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Monday, September 28, 2015

Manga Review: One-Punch Man, Volume 1, by ONE and Yusuke Murata



Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5
Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Volumes: 9+
Spoilers?: No.
Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A manga series that packs quite the punch!

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?

Review:

Given the covers of this series—the very serious art and expressions—I was not expecting what is inside the book. I had been somewhat warned, but I didn’t expect more of a Dragon Ball parodical superhero comedy.
This series is about Saitama, a man who decides to become a superhero and save people instead of live his boring existence. Only he gets so good at it that he can defeat any enemy with one punch, and now he’s just as bored as he was before.
I did enjoy Saitama and his struggles. He just wants something to do with himself. His boring office job was just as boring as his current superhero gig. He’s even dreaming about monsters harder to fight than the ones he’s actually fighting, the poor guy. Finally he meets a robot, who attaches himself to Saitama because he’s looking for a master. At the end of the volume, it looks like Saitama has found an organization to entertain himself with.
I like the artwork; it’s simple and comedic for the right moments, joking with Saitama’s normal life and bored existence, and then more intense and serious for the fighting and his frustrations.
This was a fun volume, and I can see why so many people are excited for it.



A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!

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