Anime 30276 One Punch Man Reviews Filter Check 1

This is a complete review after watching all 12 episodes of One Punch Man.

**CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS**

I remember when I was 8 years old, I used to be excited for a new Pokemon episode everyday. I used to run from school to my house so that I wouldn’t miss any single moment. Then as you grow up, such excitement starts to fade away. No matter how good a show is, only a few shows can generate such an excitement for a viewer. I never would’ve imagined that an anime would make me feel that excitement again at 20 yrs. And lucky for me, it aired on ... Sundays!

Story: 7/10

One Punch Man’s story is simple- The story of an average guy who’s a hero for fun. Now what makes this unique is that this show is a parody. For people new to that genre, it’s an imitation of other work. Basically what this anime does is it makes a parody out of shounen genre, where you have a male protagonist who gets beaten down, and then trains or in some other way defeats the bad guy. Here, the MC is just over-powered to the extent that he gets depressed there’s no one strong enough to challenge him. You might think that such a strong person would be revered as a God by the people. Sadly, you’re mistaken. The people don’t even know he exists!! . This really plays a major point in the later episodes, when Saitama has to show his strength infront of the public, and becomes one of the highlight of this series. This show was created to poke fun at all tropes in anime. This is a story made to enjoy, not to be taken seriously. Anyone who is open-minded will enjoy this anime to its full extent.

Art: 9/10

Now the only reason I gave this a 9 is because of the meticulously high standard set by Ufotable in the Fate series and Kara no Kyoukai movies. But by no means is it far behind. In most anime, usually the MC has some kind of weapon, you can just add some flashy effects to go with it. But here, we have a hero who’s weapon are just his fists . The fights had to be carefully drawn and animated. And when you have a studio like Madhouse doing it, you know they rarely disappoint. Fluid motion, spectacular effects, no weird faces, nothing overdramatic. Simple, yet awesome. The best part of this anime has to be the “Saitama Expressions”. If you didn’t smile atleast a little when you saw the “OK” face, then I guess your sense of humour is locked up somewhere. Madhouse know how to make the viewer enjoy the anime to the full extent. The way they used Tatsumaki’s “chibi mode” expressions from the webcomic, and boldly animated it in the anime deserves separate praise. Also the landscape for OPM universe is also brilliant. Even the ordinary people are drawn with careful details. Another important aspect here is the design for the villains, especially Sea King and Boros, each having something unique, and they give out the “strong, badass” vibe when you just look at them. Also, the art in the final episode is 11/10.

Sound: 10/10

God-level. Simply eargasmic. When you have an opening theme that makes you want to shout “ONE PUUUUUUUNCH!” every time you hear it, you know the soundtrack’s gonna be amazing. For me, the first thing I’d hear in my mind every morning when I wake up is someone shouting “ONE PUUUUUUNCH!” That’s how much I love that opening theme. From character bgm’s to fight themes, the music suits every situation perfectly, making them more epic. I would rewatch every episode again just to hear the music, that’s how good it is. The voice acting is also brilliant, especially Aoi Yuuki, who brilliantly brought out Tatsumaki’s bratty voice, and Yuki Kaji, whose voice fits Sonic’s character perfectly.

Character: 10/10

Once in a lifetime you watch shows where every character in it makes an impact. One Punch Man is mine. I can probably name every single character that appeared in these 12 episodes. That’s how much of an impact they make. Saitama with his care-free attitude, the loyal cyborg Genos, Jack’o Lantern Panic, Brattymaki, Justice Rider, the S-class heroes like Silver Fang, Metal Bat, Pri-Pri Prisoner, King, and all the others have a uniqueness that makes you remember them. Even characters whom play a cameo like Carnage Kabuto, Mosquito Girl, Snek, Stinger, Amai Mask manage to leave an impression, which is something most anime fail to do. And when you have such a strong character cast, the anime rarely falters.

Enjoyment: 10/10

This anime was made to enjoy, and One Punch Man nails the formula. I enjoyed every second of it. 24x12 minutes of pure awesomeness. It makes you laugh, the “wow” feeling when you watch those spectacularly animated fight scenes, even the simple dialogues between the characters make you laugh hard. There is no walking in on naked girl scenes, boob-grabbing, fan service and other shit like that. This anime makes me remember that Charlie Chaplin didn’t have to talk to make people laugh and enjoy his movies. Just his reactions and expressions were enough. And Saitama’s expressions and reactions reminded me of that again. And no matter how many times you rewatch it, you’ll never get bored. That’s the kind of masterpiece this is.

Overall rating: 10/10

One Punch Man is a masterpiece. I’ve been watching anime for about 8 years, watched around 400 anime series, and I’d only have around 5 anime which I’d give a 10/10. But this show is just simply that good. If I could I’d have given this a 999/10 for enjoyment. Studio Madhouse is just leagues ahead of any anime studio. I wish I could go to Japan and personally congratulate them for making such a great anime. While I’m at that, I could also beg them to make a Season 2 of the anime when the manga has enough material for it. Natsume Shingo, the director of this anime, deserves all the credit for bringing together an amazing team, and voice cast to create this anime. Overall, One Punch Man does what it sets out to deliver, Entertain. And boy oh boy it does so in style!!

There are only two types of people in the world: one who absolutely love One Punch Man, and other who strongly dislike it for being too predictable. Now finally that the anime is over, I can review it properly.


Story: 8/10
One Punch Man is an action-comedy anime which tells a story about a man named Saitama who is 'a hero just for fun' in a world where monsters and heroes are quite common. He is quite overpowered and manages to kill anyone in just a single punch, which has made his life quite boring. Soon a new cyborg named Genos is introduced who is in ... search for another robot who destroyed his village and he later requests Saitama to become his master after seeing his strength.
At first the story sounds quite predictable and the idea of killing anyone in a single punch adds more to it. Yes, it's true! It becomes a little predictable and the humor of killing anyone in a single punch dies off quickly. But the anime doesn't has only that much to offer. The story starts developing from 5th episode with the introduction of Hero Association and a ranking system which classifies heroes into C class, B class, A class and S class having rankings in each class. New characters are introduced and the story becomes more interesting. The last two arcs were very good, so just don't drop the anime in your early episodes thinking that it's getting predictable or is not worth watching.


Art: 10/10
This is the best element of One Punch Man! The art of this anime is fabulous. Madhouse has again done a wonderful job. The backgrounds are really well done and the fighting scenes are amazing. Infact One Punch Man and Fate/Zero are the best graphics anime I have seen in my life! One Punch Man is actually a pretty average budget anime. The secret behind One Punch Man's amazing graphics lies behind the fact that it has been directed by Shingo Natsume (Key animator of Gurren Lagann, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Hachimitsu to Clover), assisting Kazuya Murata and with the legendary Kenichi Konishi supervising the animation, Sejoon Kim (animator of Gundam) as a regular animation director. Another notable element of One-Punch Man's visuals is the digital animation, something also tied to Natsume's presence. Other than the animation staff, there is someone else who deserves special credit. People who have read Yusuke Murata's version of One-Punch Man – the one the anime is based on – know that even before the anime, the series already was animated. Sort of. Sometimes rather arbitrarily, Murata would go on to draw sequences step-by-step with a ridiculous level of detail, almost as if they were key animation sheets. Something he is capable of putting off because he's an exceptional and dedicated artist, but also because he is a fan of animation.


Sound: 10/10
Another element of One Punch Man which makes the show amazing! Opening and Ending song, both are wonderful. I keep listening to both of them over and over again because they are that awesome. All the OSTs are also worth listening to, and some are just superb which may give you goosebumps! Voice acting is also top notch. Many talented voice actors like Miyano Mamoru, Sawashiro Miyuki, Kaji Yuki, Sakurai Takahiro, Nakamura Yuuichi, Hayami Saori, Namikawa Daisuke etc are there and they have done a great job.


Character: 10/10
All the characters are quite likeable. They have unique personalities and possess a unique charm in themselves.


