Tuesday, October 17, 2017

One Punch Man, by One

After saving a child from a monster, the then-unemployed Saitama, realized his calling. He wanted to be a hero! After three years of intense training, Saitama became strong enough to defeat any enemy with only one punch as well as lost all his hair. But with such overwhelming power, fighting villains is no longer exciting and he has become emotionally numb. It is only until Saitama met the rash cyborg, Genos, that his life started to become interesting again.

This is probably one of my favorite manga of all time! 

All of the characters are so well created, coming packaged with creative backstories, amazing designs, and a very unique quirkiness. There wasn't a single character that was alike, and that includes all of the hundreds of villains. The monsters that appear are so amusingly silly and interesting, unlike those from more "intense" manga that trade memorability for a darker tone. 

One Punch Man, by One, obviously doesn't take it's self too seriously, which lets it break away from cliché tropes in the genre. It is very different spin on an Shonen manga.

Reviewed by Matty, Grade 12

Montrose Library

2 comments:

Melissa said...

The protagonist of One Punch Man, Saitama, is capable of destroying any opponent with just a single punch. Since gaining his immense strength, he has defeated every monster, hero, or villain he's come across. In order to cure his boredom, he fights others in hopes that they may withstand his amazing strength. Saitama’s abilities attract the attention of a powerful cyborg called Genos.

This first volume gave me a good impression of the manga. I'm not a fan of overtly overpowered superheroes, but the character design, art, fight scenes, and comedy all make up for it. A telling example is that Saitama had 6 fights in this volume, and each fight had the same outcome. It isn't deep or meaningful, I just enjoy it for the excitement. It isn't something to read at home or in long reading sessions, it's for when you're out of the house and want to add some excitement into your day.
Overall rating: 7.75/10

Reviewed by AK, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library

Melissa said...

Saitama, a hero for fun, meets a cyborg named Genos who lusts for power and is curious to find out how the hero gained his strength. The human-robot pesters the man to allow him to be his pupil. Later, Saitama is targeted by an association named 'House of Evolution' in order for them to test his strength. He fights alongside his new cyborg pupil, Genos, against the assassins that are set after him by the association.

This volume's addition of cyborg Genos to the plot creates more opportunity for breathtaking artwork because of his ability to perform inhuman tasks such as using his arm as a laser cannon. Similarly, the addition of more villains gives Saitama the opportunity to triumph over them in their fights and make them hilariously break character and fall apart. The funniest part of this volume is Saitama's relationship with Genos, as their personalities clash. Genos is very serious and logical, while Saitama is relaxed and often bored. The score is increased from '7.75/10' to '7.85/10' in this chapter because of the better art displayed and funnier character interactions.

Score: 7.85/10

Reviewed by AK, Grade 10
Grandview Library