking people get a warmer reception, while the uglier/plainer ones have to work harder. Say what you want, but this is basically a proven fact.

Tying into the public perception theme is how popularity affects said perception. The most successful heroes are the most popular ones. Nobody quite acknowledges the lower ranked ones as much, and they eventually fade into obscurity. It kind of mirrors the manga/comic industry. Only the popular ones will continue getting printed and milked to death, while the less popular ones will get cancelled no matter how quality they are.

I doubt I've even managed to cover everything, and I don't think I even properly conveyed the things I did go over in the damn essay I just wrote. This show references so many things that it makes the head swim.

Art:

I have not had the fight scenes of an anime impress me this much since Kill la Kill. The other notable part of this show is the famous 'idgaf' Saitama face. It's hilariously poorly drawn compared to the rest of the show, and depicts his attitude towards life extremely well. His posture also noticeably changes along with the art style when he's pumped up/serious. The art will warp stylistically in the middle of a battle. And the way they depict Saitama's one-punches. Dear lord, they're amazing. Overall, just pretty damn amazing overall.

Sound:

The music ramps up at the appropriate times, and the voice actors are pretty damn good. Genos's battle theme in particular is memorable. That's all I have on this.

Enjoyment:

Even if you don't dive into the crazy amount of themes in this show, you will find enjoyment on the very surface. This show has tons of heart and personality, enough to keep you engaged throughout the whole thing.

This anime is by far one of the best of the year 2015. Convincing through story, characters, animation, music and comedy, Madhouse delivers with their adaptation of the manga once again.
What can you expect of this anime? Great comedy, a parody of clichés and a fitting animation style, that's similar to GTO and Prison School. What can you not expect going into this show? Balanced battles. But without further blabbering, I'm going to say some words about the story.

Saitama, also known as the OPM, is our way too strong and bored main protagonist, who is looking for strong enemies. Unfortunately he doesn't find any in ... his normal life. Soon after that he joins the Hero Association and is faced with additional problems and meets enemies worthy (or not) of his presence. While that sounds like an outright 0815 story, that anybody could think of, it isn't. The Hero Association has its own internal complexity. And society is also a pain in the ass like in real life. Most importantly, Saitama's strength also switches the focus from battle to story and comedy.
Even though the story is good, it's still not the best out there. But it has a lot of potential with more seasons, because there are a lot of topics, that could be covered, like the #1 hero or the origin of Saitama's strength.

Along the story a great set of characters is introduced, that have as much a potential as the story. Our main protagonist is not our "work hard to win" or "you can do it, just train a bit more" 0815 hero, but a lazy, unemployed one who doesn't even seem like he could defeat a B-class hero. He is more normal than you would think. Despite of that he has clear goals and a defined personality, that's shown in the 12 episodes. Genos, our good-for-nothing, is Saitama's self-proclaimed disciple. He seems more like a 0815 hero, but his personality luckily develops and isn't as 2D as in the beginning. The other characters, that are introduced, are either over-the-top or as 0815 as they could be. But nobody cares, because they're exploited for the comedic aspect of the show.

Now a few words about the splendid animation and sound/music, for what Madhouse is known for. They keep a constant level of animation throughout the story and attract the eyes with almost flawless animated scenes and well used special effects. And don't forget the comedy art style. It's so funny to watch Saitama's ridiculous faces and reminds you of other great comedy anime such as Prison School or GTO. It fits too well to the comedy aspect and thus it earned my respect.

As well as the animation the music also shines in this anime. The opening and ending is really catchy. While the opening prepares you for the magnificence of the anime, the ending sums up your feelings at the end of the episode: "I want more!!!". The music used in the episodes is also good, but not too noticeable. And don't forget the vocal actors. Without them the characters wouldn't have the voices, that totally hit the topic of the anime.

One Punch Man does an outstanding job at using the clichés, that are used in recent anime and manga, to create a great parody. Not only does the art style assort well with the comedy, but the story and the characters are used properly to complete this anime. I enjoyed every episode and would be happy about a second season.

However, there are also flaws. The story is not very complex and original as it relies heavily on the entertainment. If you analyse it at deep levels, you could say, that it's pretty average. Fans of deep and thrilling stories aren't satisfied by this level.
The battles are another downside. As tense as they may seem, you're able to predict the outcome right away. So battles with an unexpected outcome can't be found here. But they're flashy, so if you don't mind predictable fights and just want to enjoy the comedy, then you can ignore it.

One Punch Man may not be for everyone, especially not for those, who are bored after episode 2, but it's something new in the comedy genre (anime) and everyone, who wants to lighten up their day after a hard workday, won't be disappointed.