I will write a few words on my (and people's) most favorite characters from One Punch Man:

1. Saitama - Our favorite hero, the protagonist of the show, quite humorous.

2. Genos - Saitama's partner, best disciple, cyborg and cool.

3. Mumen Rider - C class hardworking hero who rides a cycle but is physically pretty weak to fight with monsters but is very courageous and hardworking/

4. Sonic - A ninja! What more? Everybody likes ninjas (Naruto haters please keep it low! -_-)

5. Tatsumaki? - You know what I am talking about if you have seen 11th episode of One Punch Man! ;) [If you still don't understand, let me know -_-']


Enjoyment: 10/10
I really enjoyed One Punch Man because of it's intense action which were beautified by amazing graphics and coated with amazing soundtracks.


Overall: 9.6/10
If you like action-comedy (with frequent serious arcs), adventure and superpower anime, and elements like graphics and sound are an important factor for you then you MUST WATCH this anime! Even if you don't like all that, you can give it a try. I assure you that One Punch Man is NOT some random cliche anime which has random power boosts which makes it impossible to watch. It is quite entertaining.


P.S-Comments appreciated :)

When it comes to satires and parodies alike, there really isn't any sort of arithmetic equation or analytical evaluation needed to determine its value. To put it as simply, it all boils down to a rudimentary question: were you kept amused and were you entertained?
If you said "no" then that's fine, there really isn't any need to justify that answer any further, same also applies if you had said "yes." You see, shows geared to keep you amused are that simple, the same way disliking or liking a specific genre of music doesn't inherently determine its worth to the next person to listen to ... it. Of course, there are many different brands of comedies out there, some sub-genres of which can be measured by its degree of writing and comedic timing, but this should also come with the understanding that within the marginalizing of "comedy" as a genre, there are also room for low-brow humor that relies entirely on dick jokes and crass observations. I say all this to make this point, comedy, like music and other forms of interests that determine an individual's taste, is at essence, a subjective thing. And when something's worth is dependent entirely on whether someone is amused/entertained or not, it's automatically a magnet for contention. For everyone that finds a joke funny, there will be those that stand in opposition.

One Punch Man is a joke that's rather predictable and repetitive if you only care for the punchline but at the same time, a great deal more satisfying if you're keen to the subject matter that's following up to its inevitable destination. In a way, it's an inside joke among friends, just done so for everyone else to hear. It isn't trying to hide it, there's no workaround into deciphering any deep seeded message. What you see is precisely what you get. One Punch Man is a lineage carried over from super sentai/superhero/shounen stories that took a look at itself in the mirror and came to a simple conclusion; that conclusion being that super sentai/superhero/shounen shows are hilarious.

No really, think about it for a second. It's a form of storytelling that was forged from the need to give moral messages by embodying everything in basic "black or white" terms, where you either stand for good or evil. What makes it funny is that these absurd stories are often played straight with no witticism or awareness of its laughable morality message whatsoever. It's a stone-faced, Bible thumping message on morality that's delivered to its audience by grown men and women wearing brightly colored spandex. It's the kind of irony that's only feasible within the realm of fiction, but hilarious in real life when examined. Of course, the inherent silliness of superhero stories have given rise to many satirical outlooks on the subject matter, but for the most part, those aimed more so to poke fun of that form of storytelling, rather than laughing along with it. But every now and then we get a show that isn't out to sully the impact of the subject matter being satirized, instead, it embraces it to its full extent. Rather than teetering between comical nonsense and serious commentary, it decides why to bother holding up that facade, to begin with. It's a show that comes to the conclusion that if you're going to be bat shit crazy, you might as well go all the way.

Ladies and gentlemen this long winded intro is written for the sole purpose of introducing an anime that does just that, One Punch Man. Not only is it aware of the utter nonsense that populates the super sentai/superhero landscape, but it figures that there's no point in trying to deny it. It's a show that revels in the stupidity with no shame or care for onlookers. It's an anime that's comfortable in its spandex suit and flaunts it for all to see. It's a joke that tells you to put away the analytical scrutiny, loosen up your thinking cap, and just come along for the good ole dumb ride that's about to take place.

As I've already previously stated, your individualistic feelings for the show is the deciding factor on its inherent value. So with that being said, this review is written from the point of view of someone who, for the most part, found the journey with OPM to be satisfactory. Whether you disagree with this statement or not isn't important. I'm not here to tell you OPM is great, and I'm not here to tell you it's anything deeper than what it is; rather, I'm here to explain what kinks OPM managed to properly iron out, and where I as a viewer found noticeable bumps on the journey.

While OPM provided a great deal of entertainment, it also had its fair share of issues that detracted from the overall experience. For one, if this anime was created with less effort on the part of the studio (Madhouse) with its audiovisuals, there would be little to credit it for otherwise. The driving force behind OPM is how pristine and well-oiled it looks and feels as a product. This is an anime that relies heavily on the platform of storytelling it is using. This is an anime that works so well because it IS an anime. It's the sense of scale behind every action being taken by our characters. The impact and fluidity of every animated movement. The hyper-detail behind every intricately choreographed action set-piece and moments of high-octane clashes. The flurry of saturated color that follows every frame. The elastic expressions of the personalities in motion. This is an anime that takes full advantage of its medium, and had it been a show that coasted along to a by-the-numbers checklist, there wouldn't be any need to discuss it at all. This was a passion project brought to life in spectacular fashion. Everything from the traditional heavy metal guitar riffs in the background, to the highly detailed shading of the character designs, makes this feel like more than an assembly line production simply made for profit, it became a work of passion.

It stands to reason that the audiovisual presentation and aesthetic appeal was what propelled this show to instant stardom. So the question remains, why is it so aggressively detested by others?

If you've seen the arguments from detractors of the show, you've undoubtedly caught wind of the "One Joke Man" mantra, and to be quite honest, that isn't a bad assessment of the show in a nutshell. Saitama, our lead character and resident impersonator of Mr. Clean, is a man that has grown bored of his acquired strength in pursuit to become a superhero. For reasons vaguely explained, he has reached a point where he can obliterate his foes in one punch. And if you were expecting a "but" at the end of that sentence, don't hold your breath, this is the joke. It's like the climatic end to a battle shounen, where our main character goes through his training arc and defeats the antagonist, after he hit his ultimate form of over-powered potential... but instead of simply ending the story there, we're given an extended "what if" prologue that asks the question: what happens after the final conflict is over, after our hero reaches the apex of the beat 'em up food chain?

And from that question emerges this product; this joke. And while there is an overarching story unfolding in the background, it's the joke that takes precedence and placed on center-stage for our amusement. And it's this joke that creates the split among those who adore the show and those that carry around the "One Joke Man" picket sign in protest to its popularity. As trivial of an argument it may seem, this comedic gag is the reason for the rift among anime viewers, which has become a joke within itself (super meta shit).

There are two main parts to the overarching story: one of which involves Saitama and his ironic post-climb to the top of a superhero organization to gain recognition, while also trying to fulfill his excessive need to seek out an enemy that can finally put up a challenge. And the other subplot revolves around his apprentice and eventual friend, Genos, who's goal can be seen as the stereotypical hero story of vengeance. And while both stories are played straight, it's the awareness the show has for its content which lets everyone in on the joke, and also what makes the parody of the subject matter both amusing, and in a weird way, self-indulgent. While the show follows these narratives in a fashion expected, it does so with a constant sense of witticism and deliberate elbow nudging. This, as a result, can lead to scenes where expository dialogue is given, while our lead is trying to dismiss it, the equivalent of which is like the character breaking the fourth wall and looking into the camera saying "isn't this shit boring? I wish he would shut up already!" It's these moments that make what can be seen as a fairly common story, into one that's not only fun to follow, but also something like brownie points for the viewer that are keen to the observations. It's an anime that actively interacts with the expectation of the audience watching it. And while these moments still play second-fiddle to the constant beat 'em up action on screen, it's those moments that give OPM its sense of identity.

