One-Punch Man (Season Two)

Saitama saved the world from aliens, but the credit continues to elude him. Anyhow, that means he can focus on the things that matter like playing video games with King and learning about martial arts.

One-Punch Man (Season Two)

What did you watch?

After re-watching the first season of One-Punch Man on the treadmill, I decided that I had put off watching the second season for long enough and dived straight in. Of course, I have read eleven volumes of the manga so I knew what I was getting into. I loved the first season and I love the manga, but will the second season be able to live up to those expectations? This feels like a challenge worthy of Saitama! Let’s dive straight in!

What happened?

The heroes defeated the aliens and saved the world from total destruction, however, the Hero Association is still worried about Madame Shibabawa’s prediction. What if this was not the event she foresaw before she died? With the number of monster appearances increasing, the heroes are already stretched thin. So, the Hero Association decided to take some drastic measures. They summoned all of the villains to Headquarters and offered them the chance to help save the world. Of course, they would be fairly compensated for their efforts. Sonic had shown up expecting to find Saitama, but he wasn’t there so he left. The other villains found the Hero Association’s offer hilarious, however, one of them even went so far as to claim that he was the catastrophe predicted by Madama Shibabawa. Garou killed all the villains and easily defeated the heroes present. Then, he turned his attention to all of the heroes.

Meanwhile, Saitama had been walking home from grocery shopping with Genos when they witnessed an encounter between King and a monster cyborg. King slipped away leaving Genos to take care of the monster. Saitama, however, followed King to his apartment and ended up playing video games with him. They talked a little, but it wasn’t until another monster crashed into King’s apartment building that Saitama finally put everything together. Somehow, King had been given the credit for all of Saitama’s victories and had been fast-tracked to S-Rank. However, rather than getting upset or frustrated, Saitama offered King some advice. Why not get stronger? If Saitama can be a hero, then anyone can!

What did you think?

I was surprised to discover that this season was not universally loved by fans of the first season and I can’t quite work out why. You can therefore infer that I loved it. All of my favourite moments from the manga were faithfully adapted into the second season and the fights were just as entertaining. I love the way Saitama seems to draw powerful people towards him even though he has no real interest in building a group. His interactions with Fubuki, Hellish Blizzard is one of my favourite moments, especially when she discovers, after thinking he was a nobody who got promoted to B-Rank, that he’s actually friends with Genos, King, and Silverfang.

I also loved the martial arts tournament where Saitama… I mean Charanko defeated all of his opponents with a single punch and how he decided that martial arts was just looking cool while hitting people. The final was amazing, but it was the aftermath that really caught my attention. In fact, several of the fights happen off-screen, but then they were likely all just one punch anyhow, so we didn’t miss much. It was the way that it showed just how strong Saitama is and how easily people underestimate him. I love this series and can’t wait for season three and to get back to reading the manga.

What was your favourite moment?

Saitama’s interactions with King are amazing. I love how well they reveal each of their characters. Saitama should probably be mad that King took the credit for his victories. King could have denied it but went along with it and even had to hide the fact that he was a weak nobody. However, Saitama wasn’t concerned at all. He just enjoyed playing video games with King and even suggested that he could become a hero if he wanted to. There was no judgment, no condemnation for his actions. This was the start of a beautiful friendship.

And, their interactions got better and better. I loved the moment after Saitama defeated Gouketsu and was feeling down because he was already at the top and couldn’t find anything to learn. He had no room for growth. King told him that speaking like that made him sound arrogant and conceited. He reminded Saitama that he could always be a better hero and that there was still room for him to grow. I loved that their interactions gave King the strength to help Saitama lure Centichoro away from the city so that Saitama could defeat it. I can’t wait to see how they both grow together.

What was your least favourite moment?

It has to be the way this season ended. Unlike the first season where Saitama defeated the aliens and saved the world, this season finished with several unresolved conflicts. Garou escaped, carried away to the Monster Association’s headquarters, which were also still working away at the end. Sure, Saitama defeating Centichoro was excellent, especially after Genos, Bang, and Bomb had been unable to defeat it. Having two main threats throughout the season and not dealing with at least one of them felt like a bit of a letdown, especially if they weren’t going to immediately begin working on season three.