Story: 7/10 (has potential)
Art: 9/10 (great)
Sound: 9/10 (great)
Character: 9/10 (great)
Enjoyment: 9/10 (great, but something was missing for the 10)
Overall: 8.6

One Punch Man tells the story of Saitama, a hero capable of defeating enemies in just one punch.

Story:
One Punch Man starts out with a curious premise for its story. How can an anime about enemies dying in one punch be any good? Well, in the case of OPM, it simply is. The anime blends humour to its plot extremely well, making the initial premise be possible to achieve. Yet, when you go deeper than the funny surface, you will find the plot surrounding the heroes association high echelons to be full of mystery and intrigues. This mixture of fun plot, and good quality plot makes ... it so OPM has an above average story compared to its genre. But still, due the nature of the anime, the plot is still relatively simple. Overall, the story achieved its goal, and went a bit further beyond by introducing interesting intrigues inside the hero association.
8/10

Art:
Animes are first and foremost animations. Some animes simply can not explore the full potential of animation if they are without fights and conversation centric. This is not the case of OPM. OPM delivers the best the anime industry has to offer. Intricate fights full of magnificent special effects are present in OPM since the beginning to the end. There is simply only one rating I could give here.
10/10

Sound:
Likewise, the sound on this anime is on point. Visual special effects often come with sound effects. The soundtracks were also very good and catchy, and got us hyped whenever they needed to.
9/10

Characters:
I highly rate characters when they are well developed, or when they are highly charismatic, or both for the highest ratings. I think it is not a mystery here that the characters of OPM are extremely charismatic. All main characters and S heroes have a unique feel to themselves. Which is precisely what characters of this genre of anime are supposed to achieve. However, some characters have extra depth added to them. Mainly Genos and some of the other heroes, and Saitama to a certain extend. All in all, the characters in OPM are extremely charismatic, while having some character development in some cases.
8/10

Enjoyment:
OPM is the anime I looked for each week. I liked its humor, all the fights, and story. The hype was real. I understand this is a personal preference, but OPM was the best anime I watched in awhile.
10/10

Overall:
OPM brings the best of the anime industry. The best animation I've seen in anime is here, the fights are excellent, the story is funny with some complexity, and characters are memorable. Eventually, I will forget about most anime characters, but I will not forget about Saitama for awhile. One Punch Man delivered a memorable experiences, and is one of the best animes out there.
9/10

I seriously hope they produce more seasons in the future.

One Punch Man: You'll either hate it or love it.

For me, it's the latter.
If you're in for the comedy and action, you'll love it.
If you're specifically looking for a serious plot-driven anime, then back off from this show.

One Punch Man's (henceforth OPM) storyline is actually quite simple, but with a fun twist. Saitama's this bald, bored, and overpowered man who is constantly looking for an opponent that won't perish from his single punch. Tough luck for him. At Saitama's expense, it was soooo hilarious to see him get depressed because his opponents were too weak.

We are used to seeing anime MC'S struggling ... to become strong and fighting the bad guys, getting all beaten up. But...In OPM Saitama never even got injured. The worst case for Saitama is...ending up naked.

Then there's this straightforward cyborg named Genos who's Saitama's apprentice.

Then Saitama registered to become an official hero and take on (weak) bad guys.

The end.

That's basically the story is about. Simple yet fun. I laughed so hard even just a few minutes watching the first episode.However, the story didn't get a 10 from me because it's plot is simplistic and there's no real tension there. But that's one of OPM's charms; simplicity and fun.

The art is simple yet it suits the show, I dunno why. The background is not particularly breathtaking or anything but it's juuust right. The debris especially were also given detail. Battle scenes are done very nicely; it's smooth and entertaining to watch.

In the sound department, the OP really suits the show! It's very catchy and full of hype. The ED is also nice, but it reminds me of Dragon Ball's Romantic no Ageru Yo. Somehow the ED brought a sense of nostalgia to me, and it's not a bad thing. The tracks used were in perfect sync with the events that happened, and the voice actors have done a really great job! I think Saitama's and Genos' VA really suits the characters.

Characters of OPM are not really that developed nor do they change. However, almost all of the characters are lovable, and there was only one character that I felt was kinda annoying. Saitama is strong strong strong. Genos is strong but is the epitome of a normal (superpowered) anime MC; strong but not too strong. OPM definitely lacks some character-building, but the focus of OPM is not really on the character development. *winks winks*

I really enjoyed watching OPM, and I can't wait for season 2! I think that those who especially enjoy watching comedy anime, or the likes of superheroes anime would love this fun-filled action show. Or if you're just wondering whether this show is worth watching for some comedic relief, this show is worth checking out.

