Story: 2
The story or lack thereof is about Saitama, a very average looking bald man that for some reason (which is never explained) can defeat the most powerful enemies with just one punch. Throughout the 12 episodes the show will present the viewer countless nonsensical situations, where Saitama needs to defeat very powerful beings obsessed with destroying things. But since the hero can kill anything with just one punch, it completely negates any sense of tension or struggle.
While the premise of this anime could lead one to believe that this would be a parody of the super power shonen genre, 95% of all comedy bits fall completely flat. Just because a joke can be amusing once that doesn't mean it will be funny for the next 11 episodes.
Art: 6
By far the best part, the art in this show is actually pretty decent, especially the fighting scenes.
The drawings have a significant amount of detail and the animation is fluid.
But that's where the art "pro's" end.
During fight scenes there's a lot of shaky cam and most of them involve a gigantic amount of destruction right from the first episodes. This means the anime quickly becomes visually repetitive and annoying. And when it comes to the comedy bits it don't fare much better.
When the show tries to be funny (and fails) the art goes from the very simplistic to the very detailed. But because the jokes don't work most of the time, it ends up looking lazy and pointless.
A more visual consistent representation would work much better.
Sound: 5
I can't remember a single track from the score so i have to say it's forgettable, but since i also didn't find it to be annoying enough to remember that can only be a good thing.
When it comes to the voice over i have nothing negative to say and i think most actors did a good job.
Characters: 5
In a story where the main hero is invincible what role does the other heroes play?
None, they are completely irrelevant.
While i found some characters compelling (much more than Saitama) they serve no purpose other than to fill the enormous void that is the pathetic story. They have strengths and weaknesses and character flaws, but all that is pointless when their struggles are met with a invincible hero that can't die.
It really is too bad, since i they would be interesting characters in any other shonen story.
Enjoyment: 1
I'm glad to say that this show is slightly more amusing than watching grass grow, or maybe not i can't tell anymore.
Overall/ Conclusion: 4
One Punch Man has to be one of the most fascinating social experiments in anime form i have ever seen. It truly is the living proof, that you can turn a unbelievable mediocre show into a success, as long as you cater to the lowest common denominator.
But despite how incredibly dumb and lackluster it is, i can still recommend this show for the lovers of the brainless super power shonen genre.
Just keep in mind that if all you want is senseless explosions and destruction there are much better alternatives out there.
