Disney+ Sci-Fi Anime Is The Perfect Superhero Sendup

One Punch Man is based on the manga series created by One and follows Saitama, a superhero who becomes bored because he can defeat any opponent with a single punch. Saitama decides to join the Hero Association to climb the ranks and gain some popularity while also reluctantly taking on the cyborg Genos as a protege. The series shows Saitama’s struggles with boredom as he easily defeats monstrous threats and supervillains.

One Punch Man is hilarious because it provides the ultimate overpowered protagonist, poking fun at the shonen protagonists and superheroes who are able to constantly reach new levels of power. While most superhero and shonen shows depict the struggles of the hero trying to overcome threats, Saitama can always defeat even the most dangerous threat without breaking a sweat. Hilariously, he’s rarely in the right place at the right time, and there are plenty of battles between other heroes as Saitama is frequently late to the scene.

Saitama’s feats also frequently go unnoticed, causing him to be a low-ranked hero in the Hero Association despite being the most powerful character by miles. Of course, there is more than just humor to like in this anime. The series also has fantastic animation, and the battles are as good as any popular shonen anime.

The first season of One Punch Man is especially good, as it introduces us to the show’s funny premise and features the best animation in the series from animation studio Madhouse. The series still has solid animation in the second season, but there is a notable dip in quality as the show switched production companies and directors. It’s still funny, and there are epic battles, but it’s not as good as the first season.

Of course, there will be a third season of One Punch Man that will adapt the manga’s Monster Association Arc, but fans have been waiting quite a while for this season to come out. The second season aired back in 2019, so it’s been a long wait. That said, there’s some hope that the season will come out sometime this year.

One reason for the delay may be that One Punch Man is changing animation studios once again, moving from Season 2’s J.C. Staff to MAPPA. MAPPA is known for some fantastic anime, like Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, the final season of Attack on Titan, and the second season of Vinland Saga. However, MAPPA has recently been accused of fostering a toxic work environment for animators, which may further delay the third season’s release.

In any case, you likely have some time to catch up on the first two seasons of One Punch Man. While you might have to wait a little while for Season 3, you won’t have to wait nearly as long as people who have been waiting since 2019. You can go check out both seasons on the Hulu section of Disney+, which requires an active subscription to both services.