Why Didn't I Watch This Sooner?: 'One Punch Man' Review

One Punch Man

Studio: Madhouse
Producer: TV Tokyo, Bandai Visual,Lantis, Asatsu DK, Banpresto, Good Smile Company
Genre: Action, Comedy, Parody, Sci-Fi, Seinen, Superpower, Supernatural
Episodes: 12 
Episode Length: 24 min per episode

The seemingly ordinary and unimpressive Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to pursue his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years—and lost all of his hair in the process. Now, Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy is able to defeat him in battle. In fact, all it takes to defeat evildoers with just one punch has led to an unexpected problem—he is no longer able to enjoy the thrill of battling and has become quite bored.

This all changes with the arrival of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg, who wishes to be Saitama's disciple after seeing what he is capable of. Genos proposes that the two join the Hero Association in order to become certified heroes that will be recognized for their positive contributions to society, and Saitama, shocked that no one knows who he is, quickly agrees. And thus begins the story of One Punch Man, an action-comedy that follows an eccentric individual who longs to fight strong enemies that can hopefully give him the excitement he once felt and just maybe, he'll become popular in the process.

'One Punch Man' was the it anime of 2015, but I didn't jump on that trend. Only now did I look into it. I was looking for a newer anime with a lot of love. And, man, did I find it.
And I am stunned. It's completely amazing. Why did I watch it sooner?

Likes:

• Saitama was smart and understanding. He was humble. Even though he had insane powers, he didn't flaunt it. He called himself a hero just for fun (as in the sub.) He would let others take the glory. And he didn't care about that. He would give them the glory on purpose. And he was so lax. His daily life was hilarious. And not to mention his hilarious reactions to battle. He would say things about his chores or whatnots. And that one scene where he freaks out over missing a sale? Hilarious! I loved it. I smiled and laughed while I watched this anime. Not that I thought I would.
• The god modding isn't bad. I could ignore it because of how good he was. That world doesn't deserve Saitama. He was too good for that world.
• Genos isn't given enough screentime. He was a completely likable character. Not to mention quite cute... I thought he was adorable when I first saw him. And he was funny too. He took notes on Saitama's teachings (even if Saitama was just making something up.) I loved it when he let himself get hit by acid spit to save a little girl. It was admirable. Honestly, there should be more Genos-es in the world. He was kind and caring and highly intelligent. He didn't flaunt his status as a hero, and he really did try to protect the world. Saitama might be the protagonist, but Genos does deserve more credit. He isn't some cyborg sidekick; he's a hero in his own right.
• And then Mumen Rider. Gosh, I didn't care for him at first, then I fell for him. (Not in that way. Stop thinking that way.) He was so caring. He was different than Saitama and Genos. He wasn't that strong; he was a C Class hero. (Even though he was the top C Class hero.) But he jumped into all sorts of situations. He didn't hesitate to risk his life for the citizens of the city. He was admirable. (In a different way than Genos.) I respected him. A lot.
• This show was too funny. As I mentioned, Saitama had this sort of humor that made me laugh every time. I couldn't help it. He was oblivious to what was happening around him. His comments before, during, and after battle were unrelated to the situation. A good example is the mosquito swatting scene. He was so strong but couldn't kill a little bug. (Which contradicts what happens in the rest of the episode.) I cracked up each time. The laughs worked well with the darkness of the whole show. They were a good counter to the gore. Kudos to the show's creators.

Dislikes:

• If you don't mind 'Attack on Titan' level gore, 'One Punch Man' is for you. When Saitama punches things,  they explode. No seriously. The blood splatters everywhere. The guts spill across the floor. It's dark. Really dark. While I can stomach that, I know some people might not be able to.
• Puri Puri Prisoner is stereotyped. Really bad. He's gay (as seen in his obsession with the other male heroes.) He was this sparkly character with 'angel forms'. I couldn't help but gag. How stereotypical can you get? Very, I'm guessing. The gay-ness of PPP, I'm guessing, is because the creators wanted a character for levity. This is how NOT to do it. I cringed every time he was on screen. Sure, he was powerful, but that is negated by the stereotype. And not to forget the fact that he has a boyfriend and avidly chases after other people. Are you implying that gay people are all infidels? (But this could be me taking it too far.) And, one more thing, WHY IS HE NAKED?
• The plot is focused on small battles with strong people. Only at the end do you get an overarching plot. I wanted more of a story. The battles were cool; that's true. But I wanted a more well-rounded experience. Create an experience. That's what I wanted. The end's overarching story was much better. It was more interesting, and it really got me excited for the next episode. (Though, I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers.)