Forum - View topicREVIEW: One-Punch Man
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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He is SUPPOSED to go by "Caped Baldy"  But as more and more people come to respect/befriend him, yeah they mostly call him Saitama. (except Genos, who calls him "Master")
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5912 Location: Virginia, United States |
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He knew what was missing. Episode 1 clearly showed that. Saitama thought being a hero would be exciting. But since he can wipe out any villain in one punch, everything is anti-climatic. His blood is not pumping in fear or excitement. There are no endorphins flooding through his system rewarding him for his actions and on top of that he gets no feedback or recognition for his actions. So while he is practically saving the world on a regular basis, no one cares. Sort of like a kid with a new toy. The excitement is there in the beginning, but after awhile the toy just sinks slowly to the bottom of the toy box. I just think many want the flawed hero growth stereotype, instead of seeing a well adjusted adult dealing with ennui. |
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Stiles
 Posts: 105 |
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That would be far more interesting than a character who doesn't have flaws and will never have to struggle to overcome obstacles. Being bored about having god-like power isn't new or even all that interesting, so I don't care if it's 'supposed' to a dramatic irony of adulthood. You're basically saying OPM is an adult slice-of-life with a completely overblown and suspiciously unnecessary shonen-action-superhero slant to it. And that's the problem: The franchise seems to want to be both and doesn't have the narrative necessary to do justice to either. Saitama is as hollow as the justification for his god-like power. I don't mean to offend or tout my opinion as fact, that's just my interpretation of the material. Just can't take that character or show seriously, no matter what it's labeled as. Slice of life, action/adventure, comedy, whatever it is. |
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bleachj0j
 Posts: 926 |
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Do personal obstacles not count? The guy started off wanting to become a superhero to give himself more of a purpose. Now he's bored and kind of sleepwalking through life most of time. He even seems disappointed with the Hero Association not being what he though it would be. And how does Saitama not have flaws? He's lazy, sometimes selfish, emotionless. I'm not getting the the no flaws thing. I think there is a lot more there than people give credit. I don't know, maybe that is me speaking with a lot of the future stuff in front of me and seeing things the people who lukewarm didn't. But I do think there is plenty to glean from the show as is. |
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Jayhosh
 Posts: 972 Location: Millmont, Pennsylvania |
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Yes, exactly! That's how I describe it to people. I mean, a common complaint is that the viewer knows that the main character will supposedly never lose a fight, yet do we ever REALLY expect protagonists in other action anime to actually lose a battle or even die? The vast majority of these stories give the main characters what some would call "plot armor," but I don't see that as an issue at all. You don't see tons of people complaining that none of the members of the main cast of Star Wars never died, do you. Now, I understand that characters also need to experience struggle to be likable, but that's the thing. Saitama DOES face a lot of personal struggles. I guess the argument that the fights are one sided (if you actually watch the show for that) is reasonable, but I don't subscribe under that myself. I do think that a lot of people who criticised the show would be surprised at just how many of those initial "flaws" the series addresses. Overall it gets much better at balancing it's humor and seriousness I'd say. The manga and webcomic are definitely recommended by me! As someone who really doesn't read all that much manga traditionally. |
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ryanvamp
Posts: 420 |
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Best review I've seen of this series. Good job.
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Ali07
 Posts: 3333 Location: Victoria, Australia |
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Episode 1 showed that there was something missing, he has now become a hero, but it didn't fill the hole. He worked his ass off, became the best he could be, and reached the point where he has realised that it wasn't it. When you find something the fulfills your life, in one way or another, it isn't like grabbing the newest toy and then getting bored of it in a week. His life extends beyond his heroics. Honestly, to me, it felt like this series hit the track where the character would look for something more. Something beyond being a hero. But, Saitama came across as being too lazy to do anything about it, and he continued to roll with the motions. I've seen the flawed hero too many times...I do read comic books, and that seems to be a common theme in what I've read over the years. I like it to an extent, but currently I'm not looking for any more of it. Also, I don't see Saitama as a well adjusted adult at all. Selfish, anti-social... |
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Animorphimagi
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I would disagree but after rereading some of the manga I realized some of the most important scenes were taken out, most likely to be reapplied to the next arc, and it actually hurt some of the impactful moments.
For one, did you know Unlicensed Rider has a back story that is intrinsically connected to Saitama? Also one important fact was skimmed over so fast that when I mentioned it to my brother he was genuinely shocked, Saitama is the ENTIRE source of the hero association. Small, but important scenes like these helped carry the show in the early volumes because they added to world building and connected characters together in unexpected ways. I'm going to read more to see the differences, but I suspect many of these scenes were taken out to allow room to end the first season with Boros. That's fine, except Blizzard's/Mumen Rider's backstory could've been used as material for one of the 2 OVAs that ended up getting made. I like the OVA with Saitama when he was a normal guy, but the whole thing with Genos watching him was just plain dumb. I guess sometimes it really is true that the manga is better than the anime. BTW the killer establishing shots were also removed, examples include the alien space ship and the meteor. There should've been an even bigger emphasis on their size. |
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Joachim005
Posts: 5 |
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You're kinda forgetting what the show is: a parody. It's not meant to be taken seriously. If you're looking for action or drama, you have plenty of other alternatives. This is meant to make fun of your typical shounen fighting titles and does a superb job at that.
Also, I always hated the serious arcs in Gintama. You know, the arc they even made a movie about. I want fun, not gore and violence out of nowhere. |
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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Nah, that was thoroughly addressed in the review and has been discussed in this thread(over and over again). Everyone acknowledges that it's a parody to some extent. And very few of the complaints here are based on a lack of understanding of that. |
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YotaruVegeta
 Posts: 1061 Location: New York |
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That's a part of it, but a critic's purpose is to offer criticism. It's not about what your audience is interested in reading. It's about what you find fault with.
I read your post, but I can't find why you don't like it that much. Because it may have a wider appeal?
It is an action comedy, though. That is what it is. You're not supposed to take it seriously. |
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