| Alternate Name(s) | One Punch-Man, Onepunch Man, OPM. |
| Author | MURATA Yuusuke, ONE |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-fi, Seinen, Supernatural |
| Type | Manga |
| Realised in | 2012 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| « Synopsis » | |
|---|---|
| In this new action-comedy, everything about a young man named Saitama screams “AVERAGE,” from his lifeless expression to his bald head, to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking fellow doesn’t have your average problem… He’s actually a superhero that’s looking for tough opponents! The problem is, every time he finds a promising candidate he beats the snot out of them in one punch. Can Saitama finally find an evil villain strong enough to challenge him? Follow Saitama through his hilarious romps as he searches for new bad guys to challenge! READ: THERE IS NO FUCKING MISSING CHAPTER. Different versions have different number systems. Ask the author why he doesn’t know how to count. |
One Punch Man Manga Review
One-Punch Man is an incredible comedy that taps into all the standard superhero + shonen power fantasy tropes to great effect. Saitama, an ordinary guy who takes up heroism as a hobby and can defeat any foe with one powerful punch, serves as its protagonist.
VIZ Media has classified it as Teen due to implied nudity (although care must be taken when covering bits).
Characters
One Punch Man is an entertaining parody of superhero comics featuring an extremely powerful hero who can defeat any opponent with just one punch. As this power becomes boring to him, he decides to find new challenges which will excite him further, leading to many hilarious fights between One Punch Man and his opponents that readers will surely love reading about!
One Punch Man follows Saitama, a bald guy who trained for three years to become a hero. While his strength allows him to easily defeat any adversary, this also has left him feeling powerless and empty; therefore he wants a real challenge that will make him feel important again.
Saitama’s primary weakness lies within himself: an overinflated ego has resulted in him accepting too many challenges he finds too challenging, leading him to tire himself out quickly and take on too many projects at once. While possessing godlike strength, Saitama lacks human intelligence resulting in less effective fighting styles as a result.
One Punch Man heroes are diverse and intriguing individuals, but certain heroes stand out more than others. Genos stands out with his looks and charm while King commands respect from all his characters. Amai Mask possesses beautiful features most girls would envy while Tatsumaki sets an excellent example of humility and kindness.
One of the main differences between an original webcomic and its manga adaptation is art quality. Manga art tends to be of higher quality, as well as including new arcs and scenarios not present in webcomics. Furthermore, manga tends to focus more heavily on action rather than provide as much spoonfeeding content like webcomics do.
Though changes have taken place, the manga remains true to its roots. You can now watch its manga version on Hulu and Crunchyroll; season three will premiere this September.
Storyline
One Punch Man is a comic manga series about an unlikely superhero who can defeat any adversary with one blow, known for its humorous storytelling, parodying superhero tropes, and epic battle depictions. Additionally, One Punch Man explores themes of heroism and ambition.
Saitama, an average-looking unemployed hero who had trained hard to become so powerful he can end any fight with one strike, is the protagonist. Unfortunately, his incredible power has left him bored and dissatisfied; therefore he seeks an adversary he can overcome to find meaning in life again.
As the story develops, Saitama encounters both heroes and villains–including an evil god and a cyborg bounty hunter–who help shape his path forward. He attempts to join the Hero Association based on strength alone but finds that even his passion to fight alone can’t overcome its immense barriers.
ONE is the original author and illustrator of this manga series, beginning as a webcomic in 2005 and quickly becoming one of the New York Times Manga Best Seller lists for two weeks in 2010. Since then, its fan base has grown worldwide, leading Madhouse Entertainment to adapt it into both an anime adaptation and mobile game adaptations of its series.
Fans of the series often appreciate its original premise and comical interactions between characters. Furthermore, its story often pokes fun at typical shonen action manga tropes such as an overpowered hero or training montages; plus its well-paced narrative features stunning fight sequences.
One of the main issues with manga is its deviation from its webcomic source material, which can be extremely disconcerting to fans. Manga versions tend to add extra content and slow down their pacing; for instance, the Monster Association Arc took five years and over 90 chapters to come to a conclusion in manga form.
Manga art is exquisite, with characters clearly drawn with expressive emotions and body language that convey their feelings. Murata Yusuke is an incredible artist whose clear tracing makes the manga easy to follow and read.
Graphics
One-Punch Man features detailed and clear graphics. It boasts a high-quality art style that makes its fight scenes more exciting to watch, with characters featuring well-developed personalities that possess unique abilities that set them apart from other heroes of the genre. Furthermore, its humorous story has helped it gain such widespread acclaim among readers worldwide.
One Punch Man follows Saitama, an exceptional superhero who can easily defeat any adversary with just one punch. At first a hobby of sorts, Saitama soon realized he could easily beat any challenger without breaking a sweat; to reignite his passion he decided to seek an opponent similar in strength; unfortunately however no such person existed!
Although One-Punch Man isn’t exactly novel, its popularity in Japan has taken off rapidly since it first was published as a webcomic back in early 2009 and later adapted into manga form by Yusuke Murata. While following closely the plot of its webcomic predecessor, Yusuke Murata’s version features more detailed artwork and new scenarios; released monthly it now enjoys widespread fan following both in Japan and in North America.
As a comic book reader, I was delighted when I learned about a new hero anime called One Punch Man. Unfortunately, however, the anime falls short of its manga counterpart in terms of quality; though I still watch it regularly it just doesn’t compare. No clue why they changed arcs and art styles within the show either but nonetheless I found this disappointing.
The manga has quickly gained many fans due to its unique premise and high-quality art. The comic pokes fun at popular shonen anime tropes like overpowered protagonists and training montages; its action is thrilling yet fast-paced and its characters well developed.
The manga has also received glowing reviews from critics. Its debut volume debuted and remained at number one of the New York Times Manga Best Sellers list for two weeks after debuting at number one; furthermore, it was nominated for an Eisner Award which recognizes excellence in American comic book creation.
Recommendations
One-Punch Man is an enjoyable manga for any fan of superheroes. With its fun characters and action, this novel makes an enjoyable read. Additionally, One-Punch Man stands out from similar series by not trying to be super serious; rather, its focus lies with Saitama who can effortlessly defeat enemies with one punch; however, when fighting weaker opponents gives him pleasure but no longer provides thrill or adrenaline, Saitama struggles to find one worthy enough of fighting his opponents with one punch; an excellent way of seeing a hero struggle while making One Punch Man unique among similar series.
One-Punch Man stands out among manga due to its compelling story and characters, but what really stands out is its plot and narrative structure. Genre-bending, high-intensity action scenes combine with hilariously outrageous humor to provide a truly enjoyable reading experience with plenty of visual gags and black humor for added entertainment value.
Yusuke Murata’s brilliant artwork contributes significantly to its success as well. His art brings characters alive while the fight scenes feature stunning choreography. All these elements combine to make Manga addicting even for non-readers!
If you enjoyed One-Punch Man and are searching for similar manga titles, take a look at Latna Saga and Sunred as alternative titles to try. Both feature comedy-parody manga about overpowered heroes with one punch that can dismantle entire worlds; these stories share many similarities with One-Punch Man such as main character personalities (lazy yet easily annoyed) being very similar between the two series.
Mob Psycho 100 is another manga worth considering if you enjoy One-Punch Man. It follows a teenage esper who must balance his powers, family life and work with a supernatural detective agency while trying to balance himself as an esper. While not as action-packed as its counterpart, Mob Psycho 100 features great character development and intriguing storytelling – making it essential reading for anime and manga fans.