One Punch Man Season 2, has been criticized by many critics and media, constantly comparing the adventures of Saitama the Bald hero to Season 1, which was propelled by cartoonist Yusuke Murata, and was a tidal wave in Japan, and in the wider sense in Asia, and then around the world, since it was released in 2015.
Indeed, the concept of a superhero (rather anti-Hero), without hair, with a drawn but unimpressive physique, and above all lacking motivation and weary of destroying all his enemies in a single blow, due to his immeasurable strength, was extremely innovative and was a phenomenal success.
DBS Orochi poster
Moreover, Saitama is an unemployed young man, therefore close to a certain social reality, at the beginning, and then after intensive training, becomes the strongest hero of the hero association. He becomes so powerful that his weariness of earning easily, quickly becomes important in his life. Indeed, he finds it difficult to find an opponent that suits him, but he always keeps hope in this season 2.
So the authors and drawers had to be inventive and original for this season 2. Just like One and Yusuke Murata, director Shingo Natsume also played a leading role in the success of Season 1 of anti-Shonen.
I – A discussed Season 2
One of the main causes is the departure of the genius director Shingo Natsume, (Fullmetal Alchemist, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore…) and his team, who joined the director specifically for the One Punch Man project. A large part of the staff is no longer part of the team, the staff had to be replaced by new animators, cartoonists …
Not to mention that Season 1 was produced by Madhouse while the second season was produced by JCStaff, meaning that the transition from Season 1 to Season 2 has been very disruptive.
Some fans of season 1 of One Punch Man have surely felt it and have described season 2 as bland, static, and uninspiring! On the other hand, another part of the fans found the dynamism of season 2 more crazy and crazy, the drawings finer than in season 1, and Saitama’s antics even more disinterested and hilarious, so opinions are divided.
II – One Punch Man victim of his success
The success of season 1, and the change of staff, resulted in an acceleration of the production of the boards, animations, drawings, colorimetry … some critics claim that the disappointment of season 2 would come from there and that the success of season 1 and changes of director and team, would be the reason why season 2 would then be average.
III – The strength of season 2
The rumors were getting louder and louder, and the new team didn’t let themselves be dismayed and decided to focus not on what they had been accused of, but on another aspect: the Scenario.
Resulting in One Punch Man Season 2, Saitama comes back even more hilarious, even more off the mark, disguising himself for example as charanko with a red wig, in order to participate to the super fight, a recognized martial arts tournament. His memory of faces and names is even more catastrophic.
The bald caped man can meet an ultra powerful character, having introduced himself to him 1 hour before, that he doesn’t remember him 1 hour after. In order not to hurt this character, Saitama tries to remember his first name and calls him with a completely different name wtf!
IV – Secondary characters highlighted
It is from the beginning of this season 2 that new characters enter the scene, like King alias the scam of the Century (7th of the class S of the association of the heroes, but not knowing how to fight at all and having the courage of an oyster), Tatsumaki the tragic tornado (Alias Senritsu No tatsumaki) second in class S, with the physique of a 10-year-old girl whose presence Saitama wonders about, asking “who is this kid”?
Or even the charismatic Garou, the hero hunter that everyone is trying to capture, Saitama having put him Ko twice with a simple flick each time, and not even knowing that it was Garou he had just met!
Another example of an increasingly recurring character is that of Sonic the Thunderbolt. Sonic (Onsoku No Sonikku) is a murderous ninja from a village of murderers whose name is “The end”. Sonic (Onsoku No Sonikku) meets Saitama and is ridiculed for thinking that he was the most powerful and especially the fastest being on earth.
Since this day Sonic does not stop training and thinks only of his victory over the bald caped one. He even goes as far as swallowing a monster cell in order to increase his capacities tenfold but lose his humanity. Luckily for him, it didn’t work because he had the idea to cook it by cooking it with herbs. 🙂
Season 2 makes more and more references to the mysterious Blast. This last one is always discreet and does not appear in season 2, but the heroes and monsters refer to it more and more.
We learn for example that he is the most powerful hero that the earth has ever carried, that he only moves for God-level monsters, that he could single-handedly destroy all the heroes at the same time, as well as the association of monsters, and that he is closer to Saitama than we think. Many theories and speculations about Blast are already running on the web.
Other heroes also mark a smashing arrival such as Batte man (the thug who became a class S hero), Pri-Prisoner, or Silver Bang Croc (3rd in class S) Garou’s former master, creator of the dojo of the fluctuating destructive fist.
The monsters are not to be outdone, Season 2 has been able to put forward the new boss, even more charismatic than the one of Season 1 Lord Boros, it is the king of monsters, soulless Orochi. A whole scenario is built around him, we learn how he became the king of monsters, where he gets his power and who is his creator, but we don’t spoil you more than that!
Other ultra powerful monsters also appear as super sado, the great patriarch scolopendre (Mukade Choro), Goketsu dit Mutant or Bakusan.
In conclusion, season 2 of One-Punch Man is composed of a series of episodes less attractive than those of season 1, according to some fans, because of the departure of the director Shingo Natsume, but it was able to bounce back in the hearts of One Punch Man fans and conquer new ones.
This, with the help of an extremely well-crafted script and even more offbeat humor than in season 1. With the secondary characters taking on more importance, One Punch Man Season 3 is already on the launch pad.
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DBS Garou poster
By Max from https://boutique-saitama.fr
