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| Genos (left) and Saitama |
Superheroes, they are not overused. Just kidding. They are terribly overused. The superhero genre is one of the most saturated in the market. The biggest culprits would be Marvel and DC Comics for churning out countless blockbusters nearly every other month, and don't get me started on their myriad television series. This isn't to say their stuff is terrible. It's just that superheroes are the easiest way to milk money from your audience. They take little thought to create, and sometimes make up for lackluster storylines with state of the art special effects. It takes something really unique to break through the fog that superhero media creates, and thankfully, there is just such a thing in the form of One-Punch Man.
One-Punch Man follows a man named Saitama, who always dreamed about becoming a hero. After defeating a monster one day, he trained constantly for three years until he obtained the strength of a god. The series follows Saitama as he searches for opponents whom he can defeat in more than a single punch, while looking for some recognition of his heroic actions. It's a fairly interesting premise. Of course, this also puts the show at a disadvantage. If Saitama is invincible, there is little at stake in any of the fights. Thankfully, there is more to the show that keeps viewers interested. Chief among which are its rich cast of characters and its insightful look into the business of being a superhero.
For a genre that has its share of creative bankruptcy, One-Punch Man does introduce a number of characters over the course of the series. In addition to Saitama, the second main character is a cyborg named Genos. He is younger than Saitama, and whereas Saitama has grown bored with his life, Genos is a hotshot young gun ready to make his mark on the world. Genos was once a normal human, but became a cyborg after another cyborg killed his family. Vowing revenge, Genos scours the land for foes he can test his strength against so that he will be ready when he confronts his nemesis again. Unfortunately, Genos meets his match in Mosquito Girl, who makes short work of him. Luckily, Saitama arrives and easily defeats Mosquito Girl. Genos then pledges himself as Saitama's apprentice hoping to learn how to become just as powerful. Other interesting villains appear over the course of the series, as do several heroes from the Hero Association.
As seems to be the norm for superhero material nowadays, regulation of heroes makes its presence known in One-Punch Man. The Hero Association was created by a multi millionaire in order to fight against crime, monsters, and other threats. Both Saitama and Genos enroll in the Hero Association in order to gain more recognition as heroes. The Hero Association presents what might be the most interesting aspect of the series. The Association manages all registered heroes through a meritocracy. It uses a class system to rank heroes from S to C based on their skill and by their number of heroic deeds. This puts heroes not just in competition against evil, but in constant competition with each other to advance in rank, especially as you look further down the rankings. C- Class heroes need to meet a weekly quota for heroic deeds, or else be expelled from the Association, whereas high ranking heroes can sit around as they please, only getting involved if they feel it is worth the risk and reward. Meanwhile they encourage lower class heroes to work harder in order to climb up the rankings. It's pure capitalist rhetoric, but it makes sense. When we do see higher ranked heroes in action, there is little doubt left as to how powerful they are. They probably had to work hard to get where they are, too, and are likely only repeating what they were told themselves.
Fortunately, not all heroes only care about fame. Some heroes do enjoy helping people. The best example of this would be Mumen Rider. He is the top ranked C- Class hero, and is always riding his bicycle to a conflict. He doesn't have much for strength, but his willingness to constantly put his life on the line against overwhelming odds is to be commended. During the final episode, Mumen Rider along with some other lower class heroes aid in the evacuation of civilians while Saitama and the S-Class heroes fight off an alien invasion. There are many different ways to be a hero, even though some might be less glamorous than others. That, and the show's message about the purity of motives are One-Punch Man's greatest strengths. Heroes and villains ponder over why Saitama is as strong as he is. The answer stems from Saitama's dedication to training himself and his sincere desire to help people.
The animation for One-Punch Man is superb. Fights are expertly choreographed and are carried out with savage ferocity. Every character has a unique design that serves to either compliment or contradict their personalities. One shortcoming of the series I can think of is that civilians tend to be forgotten amid the action scenes. Although there is massive destruction throughout the episodes and it is implied that there is often great loss of life, its hard to appreciate the gravity of the situation. It's like this is several other superhero stories, so I can give One-Punch Man a pass in this regard. It appears that some newer films such as Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War are going to address civilian casualties to some degree, which is good. The actions of heroes and villains alike have consequences on everyday folks, and it appears that writers sometimes overlook that as they design over the top action scenes.
I highly recommend One-Punch Man for anyone who is a fan of superheroes and is looking for something extremely funny and surprisingly thought provoking. The superhero genre needs something new to balance out the sheer volume of products. The 12 episodes shown leave a lot of questions unanswered and character development to be explored. I excitedly await any future seasons of One-Punch Man to be produced.