Speaking of the beat 'em up action, OPM effectively nails this aspect down without much debate. While the satirical moments sprinkled throughout shines in its own way, it's the fight scenes that elevates this title to a growing household name. It's the fuel behind the hype if you will. And while that may be a superficial reason to bolster its value, it's still a viable reason for the sake of consumable entertainment. One of its primary genres is action after all, and when it comes to action, very few shows can stand as competition to the consistent level of quality encapsulated in OPM.

The characters of OPM are just that, characters. You're not looking at them for any profound message or character depth, rather it's the eccentricity of the personalities themselves that works. From the typical hero of justice stereotypes found in characters like Genos and Mumen Rider, to the more obvious satirized ones like Amai Mask and Metal Bat. It's comic book personalities brought to life and set loose, all for the sole purpose of wacky antics and populating the setting with a garden variety of personas. The villains can range from the ultra-silly like a lobsterman wearing underwear (similar to something found in the likes of super sentai works), to the more maniacal dimensionless baddie who's sole purpose in life is to fight strong opponents (similar to that of most battle shounens). It's this variety of Saturday morning cartoon level characters that keep things fresh. And with the over-exaggerated character designs, it becomes even more elevated than what would typically be seen from this kind of show.
Although, this, as a result, creates the most shallow cast imaginable, and while they're still endearing in the already goofy backdrop they're placed in, they're not in any way new to what would come out of this brand of storytelling. The more you buy into the comedic outlook the show presents everything in, the easier it is to buy into their placement in the story.

This, of course, leads to one of the more noticeable problems the show can't seem to get a grasp on, and that's that nothing it does can be taken seriously. The show goes out of its way to paint everything in clown makeup, so when it does try to take things down a more serious route the final result is more of an apathetic shrug and resounding "who cares," than anything you can deem potent. This isn't to say that those more serious moments don't hold meaning, but that in the context of a parody that has been doing nothing but laughing along with the audience, the moments are simply unwarranted. It's like if a stoner comedy stopped everything dead in its tracks to present a D.A.R.E speech against the use of drugs. Thankfully these moments aren't ever-present throughout the show's run-time.

Another issue that many might have with OPM is quite obviously the joke itself. Being that it's a repetitive comedic gag, many might find the novelty of the gag to have less impact as the show goes on. This, of course, is a reasonable concern, since variety is what keeps long-running sitcoms and comedies on the air. The show attempts to alleviate that concern with the involvement of characters like Genos, who serves as the duality to Saitama's placement in the story.
And then there's Saitama himself, who is a deadpan protagonist for a majority of the show's run-time. Those unfamiliar or simply indifferent to deadpan humor will of course not find anything in Saitama, making him uninteresting to most, and rightfully so. And like the concern of the run-on joke losing its luster, the myriad of other wacky characters introduced are the show's defense to keep the attentiveness of those who simply can't be bothered with the uncaring and often cynical outlook Saitama is given. This isn't a case where the lead is a blank slate, but rather he's a character that should have already been done with his arc and involvement in the story. This is the follow up to where a typical hero story should have ended, the downward spiral of a man who has already achieved all that there is to do in his given universe. Which of course is the point of this prolog inspired series, but like I've already stated, the inherent value of OPM rests with the viewer's taste in comedy, so this problem may not even register at all to a lot of people.

But despite these indeterminate shortcomings, the show still manages to do enough to keep itself together. Because it's so self-aware, a great deal of these issues is often made to be null and void. It's hard to dissect a show that is so honest about what it is. This doesn't wash away the issues it may have, but it certainly makes it more palatable to a consumer that isn't necessarily concerned about it.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I can go on and on about what the show had working against it, but at the end of the day, I walked away with a title that constantly kept me entertained. The fights were great fun, the animation was handled with care, the OST was kickass, the satirical jabs kept me cackling, and above all else, I was more than satisfied as a viewer and fellow enthusiast of anime. Sure the run-on gag lost steam at times, and yes the plot wasn't always engaging, but as far as enjoyment is concerned, OPM scratched an itch that previously only Jojo of the same year was able to.

Overall: 7/10

Is One Punch Man over-hyped? Yes, it certainly is. But does that make it inherently bad? No, it doesn't. While it may be blown out of proportion due to the fact that its contemporaries are of less than stellar quality, there are still merits to the appraisal it receives. It isn't a title that will break new ground anytime soon, and partially, it's a Frankenstein who's existence can be credited with the recent high demand for superhero stories in pop culture. But as an action-comedy that's out to simply have fun and revel in the absurdity of its story, One Punch Man is a show that can keep even the most jaded of audiences entertained, and if only for that aspect alone, I think it's worth trying out.

One-Punch Man is pretty much exactly like what it sounds. We got a bald guy named Saitama who literally beats his opponents with a single punch. He is so powerful that throughout his life, he gets bored with the opponent he fights with. Because when a guy like him can beat up opponents with just one punch, it doesn’t get very fun right? Regardless, Saitama has a heart of gold and in this series, we follow his daily adventures as a hero, as the man who one punches his enemies.

In general, the series is actually a TV anime adaptation of the remake of the web ... manga by ONE. As such, the art is based on Yusuke Murata’s work rather than the original series. The original web series became an internet sensation as it began publishing in June 2009. Given the nature of the series as well the fast growing popularity, there’s a lot of expectations coming from fans about the adaptation. Honestly, I can say that it’s also a sensation.

Directed by Shingo Natsume, he became more well-known recently with his involvement with directing Space Dandy. For One-Punch Man, the series would have to go all out and tear the house down with what it has to offer. The first episode easily establishes the show as an animation powerhouse with the high production quality by Madhouse. The fighting movements, rapid camera angles, and overall cinematics is stellar throughout many of its action sequences. In addition, Saitama’s role easily makes him entertaining to watch because of just simply how badass he is despite being drawn in such a simple way. With a bald head, average height, muscular toned body, and heroish cape, he is the guy that everyone needs to keep an eye on. What mostly makes Saitama stands out is his way of fighting. Yes, most of his fights are rather quick fashioned because of how overpowered he is. I think at some point, Saitama can be dubbed as ‘One-OP Man’ just because of how ridiculous he is with the way his fights concludes. His hero name is ‘Caped Baldy’ and it’s pretty self-explanatory why.

I’d like to picture One-Punch Man as more of a parody, a satire of superheroes and battle shounen. While the story of One-Punch Man isn’t a masterpiece, it’s still appealing because of Saitama’s daily adventures. These adventures takes him to new places, conflicts with new enemies, and also establishing alliances with new friends. One of his most prominent friends is Genos, a cyborg dubbed as the “Demon Cyborg”. He is Saitama’s disciple and often tries to earn his respect. Their growing relationship seems peculiar at first but also very amusing to watch as they have a fun chemistry. The majority of the other characters of the series are part of a group known as the Hero Association, an organization apparently formed with the purpose to fight monsters and protect City Z. What’s unique about the Hero Association is that the group is composed of all type of heroes ranging from a child prodigy, psycho esper, prideful samurai, or even genius scientists. Throughout Saitama’s daily adventures, he also encounters a variety of adversaries and villains. Whether it’s speedy ninjas or oversized sea monsters, Saitama always seems to find a way to defeat them. This might be the part that strains some people from watching. A common question that may pop up is “what’s the point then if Saitama can just one hit KO all his opponents?” or “What’s the fun in that?”

I think the main objective of the show is to portray the action as a parody. It’s like the show is self-aware especially with Saitama’s antics. This extends to his iconic fight with Genos, the invasion of Boros’ forces, or his training test to become a hero. Although the comedy can feel exaggerated, it’s also very engaging with all sort of gags the show tries to pull. Every episode also introduces a diverse range of heroes or monsters so there’s plenty to offer for those looking into variety. Certain underrated characters such as License-less Rider also gets their spotlight of fame so the show isn’t just entirely about Saitama. As the comedy can occasionally feel overwhelming, it’s still delightful with the character expressions (mostly coming from Saitama) and excitement it brings. Even the dialogues can offer a sharp appeal that will give the fans to remember something about.