That said, I was pleased that Garou wasn’t killed as he is probably the most interesting villain in the series so far. His entire outlook seems to be built on the lack of fairness given to monsters. He sees that the world has already decided that all monsters are bad and all heroes are good. Of course, we already know that not all heroes are good, so it stands to reason that maybe some monsters aren’t bad. I was also questioning Garou’s inability to kill his opponents, but I think that too stems from the fact that he’s not necessarily a bad person. It reminds me of Gushing over Magical Girls and how the heroes would always show up and just start fighting the villains even when they weren’t doing anything.

Who was your favourite character?

As much as I liked Garou, it’s still Saitama. I loved his development at the martial arts tournament and how he was simply there to witness martial arts… and win the prize money. The final was amazing even though it was so incredibly one-sided. But that’s to be expected with Saitama. Despite his goofy appearance and general air of confusion, he manages to offer some incredible advice. He told Fubuki that she was too reliant on her group and that it would come back to haunt her. He was right. He gave King the push he needed to step up, be it in a support role for Saitama.

Saitama’s talk with Suiryu after he had saved him from Gouketsu was amazing. I loved how Suiryu tried to beg Saitama not to go after Gouketsu, even grabbing hold of his leg and physically trying to stop him. Suiryu changed a lot in the space of the tournament and it was all down to Saitama. However, he didn’t brag or boast about it. He simply told Suiryu that he too could become a hero if he wanted. However, he absolutely did not need another disciple. I think he’ll get more whether he wants them or not. I also loved that Saitama easily defeated Garou twice but had no idea who he was.

Who was your least favourite character?

As with the first season, this season introduced us to so many weird and wonderful characters. So many that it really isn’t possible to single one out as the least favourite. I am worried about Genos and his pursuit of power, especially as he’s so far behind Saitama that it could lead him to make some bad choices. However, that would be fairly tragic and I don’t think this series is going to go there. Although the path has already been laid out with Bang’s former disciple going rogue. I also love that Metal Bat is the delinquent version of a hero but he’s also completely under his little sister’s control.

Would you like some more?

I loved this season and will definitely watch the next season. I’m also planning on getting back into the manga in the very near future, especially as I have them all lined up at the library for me once I’m ready. I have so much more to discover in this world that there is no way I could stop now, even if I wanted to. Saitama caught my attention and like the other heroes, I just want to be around him to see what he does next, and there really is no limit to what that might be.

What have you learned?

Looking into Saitama’s motivation is fascinating. He’s probably the strongest being in the universe which makes it hard for him to find fulfillment with his fights. After putting in so much effort, he now struggles to find a path forward. I’m glad that King has given him something to aim for as that gives us the chance to see how he will get there. Basically, the idea that we are watching someone who is so far out of anyone else’s league that everything has become tedious and boring is fascinating. So often stories are focused on turning a nobody into a hero and showing the struggles they overcome to get there that they never have the time to ask what happens after they get there. What drives someone who is at the top of their game?

Series Information

English Title	One-Punch Man
Japanese Title	One-Punch Man
Genres	Action, Adult Cast, Comedy, Parody, Super Power
Demographic	Seinen

Manga

Author	One
Artist	Yusuke Murata
Volumes	Ongoing	Chapters
1	One Punch	1-8
2	A Hero for Fun	9-15
3	Nothing Unusual	16-20
4	This is How They React!	21-24
5	To the Hero Saitama, Thank You!!	25-29
6	Can I Have Some Tea?	30-34
7	Prophecies are Unreliable!	35-37
8	His Name is King…	38-40
9	Nothing But Trouble!	41-47
10	With Everything I’ve Got!	48-55
11	I’m Done with Teams!	56-61

Anime

Season One

Season	Season One
Released	Fall 2015
Animation Studios	Madhouse
Episodes	12

Season Two

Season	Season Two
Released	Spring 2019
Animation Studios	J.C.Staff
Episodes	12

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