A fistful of laughs.
Let’s just get right to the point: One-Punch Man, based on the wildly popular webcomic of the same name, does NOT disappoint. It’s a one-two punch of hard hitting action and comedy, and well worth checking out.
We want to hear it.
What makes One-Punch Man so effective is how its premise turns the most common Shounen trope on its head. Instead of struggling to become the best in the world, salaryman-turned-superhero Saitama struggles to find a worthy opponent in battle. As “The Strongest Man” shows, his entire city is overrun with all sorts of bizarre monsters, yet none of them can withstand a single punch from him. Rather than feeling a sense of satisfaction from being undefeated, Saitama (who’s trained so hard his hair has fallen out) feels only boredom. Isn’t there a single monster who can withstand his fists?
That’s not to say the battles are boring. On the contrary, snappy direction and aggressive enemies make some of the fights look like a close-run thing. Until of course One-Punch Man blithely appears from the wreckage and destroys his opponents with a vicious right hook. On any other show these fights might make for some heavy viewing (they can be surprisingly gruesome), but luckily One-Punch Man’s KOs are accompanied by a great bit of comedic timing, which keeps the tone light and prevents the viewer from thinking too hard about a monster’s innards being spilled all over the place.
We want to hear it.
Much of One-Punch Man’s humor comes from the wonderfully bizarre character designs. Examples include a monster with a car engine for a head, an underpants wearing crab, and a boy whose chin looks like…well, let’s just say his chin could use some underpants, too.
Some of the jokes may be a little lost on Western audiences, however. There are clever references to things like Japan’s low birth-rate and the drudgery of being a salaryman, but these jokes may fail to land with those not already familiar with Japanese culture. Even so, the humor behind Saitama’s ongoing search for a worthy opponent is immediately apparent no matter where a person is from.
We want to hear it.
The animation quality is solid, and I appreciate how Saitama’s eye shape changes depending on how a fight was going. If he’s serious, they’re drawn in sharp detail and with intensity. If he’s bored, they’re funny little wedges that make him look spacey. It’s a smart way to communicate whether or not the audience should be worried about One-Punch Man (and Japan’s) safety.
As expected of a Shounen series, the music is laden with headbanging guitar rifts and heavy drums that make me feel stronger (or at least cooler) for having heard it. I especially liked the frenzied opening Shindehai, which fits the over-the-top action perfectly.
One Punch Man’s first episode is a great mix of action and comedy, supported by original (see: weird) character designs and solid animation quality. If you’re looking for the next big thing in anime, this is it.
- Great action
- Lots of laughs
- Humerous character designs
- Solid animation quality
- Cool music