An amazing action-comedy that parodies shounen anime tropes, explores depression and the search for fulfillment.

At a first glance, One-Punch Man may seem like the type of anime that will solely focus on telling it's one titular joke over and over again in slightly different scenarios until it bores it's audience to death. Fortunately, this is not the case, because as it turns out, this show is an excellent action comedy that explores the themes of depression and fulfillment in the modern-day and that parodies the most cliched aspects of the battle shounen genre.

If we are going to talk about OPM we might as well start ... with arguably the best aspect of the show, the characters.

The cast members of OPM are quite the diverse bunch, composed by a little bit of everything, from giants, to cyborgs, to samurai, to kung-fu masters, to delinquents, to dinosaurs, to aliens, to sea creatures, to mosquitos, to espers and everything in between. all of their designs are striking, chock-full of personality and very distinct which characterize all of perfectly and make them very memorable.
The way they are written is just as great, especially the heroes and the villains.

A common thing in superhero fiction is that the confrontations and the moral compasses of "the good guys" and "the bad guys" are normally portrayed in a very black and white manner with the heroes always being bastions of good values and morals and the villains as just evildoers who are evil because they have nothing else better to do which typically doesn't make for the most engaging or substantial story. OPM doesn't slump in this pitfall, showing us a society filled with corruption, jealousy and excessive ambition caused by the industrialization of the hero occupation where most heroes only care about raising in the ranks and acquiring fame and recognition by any means necessary with the idea of actually saving people always being treated as an afterthought.

But amid this corruption, true heroism still exists in a few people, who convey very important heroic values to the audience, which is something I always appreciate anime.

From these true heroes, the most noteworthy of all of them would be the MC Mr. Caped Baldy himself Saitama.

The hero for fun and profit is a pretty unique character in the way that most action shounen protagonists don't start as unemployed and depressed salarymen who have lost all of their drive, passion, and interest in the world around them. but this passion is rekindled in an instinctive moment of heroism triggered by his heroic values, where Saitama saves a young boy from certain death and after the fact decides to follow his childhood dream of being the greatest hero. he trains like crazy for 3 years straight under a grueling training regime. so grueling in fact that it led to him becoming the world's strongest hero gaining absurd amounts of strength, durability, stamina, speed, and reflexes. he also kinda lost all of his hair. but to gain such a godlike physique, another godlike feature must be sacrificed. R.I.P Saitama's hair.

But even after becoming the world's strongest human ever, Saitama continues to be depressed, feeling as though his emotions are distancing themselves from him. this connects to 2 of the most important themes of the show, depression, and fulfillment. Why am I saying this you ask? let me explain. even though Saitama reached his dream of becoming the strongest hero, it didn't solve his problem, that being his unfulfilling existence. he still lives his life without giving much of f*ck about anything, since his try at being a superhero, which he tried to see if he could cure his emotional state, still left him feeling empty inside because of inability to struggle in a fight due to his overwhelming power, which leads to him not being able to feel that sense of accomplishment for surpassing a very difficult obstacle or for winning a fair fight.

These aspects of his character are used to make fun of cliched action shounen tropes like the pre-battle speech where a villain will build himself up by announcing all of his powers, titles and feats of strength while becoming even stronger in the process and because Saitama doesn't really care, he just wants his opponent to get on with it so he can see if they can bring him some type of challenge. And as the fight starts, it immediately ends resulting in a pretty hilarious moment for us and a very disappointing moment for Saitama
This starts to change, however, when a young cyborg called Genos comes into his life.

Genos is more like your traditional action shounen MC. He has your typical tragic back story (which is told in a very comedic manner) the will to punish all evildoers and the desire to become stronger. After an altercation with a villain, Genos asks Saitama to become his master to help him become stronger. After this they start interacting more with each other, which triggers a change in both of them. Genos learns Saitama's heroic values like "if the heroes run, who is left to help?" which both show that Saitama his a genuine hero and change Genos' attitude for the better helping him become a better hero. Another thing that their interactions bring is happiness and fulfillment to Saitama. which promotes what the show is trying to communicate, which is that what brings us the most joy in our lives isn't our personal achievements but the connections we make with other people, getting to know them, spending time with them, etc.. I ,personally, love this message because it tries to encourage us, the audience, to do the same as Saitama and spend time with the people that we care the most about or even form new relationships.

This behavior is further encouraged by the various scenes that have our characters just spending time together and chilling.

I have been talking about the heroes for a while now but don't think that the villains get any less attention.

