Created by: One
Directed by: Shingo Natsume
Produced by: Chinatsu Matsui, Nobuyuki Hosoya, Keita Kodama, Ayuri Taguchi
Written by: Tomohiro Suzuki
Studio: Madhouse
Audio: Japanese, English
Subtitles: English
Episode Count: 12 + 6 OVA
Format: DVD & Blu-Ray
Number of Discs: 2
Rating: 15 (UK)
Licensed by: KAZE UK
Release date: 17th July 2017
Having failed to secure a salaryman job, Saitama trains diligently for three consecutive years in order to become a hero – for fun. However, he grows bored with each opponent he faces, as just one punch ensures every fight. Can Saitama really be the strongest human in the world? If so, will he ever enjoy a fight again?
In a world where superheroes and monsters fighting on the streets is a daily occurrence, one man holds the power to defeat any opponent with just one swing of his fist. However, his existence isn’t known to the public, as the fight is over so quickly barely anyone notices their savior walking amongst them. Saitama has grown bored with being a superhero, having not felt the rush of a challenge in so long. He encounters a young andriod named Genos, in the midst of battling against Mosquito Girl. Genos becomes fascinated by the power Saitama holds and vows to learn all he can from him.
Saitama’s personality and appearance is somewhat split in two for me. Above, you see his stone-faced, couldn’t be bothered expression; one he wears in every battle he fights, already knowing he can win in just one move. Separate to this, he is somewhat of a normal person. Living alone in a small apartment on a strict budget, he has faced many rejections on the job market and decided to do some strength training in order to become a hero. However even though his training schedule is nothing fancy, the origin of his powers is somewhat of a mystery. He reluctantly becomes Genos’s sensei after much persistence on the androids part. Genos continues on his own path in order to seek out someone who caused him much pain in the past, whilst still clinging to Saitama for advice and training. This is of course so he can inevitably act out his own plan for revenge. By this point, Genos is a character that seems to be more robot than human. He takes every word seriously, and fails to understand how others may lie to him (just like Saitama tends to do). There are certainly some more interesting characters in the show, that don’t get fully explored in this season; thankfully though there is a second season being planned.
If you loved the action in DragonBall Z, with its fast paced moves and sheer powerful attacks, then One Punch Man is for you! In the first episode alone there are several fights, that will leave your jaw on your lap. Saitama is likely the most powerful man in existence, but he is only a low ranked superhero when he joins the Hero Association. One by one, those around him start to realise just how amazing this nobody really is. Even the public start to recognise him, but it only takes one voice to turn supporters into an angry mob. This certainly won’t be the last we see of Saitama and Genos, as there are many questions left unanswered and villains yet to fight. There is even more hilarious action featured in the OVA’s from this collection, including the shocking discovery that one of the high class superheroes was murdered…
One Punch Man is animated by Madhouse Studios, the animation company behind such shows as Black Lagoon, Btooom!, Death Note and Parasyte. The webcomic-turned-manga was created by ONE, a Japanese manga artist who also created Mob Psycho 100 (which was made into an anime just last year, and could be coming over to these shores in the near future).
One Punch Man has some fantastic detail in every fight; just watching Genos is spectacular on Blu-ray. With no fanservice, but some comedic moments, a gripping script and remarkable action sequences, this is top-notch animation and should take pride of place in your collection.
Bonus Features Include:
The Blu-Ray edition is housed in an Exclusive Rigid Box containing an 84 page booklet.
6 Uncut OVA Episodes.
Special Interviews with the Director, Character Designer, U.S. & Japanese voice cast.
Interview with JAM Project – The band behind the Opening Theme song – The Hero!
Hopefully my review will entice you to pick up this title, and I cannot recommend it enough. It will go down as one of the must-watch shows of this decade for all anime fans. It is available to buy now on DVD, Blu-ray and Collector’s Edition from Manga Entertainment UK.
Overall: 10/10
