One-Punch Man' Saitama delivers an uppercut and is surrounded by green monster blood.
By
Branson Garza
Published 23 minutes ago
Branson is a Senior Writer for ScreenRant. Anime has been a major part of his life since he was able to raise his hands in the air for a Spirit Bomb. As a journalist, Branson focuses heavily on listicles and op-eds detailing the industry's greatest shonen series.
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One-Punch Man used to be one of the biggest names in anime. Technically, it's still one of the biggest names around, but for an entirely different reason. The first season of One-Punch Man was magical when it first came out. It featured an incredibly intriguing premise, an interesting world, and one of the most lovable main characters around.
Madhouse, the studio that animated the first season of the series, couldn't animate the second, leaving it in J.C. Staff's hands. J.C. Staff couldn't live up to Madhouse's quality for the second season of the anime, but the third has reached levels nobody ever expected.
There's one quote in One-Punch Man's first season that highlights what the series should have been, and unfortunately, shines an even brighter light on just how far the series fell.
One-Punch Man's First Season Is Amazing
It's One of the Best Seasons in Anime
Saitama defeats the Deep Sea King with One Punch.
There aren't many anime series that can compare to the quality One-Punch Man brought to the table during its first season. It's such a great season that it can be hard to find any flaws in it whatsoever. Saitama is the perfect protagonist, and his nonchalant attitude is infectious throughout a dozen episodes.
The first season somehow poked fun at the shōnen genre and mastered it completely, showcasing both a fun, lighthearted romp and some of the best fights in anime history in a single anime. Madhouse knocked it out of the park, bringing Saitama and the rest of the Hero Association to life masterfully.
Saitama deals with threats with a single punch, and never needs more than the one until the very end of the series. It's a hilarious, somewhat heartwarming season that hit the ground running, and fans couldn't wait to see what was coming up next in the world of One-Punch Man.
This Quote Is the Best in the Franchise
It's Also One of the Most Impactful in Shōnen
Mumen Rider faces off with the Deep Sea King in the rain.
One of the best moments in the first season came during the Sea Monster Arc, when the Deep Sea King invaded the Earth, posing a massive threat to even some of the strongest characters in One-Punch Man. The Deep Sea King made Genos, one of the most powerful heroes around, look worthless.
Mumen Rider, a C-Class Hero, comes to deal with the Deep Sea King. Unfortunately for Mumen Rider, the Deep Sea King is a threat that even some of the S-Class Heroes can't handle, so he doesn't have a chance. He doesn't care though, squaring up to the Deep Sea King and uttering the single greatest quote in the franchise:
"It's not about winning or losing: it's about taking you on, right here, right now." - Mumen Rider to the Deep Sea King
Mumen Rider acknowledges the absurd difference between his strength and the Deep Sea King's, but he doesn't care: his priority is to protect the people Deep Sea King is threatening. He doesn't care that he won't win, he's standing up for what he believes in.
It's an amazing quote that shows the best parts of One-Punch Man. While Saitama can end any fight in a single punch, there is something even more honorable about fighting a fight you have no chance of winning. This was truly the highlight of the franchise, and once season one was finished, nothing was the same.
One-Punch Man Is a Shadow of Its Former Glory
The Second Season Isn't Great, and the Third Is Horrific
Elder Centipede from One-Punch-Man anime
One-Punch Man has fallen off so hard in terms of quality it's hard to understand. While the second season wasn't as good as the first, it wasn't terrible. There were still some great fights, decent animation, and a ton of great characters that added a lot to the series as a whole. The third season, however, is abysmal at best.
The third season of One-Punch Man might be one of the single worst seasons of any anime in the history of the art form. It's comparable to Tower of God's second season and The Promised Neverland's second season as well. It's heartbreaking to see such a magnificent franchise brought so low, and it's even worse that there isn't a clear reason as to why.
The third season of One-Punch Man is so bad that most fans of the series don't even want a fourth or fifth season to be animated, even though there's plenty of story left to tell. What's the point of adapting the hit Webcomic turned manga if this is the result?
Will One-Punch Man Ever Be Good Again?
It Doesn't Look Good for the Beloved Franchise
There's little to no chance that One-Punch Man recovers from the record lows it has suffered. The best case scenario may involve this series never being animated again. The first season was almost too magical to be real, and the magic that brought it to life probably won't be replicated again.
Bandai Namco, the corporation that owns the One-Punch Man IP, wanted a second and third season of the hit anime after seeing how successful the first was. It looks like they rushed the anime, and the result is something that nobody is truly happy with.
It's soul crushing that such an incredible franchise could be brought to its knees when it didn't have to. There most likely isn't a future in which One-Punch Man has a successful anime adaptation from here, but hopefully this travesty will serve as a lesson for all anime series going forward.
One-Punch Man
Created by
ONE, Yusuke Murata
First Film
One-Punch Man: Road to Hero
Cast
Makoto Furukawa, Kaito Ishikawa, Max Mittelman, Zach Aguilar, Robbie Daymond, Hikaru Midorikawa, Marieve Herington, Laura Post, Rich Brown
TV Show(s)
One-Punch Man
Video Game(s)
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, One-Punch Man: Road to Hero
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One-Punch Man
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