(Shorter review for shorter series)
Story: 6/fair
Landing in the realm of a snippet that could have been used in the specials, this segment of Saitama's backstory does give us the relish we craved that the original series skimped on, and for that I thank it. But for it to be included as a whole separate package makes no sense. Of course the story is more important when it pertains to the overall course of events in the show, but through observing the length and quality of the spectacle, it still harkened the poignant decision of if this vignette would have existed better within the specials own confined space. Why was this one snippet of backstory so important? And why didn't they make it longer and include more exposition? These major inquires were not fully answered and it left me wanting more from Saitama's past.
Art: 8/very good
Road to hero does include more manga influence than The Specials, but it doesn't exactly win you over. With a fraction of time spent to that degree of artistry, the viewer becomes conflicted and yearns for more, but is cut down based on time constraints. The animation also lacks on bigger action sequences, but this is justified based on the setting. It still includes that great smooth feel that the show is known for, without skimping out on the sfx department.
Sound: 8/very good
I rated the sound portion of Road to Hero the same as the original, mostly because they are mixed with the same music and have the same original opener and closer. For more on my opinion, check out my review of One Punch Man.
Character: 7/good
Road to Hero lands somewhere in the middle of the of afore mentioned series predating it based solely on character. In Road to Hero we begin to see a more light-hearted yet mature side to Saitama before he gains his comeuppance when he grows stronger. We do see a funnier side of him here as well, without muddling around to much with other matters. Even the shop keeper's part is played very well and seriously. The only reason this category does not rank higher is only because of how short the presentation is. If this OVA's running time was increased to a slightly longer degree- maybe a little over 45 minutes- then this section of the show would have ranked much higher.
Enjoyment: 7/good
Road to Hero lands majorly in the medium space between the 2 previous entries. However that does not hinder to highly on it's quality. I loved this take on Saitama's past, and who he was and what he acted like before transforming into One Punch Man. This helps us gain more and more knowledge on the exposition of One Punch Man, which interested me, and hopefully more fans, considerably. I hope that many more fans that find One Punch Man yearn to learn even more about the characters and their stories by witnessing these compelling back and side story's of the One Punch Man universe.