Even with all the comedy, there’s still some set of standards the show follows. The rankings of the Hero Association such as “S-Rank” or “B-Rank” have meanings behind them that associates with their reputation. Unfortunately, Saitama is assigned a lesser rank than most may expect mostly because of his appearance. Only a few recognizes his true abilities although he himself doesn’t seem to care that much either. What he does care though is being a hero and that’s something to really be recognized. While most of his fights ends in just one punch, the way Saitama performs it is bizarrely amusing. One minute, he is starring into something that appears to be overwhelmingly above his abilities. The next minute that something turns into being punched to oblivion. Saitama’s speed and endurance is also extremely impressive as he has taken superhuman level attacks at point-blank range. Again, some people will notice that his fights tends to be “anti-climatic”. However, look at the bigger picture here. The way Saitama gives his opponents the hope that they will win effortlessly, the dull expressions he shows in the face of danger, and his inability to remember the names of his opponents are also portrayed more as a parody for comical purposes. It then translates to their defeat which is all that much more devastating. That’s almost like an artistic way of fighting. On the other hand, Saitama’s characterization in this adaptation isn’t very promising. There’s not much revealed about his past so you’ll have to search around the OVA to learn more about his background story. And also, while the adaptation captures the magic of the manga (by even adding some workable filler content), it does omit some aspects which fans may be disappointed about.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Madhouse has proven themselves of animating this to the highest caliber. The action sequences, background scenery, facial expressions, and overall tone of the show is delivered with exquisite art. It also has an experimental feel to it with the way the characters are designed with a wide spectrum of different looks. What’s most interesting is how Saitama is designed with such simple features especially during comedic scenes. Whether human or monster, One-Punch Man stands as a solid testament for an adaptation by animation standards.

The soundtrack is just as powerful especially with some of the character themes that matches with fighting sequences. The OP song also approaches itself with a stereo beat and heroic-like theme of heavy lyrics. On the other hand, Saitama’s voice is pretty normal despite his overwhelming power. However, some other characters voiced in the show is noticeable such as Genos, Tatsumaki, Boros, and a few others of the villain variety. Be prepared for a hyperactive ride.

One-Punch Man may seem a bit overrated as it exploded into popularity. From an internet sensation to a TV smash hit, the series continue to grow. A second season is also likely in the inevitable future as well as mentioned by the producers. And the reason being is the sheer success it has achieved. It might not have Shakespearean level storytelling but it’s definitely something fun to take home with every episode. The battle shounen genre has been around for ages and it’s nice to see how One-Punch Man makes fun of it as a satirical battle blockbuster.

Story: 5 (so-so only)
Art and animation: 9 (why? i'm anchoring my benchmark to Evangelion 2.0, Hellsing Ultimate, and Princes Mononoke, leading to score this anime to be near perfect, otherwise 10)
Sound: 6
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 9.

One Punch Man is an anime dedicated for those, including myself, who value more on superb action animation-based quality while putting story-wise and characters on the least priority. Because they focus so much on its animation and art wise, it can lead to double-edge sword for some people. On one hand, great animation and art can rise more enjoyment while putting less effort on story and characters can dampen ... the level of enjoyment.

So in order not to be slightly betrayed by this, I recommend people to shift their mode of thinking from being too serious to become "why so serious". That is, you should not having put too much thinking on characters and story as it may erode your enjoyment, but the erosion rate on characters and story might be slower than erosion rate based on action animation variables because its animation is so good to be re-watched and there are no annoying characters traits.

FOr the story, it is just there for the sake of completeness or as a complementary element for its near-perfect animation quality.

Those people who score One Punch Man as below 8 might weight more on story as their anchoring on Death Note's story quality standard while people, including myself, who score 8 and above is biased by the animation alone, but more than enough to satisfy their fundamental needs when watching anime.

"I am here to attend the supermarket sale and have fun....and I'm all out of coupons"


To be honest with you, I've been bored with anime for quite a while now. Sure, I've been watching some anime but it's mostly restricted to anime that have already finished or are over 10 years old.
So, naturally, when I heard about One Punch Man, I brushed it off as more of the same old sh*t that's been airing for the past five years. How wrong I was....
Now, after waiting patiently for over 81 days, I have come to put an end to all the ridiculous criticism that ... One Punch Man has received.
I, Pompous Phoenix, saviour of the universe and protector of mankind, will you use my considerable powers to vanquish all you false pretenders.

""DADDY!! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? IT'S SUPERM-well, unfortunately, it's just a BIRD but it is a bird who will RISE FROM THE ASHES and promises to OBLITERATE ALL OPPOSITION with his EGOTISTICAL VIEWS and as much GRANDIOSE as he can muster"


Story

We as a community tend to immediately gang up on the most popular anime at the time, I'm looking at you SAO. As you can guess, it's open season for OPM.
Unlike most animes these days, with their overly ambitious stories and pretentious settings, what we have here is a show that doesn't take itself TOO SERIOUSLY or TOO FLIPPANTLY. T̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶s̶e̶n̶s̶e̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶i̶p̶s̶h̶ What do I mean by this? Although, it's ranked the 11th greatest anime and already has 192,406 members on MAL, it only came into existence as a hobby for upcoming manga artist, ONE. Yes, the anime with an average score of 9.02, was only made because ONE was BORED. You'd think that this would mean an eventual drop in quality or failure to even kick-start the series, right?

In short, no. It is this boredom that leads into ONE's creative and innovative ideas. What's a genre that suits ONE perfectly and hasn't been explored enough? SUPERHEROES. Combine this with comedy, and you have a brand new genre in itself. This show is primarily focused on being a parody of the superhero genre as a whole. This is where the show really thrives with pretty much every superhero cliché you've ever heard of packed neatly into 12 episodes. From the overpowered as f*ck main character to the diabolically evil as f*ck simply because they are ugly as f*ck. One Punch Man takes all these clever jokes and uses them to their full potential and somehow manages to never falter in it's quality or it's quantity.

I see a lot of reviews for this anime saying,"You shouldn't take this seriously or it's only a COMEDY". While I'm in inclined to agree with the later and will rephrase in case you weren't listening, IT'S JUST A F*CKING COMEDY YOU NEON GENESIS SADISTS. In the case of "being serious enough", OPM has this near perfection. Typical comedy based animes will often have a moment where it trades it's usual light hearted comedy for a moment of "seriousness". OPM only has a few moments of "seriousness" but because there are so little of them it only makes them more MEMORABLE and IMPACTFUL. They will often deal with topics like morality, media, defining a hero etc.
Eat your heart out Clannad, I can have deep meaningful moments and still be pissing myself with laughter 5 minutes later.

Characters

The main hero of the story is Saitama, who is every lead shonen character's wet dream. Saitama is the incarnation of BOREDOM and it is less about how funny he IS but how funny he REACTS.The point of his character is that he has ALREADY "become the strongest in the world", which is then used as the overrunning gag throughout the show. This is quite a fresh idea that would pique the interest of most people. Although, this idea can only remain funny for so long the same way any joke will become tiring after a while.

This is only saved thanks to a certain blond haired cyborg by the name of Genos. While Saitama is the incarnation of BOREDOM, Genos is the incarnation of SERIOUSNESS. He is the Naruto/Luffy/Ichigo of the story, the one who is obsessed with becoming stronger, except as more of a dead serious, humourless sidekick. People like to believe that Saitama being so incredibly overpowered ironically ruins the show but this is not the case. While we can't relate to Saitama's ridiculous strength, we can relate to Genos constant struggle for power. While we can't relate to Genos' dashing good looks (well, you can't), we can relate to Saitama's plain and average looks.

*I have to give high praise to both Furukawa and Ishikawa for their respective performances as Saitama and Genos which was nothing short of AWESOME*

As for the supporting characters, it would be best described as if you were visiting your favourite restaurant. With so many different types and variations to select from these characters are all excellently made. We've got Silverfang, who is the equivalent of Dumbledore on steriods, Sonic, who is Saitama's never ending rival and is definitely not a hedgehog, Tatsumaki, who is an annoying little sh*t, and a load more of strong and weak, cool and weird, smart and stupid characters that you will encounter throughout the show.


