One Punch Man
Created in 2009 by Japanese artist ONE as a web comic, “One Punch Man” quickly went viral. In 2012, it was then published on Shueisha’s Young Jump Next with illustrations by Yusuke Murata along with ONE. The series saw worldwide sales of over 30 million copies. When the English edition published by VIZ Media debuted in the U.S. in 2015, the first and second volumes made the New York Times manga bestsellers list and was nominated for an Eisner and a Harvey Award. Since then, the popularity of “One Punch Man” has led to a critically acclaimed anime TV series, as well as a video and mobile game.
Anime may have developed a loyal and feverish following outside of Japan since the dawn of high-speed internet but in reality, fans will likely always have to contend with looks of bemused, quiet judgement when their grandparents ask why they’re watching “those funny Asian cartoons again”.
Now and then however, a series will come along with crossover, mainstream appeal that seeps into western pop culture and introduces a new generation of viewers to the world of anime and manga. Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon and Pokémon all found homes on international T.V. Channels, and even casual television watchers are likely familiar with at least one of those franchises, if only because of the “it’s over 9000!” meme. Likewise, it’s no coincidence that Hollywood is currently in the process of churning out live-action versions of Death Note and Ghost In The Shell whilst rumours of an ambitious Akira project continue to swirl. More recently, Attack On Titan has succeeded in attracting anime newbies and connoisseurs alike with its brand of gore-centric action sequences, intriguing mysteries and fist-pumping soundtrack.
As with many anime productions, One-Punch Man is based on a manga series.
Drawn by Yusuke Murata and written by a person simply known as ‘One’, the publication began life as a webcomic , becoming an overnight viral hit and was soon brought to a wider audience by the Shonen Jump company responsible for many of Japan’s biggest manga series. Naturally, the anime adaptation soon followed, first airing in Japan during late 2015 and, as with its source material, found virtually instant popularity.
Anime may have developed a loyal and feverish following outside of Japan since the dawn of high-speed internet but in reality, fans will likely always have to contend with looks of bemused, quiet judgement when their grandparents ask why they’re watching “those funny Asian cartoons again”.
Now and then however, a series will come along with crossover, mainstream appeal that seeps into western pop culture and introduces a new generation of viewers to the world of anime and manga. Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon and Pokémon all found homes on international T.V. Channels, and even casual television watchers are likely familiar with at least one of those franchises, if only because of the “it’s over 9000!” meme. Likewise, it’s no coincidence that Hollywood is currently in the process of churning out live-action versions of Death Note and Ghost In The Shell whilst rumours of an ambitious Akira project continue to swirl.
Perhaps the series’ greatest strength is that it sets up a generic hero vs. monsters premise and then takes great joy in gleefully manipulating and aping each stereotype and convention. The show does a marvellous job of satirising both the action-anime and superhero genres and has an incisive, unpredictable and self-aware sense of humour that transcends any language or cultural barriers, turning a seemingly unoriginal premise completely on its head. This unique yet utterly effective hybrid is perfectly encapsulated on the cover of the manga’s first printed volume: a brooding and dramatic Saitama, with a defeated beast writhing in pain behind him, one fist emitting smoke as the result of a recent punch and the other fist… clutching a shopping bag full of groceries.
Indeed, much of One-Punch Man’s comedy comes from its ever-humble and overly relaxed lead character, as well as artist Yusuke Murata’s renderings of his hilariously dry facial expressions. For instance, when villain Lord Boros delivers a typical “I’m going into my final form!!” speech, more or less every anime stereotype box is ticked. But Saitama’s blank-faced, unaffected response of simply “Ok.” is One-Punch Man at its cliché-busting best, taking a classic genre trope and showing a protagonist respond with the same apathy and cynicism as many veteran anime viewers would.
Aside from the genius humour and excellent knack for eschewing convention however, One-Punch Man still delivers in the action and drama departments. Despite being littered with great gags, the aforementioned bout with Lord Boros can stand proudly alongside any clash from Dragonball Z or Bleach in terms of pulsating combat and spectacular special moves. There’s even a subtle, yet affecting, emotional depth on occasion, such as when a certain fan-favourite character refuses to back down whilst taking a heavy beating or when Saitama’s efforts at saving the world don’t quite receive the appreciation they deserve.
In terms of attracting new viewers who are unfamiliar with the world of anime however, there is often more to consider than amazing content and an international appeal. The long-running series One Piece, for example, is generally considered by Japanese fans as one of the best anime series of all time, and its popularity has led to the introduction of entire shops dedicated to selling the show’s merchandise. So why is it that in the West, the show lags in popularity? Well a likely reason is that since its inception in 1999, potential One Piece fans would have over seven hundred episodes to catch up on.
Luckily, One-Punch Man succeeds in avoiding both of these pitfalls and immediately makes itself accessible to casual viewers in a way that doesn’t dilute the integrity of the series. The show’s first season consists of a brisk twelve episodes, each clocking in at just under the 25-minute mark. More significantly, each of those episodes contains only canon material with virtually zero filler rearing its ugly head. The run is lean and economical, following the manga almost scene-for-scene and spends minimal time on set-up and back-story, instead opting to plunge us right into the heart of the action. This approach allows viewers to decide very quickly whether to continue watching as, quite simply, if you don’t like episode one, you won’t get much of a kick from any of the others.
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