Most of the villains are well written in the way that they are more than just obstacles for Saitama to crush, they have their ambitions, wishes, they develop through the course of the series and further explore the themes of the series. The biggest example of this is the main villain of the season, Boros who in terms of his goals is quite similar to Saitama in the sense that he is also looking for something or someone that can end his monotonous and boring life and give him the fulfillment that he so desires, but the way that each of them approaches the problem is quite different since Saitama waits for an opportunity to fill the gap while Boros goes looking for it at the expense of everything else, making them foils of one another. This subplot is even used to comment on the nature of prophecies in literature, more specifically anime, where the protagonist and the antagonist are destined to fight each other in a battle for the ages, which gives Boros hope that someday his existence will feel complete, but the fight ends with Saitama, unsurprisingly, defeating Boros in an impossible match where even though Boros was able to use the full extent of his powers and give his all, satisfying himself at the moment, he ended the fight feeling unsatisfied since he never had a chance of achieving success, which made the fight completely void of any tension or that feeling of accomplishment that Boros desired so much. The same can be said of Saitama, who also left the fight feeling unsatisfied and, to add insult to injury, was unable to use a big part of his power feeling even less accomplished. This plotline did an amazing job of humanizing Boros which I enjoyed.

Some of the other villains were also very interesting because of the way they interact with Saitama. Villains like Sonic, Hammerhead, and Genus (The scientist) try to justify their actions with your typical shounen antagonist motivation like fighting for just causes (social injustice, evolution, and honor) but when these come in contact with Saitama, who is relatively pure with his intentions, sees right through these charades and brings out their true feelings which turn out to be as pure as Saitama’s which I found to be very interesting since it also has to do with the theme of fulfillment. I think that is enough discussion about characters. Let’s talk about the story.
The story in terms of complexity is quite simple so far with not that many things happening as of now but it does do a great job of planting the seeds for coming character arcs and plotlines, some in a pretty obvious way and others in a more subtle manner.

But what I liked most was the social critique aspect of the narrative, which does a great job of condemning various parts of Japanese society like it’s mentality of “work, exist only as a cog in the machine and forsake any personal interest or dream”. These thoughts are expressed in a scene where a newsreader asks an “expert” as to the why the amount of unmotivated young people has been rising and the “expert” states that it is because of the influence of irresponsible song lyrics that motivate the populous to follow their dream, instead of its unhealthy mentality of only acting for the whole. This shows the disconnect between the old generation and the young generation. Another aspect that OPM criticizes is the ungrateful nature of the population towards heroes who are unable to perfectly fulfill their roles due to hardship, focusing only on the bad side of their results and immediately calling them useless and incompetent. This is probably one of the aspects I admire most about One Punch Man since these kind of problems are ones that should be treated with utmost importance and making more people realize these problems is essential to the process of resolving them.

Ok, that is it for the story, now let us talk about the animation and the visuals.

Without a doubt, one of this show's best aspects is the animation. Every episode is filled with expertly drawn and animated action set pieces and character animation which gives the show an extreme amount of entertainment value for everyone who enjoys a good fight or something that is just a pleasure to look at. The backgrounds may not be super original but all of them are detailed and without any noticeable mistakes.

The sonic aspect of this anime is also great with a bombastic soundtrack created by Makoto Miyazaki, having a great variety of rock, electronica and orchestral tracks that fantastically elevate the hype and emotional moments. The sound design is great with it feeling very punchy, massive and impactful. The voice cast also did a great job with solid performances by everyone be it the main or support cast.

To conclude, I would say that a greatly enjoyed OPM from start to finish and that from now on I’m gonna start reading the manga.

Just don’t watch season 2.

It was ok

Highly enjoyed it, highly recommend it.
Art is immense, this was not just a Madhouse production but freelance talent from different studios bringing their own skill and passion to animate it.

The OP is on point, JAM project really fitted the theme and premise.

Characters are on point, their voices, looks, character.

The BGM is immense, the fights, the tracks fit perfectly for the scenes and are epic.
...
The story is great, original, interesting, adapted the manga intensively closely.

This Anime is an anime to be seen and enjoyed and shows the talent and passion behind every facet. Watch it now.

Overall: infinity / 10
My enjoyment equaled Saitama's powerlevel.
Limitless.

One Punch Man features this crazy workout introduced by the main character Saitama. To prevent spoilers, I will not give details of the workout. Anyway, I tried the workout and now have rotator cuff tendonitis. So word of advice. Do not push yourself through his workout, unless you’re physically able. If you decide to watch the anime, watch each episode through to the previews. There’s a short scene after the credits. Now onto the review.