Animation

DO YOU WANT TO SEE M0THERF*CKING LASERS?! F*CK YEAH!!
DO YOU WANT TO SEE METEOR'S GETTING M0THERF*CKING 1PUNCHED?! FUCK YEAH!!
DO YOU WANT TO SEE ANIMATION THAT STOLE THE VIRGINITIES OF
MILLIONS OF WEEABOOS ACROSS THE WORLD?! F*CK NO!!
DO YOU WANT TO SEE AMAZING ANIMATION?! F*CK YEAH!!
DO YOU WANT TO SEE FIGHT SCENES THAT MAKE DRAGON BALL Z LOOK LIKE FAIRY TAIL?!! F*CK YEAH!!
DO YOU WANT TO GET FREE COUPONS?!! I THINK!!
DO YOU WANT TO SEE MADHOUSE?!! ummmm....who are they?
F*CKING HUNTER X HUNTER!! F*CK YEAH!!

*I HUMBLY apologise to anyone who is allergic to capital letters, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or come visit me at Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Room 502*


Sound

Well, i̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶i̶g̶n̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶o̶r̶g̶a̶s̶m̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶, One Punch Man has a pretty solid soundtrack for the most part.It can be a scene changer ESPECIALLY when it comes to the fight scenes. You add it's incredible animation by Madhouse with this soundtrack, and you've got Gold.
Even the sound in this show is INSANE, just take a look at the fight between Saitama and Genos. I'd highly recommend giving OPM's OST a listen to as it's well worth your time.


Overall

Let's get something clear. I'm not giving OPM a 10 because it's perfect. ALL SHOWS HAVE FAULTS. I'm giving it a 10 because it reached it's full potential but still managed to keep it's humour, action, characters in check throughout these incredible 12 episodes. A satisfying conclusion with no silly cliffhangers or overarching plot points.

* BREAKING NEWS!! We have just received news about the possibility of a second season and I can officially tell you.....how the f*ck am I supposed to know?! It can go either way with MadHouse really, but I nevertheless remain optimistic* I can however, leave with this inspirational quote from the Caped Baldy himself that only the true OPM fans will appreciate.......

"Ok"

One Punch Man is an action comedy anime. If you expect deep meening, you're done. If you expect horror or something meaningfull, you're watching the wrong anime.

If you know wha you're about to watch and you are happy with it, OPM is awesome. It has humour, strange characters, a simple story and lots of meaningless action.

Story: 10/10

Saitama is strong. And being the strongest is boring. Going through life looking for someone stronger or at least entertaining is a funny concept, specially when no one actually knows how strong you are.

Art: 10/10

Pretty, tidy and clorfull. Can't expect a lot more, but the fight scenes are really ... well animated and are quite entertaining to watch.

Sound: 9/10

You can't go wrong with JAM Project. And everything, from voices to BGM is exactly in its's place and helps a lot with the show and the almost non existent plot.

Character: 10/10

You can't not like Saitama, even the secondary and tertiary characters are easy to like. There's no really great character development, but that's not what you're looking for in OPM. Saitama is the strongest. And that's how it's supposed to be.

Enjoyment: 10/10

You're going to discover this will be the fastest 22 minutes of your week. It's easy to lose yourself in an episode and you will see it ending, you will hate that damn lock, and you won't be able to believe how fast time travel when you're entertained.

Overall: 10/10

Go and watch it. Don't expect anything special. Saitama is average. But the anime isn't. It's going to be one of the most entertaining action anime you'll ever see.

(First Impression)
"A superhero who can beat any villain in one punch?
this is going to get really old really fast.."

(Episodes Later)
"I'm feeling the hype"
*At this point I'm hooked watching episodes the day they release*

(After Season Finale)
*Searching google for Season 2 release date*
... "I have a strange desire to shave my head bald"

The show has extremely simple plot; yet they managed to stretch it throughout 12 episodes in a way that you question life, learn lessons and respect a bald guy who isn't your grandfather.

Fight scenes contain fantastic animation quality and themes that vary from comical to epic. I didn't like the opening song at first but after a couple episodes it's catchy so I stopped skipping it. Disliked the ending song but I think that's mostly because it made me realize I have to wait a whole week for another episode.

Characters introduced don't get tossed into an abyss after one episode.
In fact, the writing for side characters are so good that a guy who rides a bicycle as a super power managed to make me shed a tear.

With One-Punch Man finished airing, there is one thing anyone can agree on, and that is how split the community is about the show: there are people who absolutely love it, considering it the pinnacle of their experience, and others that consider it to be very bland and boring, with terrible humour. Now the question is whether these opinions on the show are justified or not, and naturally it is, on both sides. Is One-Punch Man overrated? Yes, it is. But is it mediocre, bad? No, in my opinion it is not, it's an enjoyable anime with fantastic animation and action.

~Story~

The premise of One-Punch Man ... is simple, Saitama being a superhero so overpowered, that he is capable of defeating any type of villain in one single punch. Bored with the fights, he trudges through life indifferent to any major problems regarding his environment, such as monsters attacking the city, concerned mainly with the household such as his shopping list or vandalism. This doesn't mean that there is any lack of action at all; in fact it is one of its main focus, which is fun to watch. This leads to another problem: the fights are tensionless on its own, as it is very predictable what the outcome will be, which is partially adressed with comedic elements. The good thing is that the anime is self-aware of its stupidity,being quite unpredictable at times, which makes it in turn an enjoyable watch.

Other focal point of the anime is the humor, as One-Punch Man makes a parody of the superheroes, which enhances the anime to keep the story fresh and enjoyable. Someone who dislikes superheroes might also dislike this show. These jokes are often mingled with Saitama's indifference, as well as the characters personalities. However, the humor seems to be the major issue with the audience. Yet I must mention that the humor gets old, and is not as well relayed to the viewers as it was in the manga. In fact, at times it can be rather lackluster. Nevertheless, the action scenes made up for it. Other thing to consider is the amount of destruction made by the superheroes, which could be seen as something hilarious, meaning they're quite useless when trying to preserve property and life.

There is also certain evolution of the story present; from focusing upon making a parody of defeating its foes in one hit, it makes a transition to have some sort of story attached to it, introducing challenges and ranks amongst the superheroes, invasion of super villains, you name it. This defeats somewhat the main purpose of the anime, as now it's basically a plotless, action heavy show. Some may also point out that the episodes seem stretched out longer than necessary. Nevertheless, audiences observe social critique as well in the anime, which could be compared with how society views celebrities. Superheroes represent these, people excepting them to be perfect, which is naturally not the case. The egoistic nature of humans are shown as well, in addition to blaming people for their own ailments, even though these tried to help out. People are prone to blame others for their own misdoings or doesn't go flawlessly.

~Characters~

The characters in One-Punch Man are varied, yet very one-dimensional and stereotypical, which fits with the narrative and overall story that it is trying to convey. Saitama being an indifferent character to anything concerning him; then there is Genos, a cyborg with a straightforward personality who is Saitama's disciple. Naturally little to no character development takes place. The superheroes themselves are often of selfish nature, whose only objective is fame.

The cast of characters are diverse, both for the superheroes and villains: ninjas, cyborgs, aliens, martial artists, mad scientists and monsters are on the order of the day. The reasons behind villains actions are of course very bland and uninteresting, as it follows the stereotypes. Nonetheless, it must be mentioned that some of the comedic elements are greatly enhanced by these and their personalities, in addition to being somewhat interesting in some regards.

~Animation and sound~

The animation quality of One-Punch Man is certainly top-notch, action scenes drawn fantastically and very fluid and diverse, what is to be expected of a Madhouse produced anime. There are some scenes in which some movements are bended a bit too much to my liking. The art style of the anime if appealing, yet nothing really out of the norm. Character designs for villains and superheroes are nevertheless diverse and very detailed, further enhancing the overall animation. In addition, backgrounds are well displayed as well. The animators managed to portray impressively the strengths of the superheroes with the diverse animations and camera angles.

