ONE PUNCH MAN: A SHOW THAT REDEFINED THE TYPICAL “SUPERHERO” CONCEPT

 

One punch man series © Madhouse( season 1), J.C staff (season 2)

As a kid, we grew up watching numerous TV shows. From Disney to Marvel, we were enjoying our days of childhood by living in a carefree world. Back when we were surrounded in an imaginary realm of fantasy and ‘Superheroes’

One of the few things that inspired me a lot were Superheroes. It’s because of the adventures surrounding that particular hero made me understand the difference between the ethical and the unethical characteristics of this world. They inspire mankind to stand against the wrongdoers if the circumstances forced them to.

Recently, I watched a 12 episode series named ‘ONE-PUNCH MAN’ that victoriously breaks down the stereotypical norms of western superhero shows.

One punch man is a Japanese superhero series that was aired back in 2015 which was based on the Manga of the same name. It revolves around the feats and invincibility of Saitama (the most powerful superhero of the series)

One punch man series©Madhouse(season 1), J.C Staff (season 2)

How is it different than the customary superhero shows?

1)     It disagrees with the idea that all superheroes are ‘attractive’: In general, we visualize Superheroes as debonair personalities who look exceptionally powerful and inhuman. In one punch man, we came across a bald Superhero who struggles to get popular among the masses of Japan. He has been portrayed as a less robust, indomitable warrior who struggles to get his own fan base but languished every time. He is one of the few superheroes who lacks popularity and attention which contradicts the typical representation of the fictional ‘defenders’ of mankind.

One Punch Man series©Madhouse(season 1), J.C staff(season 2).

2)   The strength of Saitama made him an unpopular God:  What makes one punch man exceptional is the hardiness of Saitama (protagonist). He is perceived as a human who became a god by doing rigorous exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, etc. His strength is beyond this world, due to which he triumphs over his enemies without getting any gash. This very idea opposes the quintessential character of a Random Superhero who always gets into trouble before displaying his full power.

3)      Don’t expect an association like the justice league from this show: The essence of the Hero Association in one punch man turns to be the heart of the show. An institution for Superheroes where they are ranked as per their skills and capabilities made this show more interesting and watchable. The creators tried to maintain the spotlight on each and every character equivalently and displayed their strengths in several instances. The hero association in one punch man behaves like a legion of warriors who fight for their position in higher ranks by protecting Japan from possible dangers which are supernatural in nature.

Why ‘ONE-PUNCH MAN’ got popular worldwide?

One Punch Man series©Madhouse(season 1), J.C staff(season 2)

Saitama’s mere presence made this show famous among the Shonen fans. His amusing display in several occasions made this series light-hearted and laughable. At the same time, his strength and invinciblity will make your jaws drop out of astonishment. The sidekicks/other heroes will play their part effectively and will engage us with their demonstration of limited strength against aliens and supernatural beings. One of my favourite sidekicks in this series is Mumen Rider because he always tries to inspire mankind by his deeds which symbolically propagate the message that ‘superhero doesn’t mean superpowers’.

Another positive aspect of this series is its intriguing animation and visuals which will make you dwell to your seats until the series finishes off. The action sequences of the show are worthy of reverence and cheering which serves to be the core of the entire series. It lacks a consistent storyline because each and every episode showcases a different story with new characters.

Ultimately, I would like to wind up by saying that this show is exceptionally good that parades superheroes (especially Saitama) in a different manner than you usually observe in Marvel and DC shows. In other words, One Punch Man is a series that gives justice to the Superhero concept in a ‘systematic’ and funny way by redefining and breaking the stereotypical ideas surrounding a common superhero.