Lets start out with the story.
The Story (9/10)
Although the story is not in any way complex, it is very entertaining. I binge watched this all in one day because I couldn't get enough of Saitama, the main character.
The story tells of an overwhelmingly powered hero going around, searching for the ultimately enemy, only to defeat them with one punch (Hence the title for the character) Saitama encounters many friends and foes along his journey to find the greatest enemy, including Genos, a cyborg trying to increase his strength by following Saitama and being his "Disciple". The Story was nothing incredibly complex, but nothing incredibly stupid either. It had a good amount of well placed comedy and breath taking action that kept the story going, and not just amount for tons of aimless spent time.
The Art (10/10)
Oh my goodness. where do I even begin with this. ITS MADHOUSE. This is a studio known for it's breath taking animation and visuals. Other than the studio UFOTABLE, this is the only other studio able to take my breath away with beautifully drawn, fast paced visuals. To be honest, the only other anime that has blown my mind with this amount of quality is Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Bladeworks. (Or more commonly known as Unlimited BUDGETworks due to its overwhelming quality in each episode) But I have not come here to review about UBW so much as give an opinion on the visuals. What really stands out for me in this series was the "practice" fight between Genos and Saitama. With the visuals being increadibly well drawn and the action being kept as fast paced as possible, I was not in any way disappointed ever in each fight scene throughout the series. But not even that, what really takes the cake is each animation with Saitama's face. Sure he may seem average and even simply drawn, but that is just Saitama's face. When he submerges in a fight....oh boy...does his face change like *that*. He often goes from not caring about whats going on, to super serious, and back to not caring at all. Blink and you'll miss it. Truly masterful animation from MADHOUSE.
The Sound.
Whether it (surprisingly) becomes a touching moment (look to episode 9 when Mumen Rider is fighting off the "Sea Freak") to an epic battle, the music conveys the feelings you should be feeling. Whether you're feeling pumped up for the ongoing fight, to the care free life and times of Saitama, the music is not in anyway disappointing. I especially liked the OP. I couldn't have thought of a better OP than the one here. I feel the word BAD ASS all over the place. Watching the intro before actually watching the anime, I knew what I was getting into. "This guy is legit". An anime of pure epicness.
The Character. (10/10)
Saitama. Favorite character. of. all. time. He has become so charismatic for me for some reason. He is extremely powerful, but does not care for it, as he is only a "hero for fun". He takes being a hero as a hobby, rather than a full time duty necessary for his or others living. He really does not need to progress as a character, as, in my opinion, he already is the perfect character. Now is Genos. An incredibly powerful cyborg that is wanting to increase his abilities and strength by going under the discipleship of Saitama. He is faithful to Saitama as a disciple and continues to follow him to learn ways of increasing his strength. BUT he does progress as a character, from being over clingy to Saitama in a sense, to being dependent upon what Saitama has "taught" him instead of his master.
Other characters encountered by Saitama, although side characters, are well written and are all surprisingly incorporated into the story very well. With each character having a role further into the series, you actually seem to remember a large majority of them.
Enjoyment. (10/10)
Well it all comes down to this. Did I enjoy it?
HELL YEAH.
Never in my life have I been so overwhelmed by an anime. Whether it was when I was laughing my head off, to gasping over the ridiculous strength Saitama was capable of, you could say I enjoyed this more than I should have.
Overall (9.8)
If you are looking for an anime that is just overall awesome, The One Punch Man will in no way disappoint. From the well placed comedy, to the breath taking visuals, to the strong (literally) characters, to the intense fast paced action, prepare to be amazed by the one punch man.
This is all coming from someone who prefers light Rom-Coms and Slice of Life animes.
