In this day and age you can’t move for superheroes, ever
since Marvel started kicking off their connected movie universe, the whole
world and their cat has been trying to get a piece of the action, if it isn’t
films, it’s TV, and for 2018 alone there is no less than 8 films and 19 new and
continuing shows coming to our screens over the course of the year, will we see
an apathy start to grow for this genre or is there the next fresh-take on the
horizon?
Well, if Infinity War is anything to go by, there’s still life in
the genre yet, but if your nerd boner is beginning to wane, then might I
recommend a hearty dose of something a bit different, we’ve seen it all before,
the standard origin story, powers get acquired, friends become enemies, enemies
become friends, impending doom, blah blah blah, but what about the everyday
life of a hero? Maybe popping to the shops, watering their plants, or eating
crisps and watching TV in their pyjamas.
One Punch Man is the story of Saitama, a seemingly-regular
guy living in a world where monsters and supervillains are ten a penny, an
all-too frequent occurrence faced by Mr and Mrs Joe Public, fortunately to keep
them safe is the Hero Association, a league of superheroes with the sole
purpose of protecting those sans powers, however Saitama is not quite as
helpless as all that and despite his ordinary appearance he has the ability to
defeat any foe he faces with a single strike of his fist, just one punch if you
will.
You think this might prove handy, but to Saitama it is a
burden, all he wants out of life is to be a hero, he trained hard for three
years, so much so that it caused him to lose all of his hair, but in the
absence of a challenging opponent he faces an existential crisis and deep despondency,
settling for a daily routine of humdrum normality and monotonous existing, that
is until a chance meeting with a cyborg hero by the name of Genos.
After Saitama fends off an enemy attack with a simple
backhand, Genos is in awe and insists on becoming Saitama’s student, Saitama is
not keen and fobs him off at first, but when Genos turns up at his apartment
the following morning ready to hear his teachings, he relents, though little
does he know that it’ll lead them both down a path that finds them joining the
Hero Association, simultaneously gaining them new popularity and a dangerous
rival, as well as facing off against countless local and planet-threatening
menaces, and even each other.
Caught up in Genos’ pursuit of the cyborg that killed his
family, Saitama is more interested in bargain day at his local supermarket or
sorting out a group of dangerous bald men wreaking havoc and giving bald men a
bad name, it’s a story that treads the balance of serious and humour with
masterful aplomb, though OPM does lean more towards the latter with many a
humorous moment, Saitama’s disinterest in most things, Genos’ misguided belief
that his master is hiding the secret to his strength, and the numerous weirdos
that show up to test their mettle, only to be on the receiving end of an often quick
and painful beat-down.
The action is not the only thing to flick between the weighty
and the light-hearted, the animation whilst colourful and detailed will often
see Saitama portrayed in a simplistic way, his perfectly oval head with
bald-shine and an almost dumbstruck expression almost disconnecting him from
the well-realised world he inhabits, easily a nod to the disconnection Saitama
feels internally as he searches for that something to give his life meaning and
worth, that is until a fight ensues, where his demeanour then shifts, and basic
features give way to a more chiselled look and tougher appearance.
Coupled with Saitama’s serious-business face, battles are highly
intricate and beautifully choreographed, lush environments are torn apart by
massive displays of power and super-abilities, and what we’re given are some of
the best action sequences this side of any Shōnen series or blockbuster
feature-length, from an average fist-fight to martial arts, light-speed
movement, swords, flames, lasers, telepathy, and telekinesis, to name but a
few, character skills and movements are often enormous flashy affairs, appendages
are pummelled, homes destroyed and cities are levelled, it’s all a visual treat
even when the fighting eases.
Character development and exposition are handled in the
standard anime way, bookending battles or breaking up the lengthier fight
sequences, giving us just enough information to care about what is happening in
front of us, who it’s happening to and why, but with only twelve episodes to
this first season there’s no real room for any fluff or filler anyway, that’s
the job of the included OVA episodes, these each tie-in in places and feature
secondary characters and short stories that help add to what we know of Saitama
and the world he inhabits.
This is a show that literally says what it is about in its
title, but makes it about so much more, it’s not afraid to cast aside
expectations, throw everything it has at you, lead you down a particular path,
only to make a quick shift and wander off whistling in the other direction as
you’re left open-mouthed and awestruck, unless that was just me? One Punch Man wears
its western influences on its sleeve, but takes them and makes them its own, the
shear amount of bizarre and unique characters and ideas are very Japanese, yet still
very accessible outside of its country of creation.
One Punch Man season one is a thoroughly refreshing show,
priding itself on being different, not taking itself seriously and running away
with it, an enjoyable watch which loses nothing between the original Japanese
audio and the US dub, and I assure you, you will not go wrong with checking it out
in place of the abundant Marvel and DC Comics superhero offerings or even rewatching it in fevered anticipation of
season two.
One Punch Man Collection One is out now on Blu-Ray & DVD