I just don't understand the massive hype that surrounds One Punch Man. Everyone around me seems to have nothing but praise for it, whilst I'm sitting here - blankly - trying to figure out what was just so damn innovative about this anime. There was virtually no plot to One Punch Man and there is only so much humour can do to prop up something that doesn't have a leg to stand on.
Speaking of the humour; it was funny - at first. There was a wry and satirical element to it that was quite charming. However, it wore thin and One Punch Man ended up feeling like a parody that had become a parody of itself due to the crap script and lack of an actual storyline. This probably has something to do with the fact that the Producers want to milk OPM for many seasons, but a lot of potential plot threads were left untouched and just hanging without any of the characters acknowledging their existence - almost as if those events never happened in the first place. It wasn't exactly frustrating, but moreso boring because OPM began to rely too heavily on a monster-of-the-week format, without hinting at even a semblance of an overarching plot. This meant that once I went to bed, and then woke up, I couldn't really remember what had happened in OPM the night before (and I have a very good memory).
I think that speaks as a fundamental flaw regarding OPM because if it doesn't leave a lasting impression on one's mind how good can it really be, right?
Even Saitama became boring to me mainly because the plot nowhere which meant that his character really didn't have any room to grow as a person. Once he became a member of the Hero Association, whatever development his character was experiencing suddenly stopped. He remained the same nonchalant and deadpan person that he was for the rest of the anime, which was, frankly, rather dull and did nothing to capture one's interest. He just remained flat.
I did enjoy supporting characters such as Genos, Sonic and Silverfang but it was just really difficult for me to root for Saitama when he was just so unappealing to me - personality wise, that is. (I care little for a characters looks.)
On a more positive note, I thought the animation of OPM was very, very good. The animators did a very good job in capturing Saitama's expressions and I was found it enjoyable watching his fight scenes and seeing him get excited. The OST matched very well to every frame, as well, though I sometimes found the electric guitar riffs a bit annoying. The closing theme was very beautiful too.
Also, despite my complaints regarding OPM it didn't bore me enough to force me to watch it and I did end up finishing it. I guess there was some sort of a charm to it, though it was significantly dulled by the end and I can't guarantee that I'll return for season 2.