Based on the famous webcomic by One (yes, his alias is One), One Punch Man has a simple plot: the protagonist defeating enemies with one hit. He is bored, looking for ... worthy opponents of being a challenge for him. As a fan of the manga, Madhouse met my expectations as they usually do with adaptations. The pacing was good, as they kept the story going by eliminating the side stories in the manga. It resembled a classic ‘90s superhero show consisting of monsters and heroes with phenomenal sakuga.

Keep in mind before investing your time in this show that it is a parody. Do not expect seriousness throughout the 12 episodes. It is a silly gag comic about a superhero who always wins but is very unpopular among the community. If you had bad experiences with parodies, do not disregard One Punch Man. I disliked some parodies like Cromartie High School and had a fun time watching this show. Some parts, including the repetitive punchlines emphasizing on Saitama’s superpower and foolishness, may not appeal to you. There are other comical fragments to look forward to, especially the characters’ dialogue and side jokes. It may not make you laugh, but it is still entertaining and dynamic with its concept. To be quite honest, I can’t imagine getting bored with this show. With that being said, it is easy to misplace your expectations.

Why do some people dislike One Punch Man? I had an opposite experience from those individuals. It is true some people will not find this funny or entertaining at all. I will admit that some jokes are introduced early on and become predictable. No amount of visuals or good animation can amount for that. One Punch Man also presents a general punchline throughout the show, emphasizing Saitama’s superpower, foolishness, and psychological view of the world of superheroes and villains. Admittedly, this may not be the show for you, but I advise making it through at least the first 3-4 episodes. That tends to be the moment when people who are disinterested throw in the towel.

For me, there was more emphasis on comedy in the first half and action in the second half, especially with the arcs halfway through. The dialogue and actions of the characters are hilarious as they are meant as side jokes. The monsters are eliminated, not just by one punch, but from being in the middle of a fight that doesn't involve them. E.g. After inquiring his friend’s condition, a creature was slashed immediately during Saitama and another creature’s fight. It parodies a couple of shounen tropes. The fights do not last long, allowing more enemies with exponentially high levels of power to appear. Based on the ending, One Punch Man successfully parodied the absurdities of the superhero genre. The occurrence was obvious. The ending also reached a crescendo that led me to believe there is more to the story (I’m not up-to-date on the manga). Superhero shows are hardly ever over, so I see a potential second season.

The characters were distinct, but there was not much time for character development in all of the characters. The ending introduced some major flaws in characters’ personalities that must be addressed or furthered. Saitama’s personality and mindset brought ebullience to the story. Sometimes his actions may seem unusual, but it has meaning. The majority of the monsters gave a brief introduction to their life story. Every superhero was distinct in their powers, characteristics, and backstories. I was slightly disappointed in terms of the heroes. I wanted to see the powers of all the superheroes. There was an obese superhero stuffing his face with burgers, and I wonder what could he possibly accomplish. At first, it seemed like Saitama is the only superhero saving the day, but other heroes finally had their chances, too.

“THE HERO” by JAM Project really made One Punch Man sound like your classic superhero show. I couldn’t think of a better way to get an episode started. I did not fathom the reasoning behind a love song by Hiroko Moriguchi. It did not suit the mood of the show at all. It has an assuaging sound though. Background noise (e.g. sound of rain) and music was constant and fit well with the action. I like that Madhouse knew when and when not to play background music. It made the show more enjoyable.

The visuals were top notch. The fights have high levels of sakuga. However, the camera moved a little too much for me to fully grasp the choreography, but it still got my attention. The energy radiating from Saitama’s body when he enters superhero mode was amazing. There is not any fanservice apart from censored nude guys flexing muscles. The monsters had crazy character designs (e.g. monster crab in a diaper), but it worked. I loved the two faces of Saitama (serious baldy vs. pacified baldy) drawn all cartoon-like. It gave the show distinctiveness. Saitama resembled a Peanuts comic character when he entered a frustrated or distressed mood. There are variations in the character designs, including a bishounen character. Sometimes the atmosphere didn’t match the characters’ movements. For example, the wind blows. Saitama’s cape flows as the direction of the wind, but Genos’s hair would be at a standstill. There were little still images. The prefecture of the city, the city’s moments of destruction, and background images were well-done.

One Punch Man knows exactly what it is and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It makes full use of its potential as a lighthearted comedy parodying off the superhero genre. For that, I’m glad it didn’t take itself too seriously. I honestly did not get the references to the parody element of One Punch Man (I found out Kamen Rider was one), but I still enjoyed watching it. Madhouse has done it again!

*If you dislike jokes that drag on, I advise reading the manga. That tends to be everyone else's go-to.