The soundtrack used in One-Punch Man matched well with it, yet is nothing outstanding on its own. Voice actors performed their role well, in addition to matching with the personality of each character. The opening was quite an interesting watch, in addition to have a fitting music to it.

~Enjoyment~

Overall One-Punch Man was an enjoyable experience, yet experienced shortcomings storywise as well as in the comedy department. Nevertheless, the well executed action scenes alongside the top-notch animation quality, certainly makes it worth a watch on its own, yet is not suited for anyone who is in pursuit of a well crafted story alongside with good and diverse humour, as it can be a hit-and-miss for some.

Thank you for reading.

Jesus christ, calm the fuck down. It's a pretty good anime. It is neither the greatest nor the worst thing to ever be produced, contrary to how most people seem to be treating it.

It's a shame that such a disclaimer is necessary, but there really only seem to be two kinds of people when it comes to One Punch Man - those who consider it a cancer on the anime industry, and those who worship it as though it were the second coming. And while, in all honesty, this would probably not be as hyped as it is if it weren't the only thing coming ... out at the time worth being hyped over, it's a lot closer to the latter than the former.

Of course, there was always going to be a divide with this show, because it's a comedy series that doesn't really have many jokes in it. Much of the humour of One Punch Man is achieved through tone and through juxtaposition, and that's not something that works for everyone.

One of the best methods of humour comes from the unexpected - juxtaposition between what you'd expect to happen, and what does. One Punch Man uses this to great effect, by building up a fictional universe in which everything takes itself completely seriously with the same dramatic stakes that would apply to any battle shonen anime, totally unaware that absolutely everything they believe to be true, and which they take so seriously, is completely and utterly meaningless, because Saitama makes the entire setting redundant. It's a hilarious farce that forms the core of the show.

In fact, Saitama is the perfect protagonist for a show like this. His inability to read the mood, lack of concern for any of the extremely threatening Eldritch Horrors that attack him, and his nonchalance towards... well, everything, make a great setup for the contrast of tone between over-the-top badassery and comedy that this show runs on.

The rest of what makes this show work is that it's actually pretty good as the action series it's making fun of. While it is impossible to take seriously, it's still hard to not be impressed by how well-drected and inventive the fight scenes are. The animators have really outdone themselves here - in particular, the way they show off some of Saitama's most ridiculously overpowered attacks are impressive.

The downside, however, is that sometimes the show takes itself too seriously - in particular, during the mid-to-late episodes. While the balance between action and comedy is usually well maintained, it suffers when it skews more towards action. Also, OPM is often accused of being repetitive, and this isn't entirely unfounded - again, the show doesn't really rely on jokes for its humour, and instead goes for tone-based humour, so this is not as much of a problem as it would be for a show that was specifically focused on gags. But it repeatedly uses anticlimaxes as the source of its humour, and while there is plenty of variation in the execution of them, it can still feel like the same thing over and over, and this may be a dealbreaker for some people.

At the end of the day, though, One Punch Man delivers a unique brand of comedy, and is extremely well-presented. Even at its worst point, it's an average action series, and it's best, it's a fantastic farcical comedy.

Final Words: Not actually the greatest thing ever made. Still well worth watching.

Story/Plot: 5/10
Characters: 7/10
Animation/Art: 10/10
Music: 7/10
Acting: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

For Fans Of: Samurai Flamenco, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

I only feel that you can review content after you have completed it, and with this being my first review i did not want make that mistake (especially after that excellent finale)

(SKIP TO OVERALL IF YOU DONT LIKE LONG READS)
One Punch Man is a parody so it obviously has a decent focus on comedy and quips to keep some gears running whist you are watching, but don't let that put you off as the series has amazing fight sequences with outstanding animation, when the general thought would be "How can this series have good fights if the main dude is OP". I will ... admit, i came to "ONE PUUUUNCCCHHH" as very stubborn, sceptical individual, as im that type of hipster that attempts not to follow the hype, however i gave this series a chance and it met my expectations and more in all its areas.

Story(8/10) - A CLASS Satisfied)
Call the plot simple, because it really is SIMPLE; just like the main protagonists face & look, the series SCREAMS SIMPLE. But being simple does not make this series bad because it understands this fact & benifits from it , as the world is very dense but is created from such a simple concept that it makes the series that much more interesting but easy to understand and enjoy.
Although from the side plots & comments about sinister/absent characters, i feel that the plot is building to a more intense & serious place for the future ( i have not read the manga) .

Art(10/10 - 9/10)
Im not here to debate about the pay for artists & animators, as the topic is for a different time, but with this series having a near average budget for a 12 episode run just baffles me.
Not one corner was cut to keep the feel & beauty of this series running consistently, as the attention to detail in scenes makes the world created One come to life, as visually - every character has something to offer in looking aesthetically pleasing for viewers (even Saitama) , so much love was put into it.
THE FIGHT SCENES ARE JUST EPIC IN ANIMATION!
But being critical, the worlds strongest mans fight animation was not on par with the others - yet it did kinda have its own lankey charm aha)

Sound(10/10 ONE PUNCCCCHHHHHH)
Okay, if you don't like epic music & a tense soundtrack to keep you on the edge of your seat... you wont like this Soundtrack. However i think everyone can appreciate how the music direction suits the series to make the experience whole.
THANK GOD this series did not use a "Silly song" to play whenever the characters are up to their comedic antics, as the use of pause and silence in the sound makes the experience even funnier in moments.

Character(10/10 Mumen Rider!!)
The characters in this series have a lot to offer, as each is unique in the One Punch Man universe to create a dynamic yet interesting world. Now this is not saying that you will not feel some characters are being generic or similar to others created in anime or any other media , but OPM actually plays on this trope.
Also OPM actually has some emotional & serious scenes with a bunch of its characters, that most viewers (especially myself) can empathise with.

Enjoyment(10/10 I clapped when the finale ended)
I actually never reviewed an anime online, but i really just enjoyed this series so much that i needed to share my views of it to the internet( so that others could experience what i did)
Just complete the series and give it a chance, and for a long time anime viewer this series is perfect to kickstart faith in new original anime.

OVERALL( 10/10)
After originally being sceptical about One Punch Man, I actually had this series set in my mind as a 8/9 out of 10; But after the finale and such a satisfying run, the series is a complete 10 "Masterpiece" of its own.

ALTHOUGH, do not take a rating of 10 to say that this anime is "better" or "cooler" than others( which i may of rated lower), i just believe, in itself this series gives everything and more to expect in its genre; in a smart fashion that leaves me extremely satisfied with "that"12 episode run being complete product filled with love at every corner.

Thank you for your time & don't be a hater - at least appreciate the effort.

Although one of the most influential and important superheroes of all time, Superman kind of sucks as a character. He has a bland personality. He's OP as fuck and defeats virtually any threats with little difficulty. He is a moral paragon and for over 80 years has fought for good and punished evil in a Manichean and childish style. This offers his character very little in terms of internal conflict or psychological development. He has no weaknesses to overcome, no need to improve, and never faces challenges that make the reader feel worried that he could possibly lose. Even IF he somehow loses once every ... 40 years, the writers will create some fucking bullshit like a "healing coma" to explain that he didn't really lose.

What if you took a HUGE animation budget and gave it to an anime almost solely devoted to bashing Superman? You would get One Punch Man! If you are a true weaboo and have no familiarity with American comics like Superman...just imagine if Inferno Cop had a lovechild with Dr. Slump and that child had an ungodly high production budget. That's basically what this is.

Plot:

The eponymous One Punch Man is an incredibly lame and OP costumed hero who effortlessly defeats random opponents on a daily basis. These fights almost always result in absurdly high casualties and destruction, but this is just hand-waved and forgotten, much like the movie Man of Steel. One Punch Man is quickly joined by a spoof of Iron Man and fights a spoof of The Rhino from Spiderman, who randomly transforms into Eva Unit 1 for...reasons. This is all in just the first few episodes! OPM even jumps the shark by episode 3 or 4 and references the MUDA MUDA MUDA meme from JoJo. I just pray they have the restraint to NOT make a John Cena joke! OPM basically has no plot, but when you are a spoof series that doesn't take itself seriously, you really don't need a plot. Did Apocalypse Zero have a plot? No. It just made fun of Hokuto no Ken, Super Sentai, and Kamen Rider. That's it!

