#saitama

Almost every arc works out the same: some bad guys show up and gloat about how strong they are, then Saitama shows up and one-shots them. This works really well as a parody for the first few episodes since the way Saitama just casually upstages people is hilarious, and the supervillain types are really unique. Once the usual structure starts losing its luster, the show rightly pivots into more intense arcs, shining a spotlight on the world that Saitama disrupts just by existing. 

Despite Saitama being the strongest guy in the world, the show is about him learning how to use that power. He’s comically destructive in the first few episodes, and doesn’t know what to do when he’s not fighting world-ending threats. The show is about him finding value in being a hero regardless, and learning that he can do more than just destroy people. The fact that Saitama got so strong from just training is a great addition to the bit, shaping his outlook that he should be able to do anything just by trying.

He passes this outlook to his new disciple, Genos, and Genos’ arrival is where the show really takes off. He forces Saitama to do something other than lounge around, both by making Saitama train him and by actually pushing for Saitama to be a hero. Genos is also incredibly strong, but never quite strong enough, so he wants to be stronger. He is also a cyborg, which means Saitama has no idea how to train this guy. Saitama is forced to spout generic, only barely useful advice, and Genos takes it as gospel. It’s really funny, and makes you feel for Genos as he tries and fails to live up to Saitama’s example. Genos losing nearly every fight he’s in makes me feel bad for the guy, because he is clearly powerful. You don’t get the impression that he’s powerful just because he’s flashy either; he blows up a mountain in one of his first appearances. He’s just never enough, but it is pretty funny that the visually stronger guy loses every fight while the boring guy wins every fight. 

However, Genos losing is also the start of a larger trend: if you are a hero who isn’t Saitama, you will probably lose. Opening up the world from Saitama and Genos to the whole Hero Organization is a great idea, and I really like their concept and first few episodes. Joining their ranks gives Saitama something to do aside from fighting bad guys, and it's fun seeing other people adjust to Saitama’s power. While Saitama having to win nearly every fight could get boring and predictable, the show gives the heroes just enough to do that they feel like they’re pulling their own weight while Saitama handles the ridiculously overpowered bad guys that just happen to show up.

The last two arcs of the season are my favorite, showing just why the Heroes are heroes while still letting Saitama execute his one-punch strategy. The Sea King arc might be my favorite, and it’s all about how the heroes are utilized. We open with A-Class hero Stinger actually beating some guys, and then once the Sea King shows up, it’s all about weaker heroes holding him off to protect civilians until the stronger heroes arrive. Genos still has to lose, of course, but he’s the one who holds the line the longest, showing how far he’s come since he became Saitama’s disciple. The hero that finally arrives is Saitama, not one of the expected S-Class heroes, but it makes Saitama feel more heroic since he is the savior the other heroes and civilians have needed. The heroes buying time is epitomized by Mumen Rider’s “fight”, which is literally just him getting mauled until Saitama shows up, but it emphasizes what the heroes are doing and makes them feel worthwhile. Mumen Rider’s speech about never standing down and Saitama’s subsequent floor-wiping of the Sea King is probably my favorite moment in the show.

The finale is the Boros Arc, and it’s structured similarly to the Sea King Arc, except four S-Class heroes actually get a win against Boros’ right-hand while Saitama takes on Boros’s entire ship and Boros. The Saitama-Boros fight is great, as Boros is painted as such a parallel to Saitama in terms of personality and backstory that you almost think he’ll be a match for Saitama before Saitama gets serious and the viewer and Boros realize that the fight was over before it began. It’s a great finale to Season 1, and honestly not a bad end to the show as a whole, aside from the various dangling plothooks.

The side characters are also generally pretty good, with my favorites being Speed of Sound Sonic and Mumen Rider. I kinda want Sonic to catch up to Saitama, because he’s just motivated by spite and it’d be so fucking funny. Mumen Rider is also great, being the true embodiment of heroism as a guy with no powers. Although if normal humans like Saitama or even the Tanktop people can get strong just by training, it seems kinda silly that Mumen Rider is still normal. Maybe silly is the point, but it does make it seem like he’s slacking, especially given how much exercise he must get from riding everywhere on a bike. The S Rank heroes don’t get a lot to do and most of them just seem like strong guys, but they do their job of making the hero organization seem just the right blend of heroic and conceited.