Humor:

I mentioned previously that OPM has a lot of superhero spoofing and geek referential humor, but that doesn't really capture the full picture. OPM has that style of REALLY stupid and immature humor that is entirely self-aware and revels in its own stupidity. I mentioned earlier the likes of Inferno Cop and Dr. Slump, which you should definitely check out if you enjoyed OPM. However, OPM has its own distinct tastes. It isn't quite as stoner centered in its comedy as Inferno Cop, which basically just wanted to be the anime version of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. While OPM shares its 4th wall breaking, playful stupidity, and even its strong hatred of Superman with Dr. Slump, it isn't as pun filled and there isn't as much sex humor. This is a somewhat unique brand of stupidity that you simply have to assess for yourself.

Art:

What is the main thing that makes One Punch Man different from all the other shows I've compared it to? One Punch Man is animated by Studio Madhouse and they are actually using their full efforts to make this silly spoof as aesthetically pleasing as possible! The animation is fluid, the character models look funny, the blood is heavily stylized, yet done in a way that instantly invokes laughter. Visually, OPM is actually pretty damn good!

Overall:

OPM is the most hyped anime of this year by FAR. Is it actually as good as everyone is saying? No it isn't, but at least it IS pretty funny and enjoyable. Considering the hype train was fueled by the same anime threads that backed the likes of Nichijou and Food Wars, this was actually above expectations. I can say I honestly laughed quite a few times and enjoyed myself. By some miracle, this isn't one of the plethora of absurdly overhyped anime out there with a fandom of hipster douchebags who like it "ironically". I'm looking at you Stardust Crusaders! If you haven't seen One Punch Man, I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Okay... One Punch Man is a weird show to describe my thoughts on it, but I will try my best.

This show started out actually fairly mediocre for me, it never hooked me right off the bat, and didn't hook me until around the Sea King arc. But even tho it did hook me really late in the game, it still never sold me on it being a show worth watching again, or even recommending to someone else. But just as each episode went by I found myself enjoying it more and more.

Art/Animation) it looks solid, tho I'm the type of person who would rather take ... a more realistic type animation style such as Nagi no Asukara/Kara no Kyoukai/Garden of Words. But it still works for the show, it isn't "the best animation I've ever seen" like how some people say it is, but you can clearly tell how much effort the animators loved working on this project.

Music) The OST is fantastic and wish that I could have it immediately but sadly we aren't getting it until the middle of January. As for the ED, I felt as it is was really lacking, it was slow and forgettable. But for the OP... man, at first I hated the song, but over time it began to grow on me even tho it still isn't the best opening of the season... but short answer, I really enjoy it.

Comedy) It was really hit and miss for me, some of the witty dialogue just didn't get to me. But the one thing that i found the most hilarious about this whole show was where in the very beginning of the whole show when Genos first met saitama and started asking him a lot of questions and just continuously speaking faster and faster until saitama snaps and yells "Enough you idiot! Shorten it to 20 words or less!!!".

Story) I found it to be lackluster at first, just being the same shit after each episode: terror in city by some strange monster, saitama shows up, the monsters make fun of him, saitama throws one single punch and the match is over. But over time you were introduced to the hero system, and each class rank. And you met more and more bad guys, then talked about the danger system and other stuff. Tho the plot is super basic, i feel as if just keeps going and might never have a definitive end until Saitama decides to retire and hang up his suit forever.

Characters) As I explained earlier about the hero system and the ranks and stuff, this is where I believe how the writer simply used this as a ploy in my opinion to shoehorn in other "heroes" just for the sake of them being there and having witty dialogue. But the thing is, the show introduced like 10 or more different characters in the last few episodes and we never learn anything about them until the end of the show. But I will say this, they all have very unique and interesting (sometimes) character design and powers.

My thoughts on the last episode were it was fun and good, and left me wanting more... but the thing is, there isn't more. So I'm really perplexed about this "ending" for say, because I know that the manga keeps going, but i feel as if the anime just ended and didn't have any closer for this series. So I really hope to see a season 2 to this series, because I just want to learn more about this world/characters while also seeing how the "story" progresses.

In the long run, I can wholeheartedly say that I would recommend this series to other anime fans to watch... but for all the people saying it is the "savior of anime"... well it isn't so deal with it, and it isn't even the best show to air this season. Anyways, I would give this series an 8/10.

Now I know that the story overall isn´t very deep or well thought through, but several people (idiots I like to call them) seem to give the anime bad ratings based on that, eventhough the obvious goal of the anime is to have people enjoy it. The hype around the series is well deserved and understandable. The author of the series simply made a good choice story and plotwise and Madhouse turned his manga into one hell of an amazing anime. The art, animation, scenery, cutsequence, sound and so on were amazingly well done.

Animation: 10/10
Very solid, but even amazingly detailed animation, as well as incredible ... portrayage of physics (the action in the series is very physics-heavy).
Unique character looks and good effects. Nice pause sequence.

Story: 7/10
Of course the story isn´t the best part about the anime, however it is quite intriguing, e.g. the whole story around saitama and his social standing is well done in my opinion.

Sound: 10/10
Madhouse did an amazing job on soundtracks, the theme song, character voices and SFX as they tend to. The theme song is catchy and the soundtracks create a perfect atmosphere for whatever is currently displayed.

Character: 10/10
The characters in One Punch Man are what I really liked in the series. There´s quite a large cast with interesting, funny and likeable people AND creatures.

Enjoyment: 10/10
The overwhelming sensation that I had during the entire series: Joy. All put-together the anime features great comedy which made me laugh out loud several times. The amount of power or "overpoweredness" of saitama also made my jaw drop basically every episode, giving me goosebumps and making me laugh or squeal. The action is, as I already said, very well displayed.

Overall opinion: 10/10
I give this series 10 out of 10 points, because I simply enjoyed it beyond belief. It´s fresh and has a very unique feel to it, stunning you every episode.

I have those friends who only watch superhero anime, and those who are obsessed with the superhero genre. They watch many western cartoons, and shows such as Dragon Ball Z, in which you see the common pattern of the main character being overpowered. Most often, they begin as an average person, who one day, discovers their power, or wants to protect their city, etc. I tend to see that the protagonist meets the antagonist, who is at that point stronger than them. Many villains later, the protagonist meets the primary antagonist, and attempts to stop them. At first the protagonist looks near defeat, but something, ... such as the power of friendship, or determination, gives the protagonist the sudden strength required to defeat the antagonist. The fact that this pattern is repeated so often is annoying for me, and I feel that it's hard to sympathise with characters, when the plot armour is so evident. That's why I love One Punch Man, so immensely. It parodies the whole superhero genre, with it's light attitude.

In the fictional Japanese metropolis of City Z, we follow the story of Saitama, an overpowered hero, who only fights for fun. As represented by his name he can defeat anything in one punch, but this bores Saitama, so he infinitely searches for a worthy opponent. He meets people such as Genos, who is a robot, who represents one of your stereotypical heroes, searching for strength, and becoming Saitama's disciple. Saitama searches for recognition, for his heroic acts, but doesn't receive much attention, as people believe he's a counterfeit hero. This is what makes the viewer feel sorry for Saitama, as we venture through each episode, hoping his struggle will end.

The show tells us how a hero is not all it seems to be, and everyone's motivation may vary. Many other characters are introduced later on, and the interaction between characters, brings humour, I haven't seen in other anime for a long time. The art and sound is amazing, despite the fact, the development team, received an average budget. This anime is outstanding, and people who hate the genre, can even come to love it. It's not shy of shocking you, and I'd say it's a must watch for any anime fans.

In every single anime. great ones such as Fullmetal Alchemist all the way to shit ones likes SAO. We already know more-or-less the general ending. The hero prevails even under the most unlikely scenario...every...time.

Many are those who say that One Punch Man is too predictable. Well I say One Punch Man is just more direct than other anime. OPM does away with the tease of power struggles and focuses on more important and unpredictable immersions which we would not love OPM without. We know Saitama always wins, but what about the world around him? What goes on inside people's minds? His reactions to society's ... construct and behavior? The roles of others in times of turmoil? Human interactions among heroes?

Doing away with the power-struggle, One Punch Man was able to concentrate on these ideas that we can all relate to while having a blast watching Saitama completely annihilate every big-mouth in one spectacular punch. It's pure entertainment.

Oh whats that? You wanted to see struggle? The hero in danger? Well just look at Genos! A hero who's strong and badass enough, yet gets ripped to shreds in almost every one of his fights. You can always just concentrate on the other heroes and appreciate their struggle, but just know that at the end of the episode the heroes have to prevail so One Punch Man jumps into action and makes the good ending we've come to expect. Oh shit One Punch Man is also the name of the anime? Am I thinking about this too much? Is Saitama just a symbol for inevitable good endings in all anime? Is he bored of good endings because he for once wants the thrill of not knowing the outcome? Is there an alternative? Is this shit stupid? Yea this paragraph is pretty bad I should end the review.

As much as I enjoyed these 12 episodes, I would not be rating this season a 10 if a sequel was not on its way. Despite being 12 amazing episodes, One Punch Man hasn't expanded far enough into some crucial character development which it can definitely do with more time.


The music and the animation are perfectly fitting and always nails the tone and the feeling it's going for especially during the awesome fights.

PS - I know I haven't written much, but who actually reads past the 2nd or 3rd paragraph in a positive review that doesn't make you piss your pants like many SAO and other series prone to MAL's best comedic writers.

I just a guy who's writing this review for fun.

Dear Anime Connoisseurs,

Ok, so hear me out. This guy can kill anything with one punch. That's wild! Man, this guy, right? This guy. He like- he... he like... trains, right? Like, so hard, right? That his hair, like, falls off his head, right? And like, that's like... wild... Right? I mean like, so wild, right? like. crazy! I don't know if i'd go that far. but like, definitely wild. for real for real. I'm still a virgin, but I know this show is better than sex! PLEASE watch this show, like. PLEASE. I'm telling you. This show. Is the best. This guy kills ANYTHING ... with one punch. CAN YOU TELL ME THAT ISN'T WILD??? No. You can't. Why? CAUSE THAT'S WILD!!!

Peace out,
Ya boi, Skinny Penis

One punch man is an okay show, okay in today's anime industry means it is a normal man standing in the middle of a group of retards. But the hype is way too much for OPM, cause the anime adaptation does not deserve it beyond the flashy visuals.

I seen all versions of OPM from the doodles by ONE, to the flashy version by Murata, to the current anime version. And the humor value decrease with each version.

ONE realized he is making a joke, so the art style that looks like scribbles was part of the joke, it was not meant to be taken that serious. ... Yes there are serious part, but the focus was comedy.

Murata on the other hand, took it too serious and while the action greatly improve in action, the humor associated with the original art style were gone.

As for the anime, it took it way too seriously. For example, the mosquito scene, in the original and Murata version it should be a slap on Saitama's face when he claimed he is invincible and emotionally dead when he got agitated by such a small thing. But the anime completely missed that context. And things like Genos background, in the manga was a wall of text in a panel that nobody reads, but the anime have it so long that the joke fall flat, you can't make fun of a concept and play it straight.

In fact the entire problem of the anime adaptation can be summed up in one phrase, "it is too long". Depressingly it is not something they could fix, you see OPM is one of those shows that suffer the adaptation time distortion disease, the two versions of the manga allows you to read through them very fast so the "one-punch joke" doesn't grow stale and you appreciate the characters more. But the for the anime version it is way too long for too little payoff.

As for the story, there really isn't much, it is all episodic, so the comedy and action are the story of the anime. The characters are more about making use and fun of various tropes, there are some depth to characters like mumen rider and saitama, but it is mostly flat.

Overall, if you like flashy actions, you would like it. But if you are here for the comedy, read Murata or ONE's manga. OPM anime is one joke stretched too long that caused it to rip it self in two, terrible shame.

One Punch Man starts with a brilliant concept, the protagonist isn't on his journey to become the strongest one, the most powerful hero on the planet, the pirate king or whatever; he already has reached the maximum level, defeating all his enemies with a single punch. As a viewer, you won't have to go through all the struggles that a hero might face like in every other typical battle shounen, and this is an incredibly satisfying and enjoyable aspect of the story. Saitama beats everyone. The parody of the shounen genre is refreshing and hilarious at time, Saitama is a passive MC who became a ... hero for fun, he doesn't have any other standard motivation like protecting everyone, he is just bored. This can result in ridiculous situations, where even the people saved by him find it hard to believe his strength, since he doesn't look like a hero at all. Here you have ulterior satire in the contrast between Saitama and the other heroes, who are painted in a way you understand that their real motives are purely selfish- but they maintain a facade to be acclaimed by the citizen and rise to fame.

The story is simple, pretty linear, but unique in a way you haven't seen before. It succeeds mainly as a parody, it never fails to make you laugh and it still can make you reflect at times, like when it tries to be a mirror to society and how the genuinely good people are most of the times surclassed by those who only care about their interests. It has some amazing fight scenes, the animation and production as a whole is incredible (well, it's madhouse), even the music is fitting.

The characters are really whats good about the show, Saitama and his disciple Genos are really good people, you come to care about them, and it's almost impossible to dislike them- Genos is loyal, correct guy, a true hero in my opinion. And Saitama is just awesome, ridiculously awesome. He has some amazing talent and doesn't even care about it, his facial expressions are almost idiotic, stylized to maximize his nonchalance. The supporting cast has some huge personalities.

Overall it's worth its hype, being 100% enjoyable and entertaining, what i think an anime should aspire to be, and with amazing production. Its only flaw is that by the end of the show, the story still hasn't gone nowhere. Well, not that it is necessary.
10/10

One-Punch Man continuously combines the humour and extremely well made action sequences in a way I haven't seen before. This show hits you with a joke or a mind-blowing scene either in a battle or off the battle. The jokes are somewhat subtle - the humor is sometimes just implied. But it has a charm of its own in its own way.

Story: 10 - The story is a masterpiece without a doubt. As the title says he is a man of One-Punch battle.The world building is also great. ONE has successfully imagined a world brimming with heroes and monsters that is very interesting and feels ... incredibly vast. There are all kinds of monsters in this show. We have monsters based on animals, monsters based off robots, monsters based off of rogue expert practitioners of martial arts, just to name a few. On the side of the heroes it's the same. We have here an incredibly diverse cast of heroes that all have very unique styles. The story pick offs from a very interesting development and the logic is crazy which makes it even better. A typical man becomes the worlds strongest man in three years with only casual training and lost his hair because of it. The story development is great and each episode will make you want to watch what happens one way or the another.

Art: 8 - The art is brilliant. It is much better than expected. When One Punch Man was decided to be made into anime, not much expectations were made into the anime art. However not only the art is better than expected , the modern art brought into the anime makes the anime incredibly amazing.

Sound: 8 - The credit belongs to madhouse, the opening is so well done, it is so damn difficult to skip through it. ALso, the fights have amazing modern music which enhances the viewing and listening experience.

Character: 10 - Characters are just the best, I have grown fond of the characters from the very first episode. The characters are all unique and funny in their own way and that contributes greatly to the viewers' overall enjoyment of the show. Especially Saitama and Genos.

Enjoyment: 9 - I am without a doubt enjoying the anime, I look forward to the day each episode is released for the fun 22 episodes of each episode.

Overall: 10 - It is a masterpiece without a doubt which has been never seen before. The anime story,characters,art and story & character development are all brilliant. I can't wait for the Season 2 of One Punch Man! （〜^∇^)〜