#update 215

Murata is about to take a well-earned rest and One-Punch Man will be back in the autumn. After seven years, the saga of the Monster Association (with bonus Hero Hunter) has drawn to a close.

Meta: Respite

It's all very sweet this chapter isn't it? If you think about it, this chapter represents the very brightest bits of a dark time. Like a storm cloud seen from high up in a jet plane, one we feel safely insulated from. Unfortunately, we shall be landing soon.

Boys will be boys

Nothing worrying to say about Tareo: like many a kid, he's come out quite well. His newfound confidence puts him in good stead to no longer be the picked-on kid.

Despite having the coolest friend in the county, Tareo's still the nice kid he always has been, inviting his playmates along. And why not? There's a reason adults are advised not to get into kid fights -- children are capable of very quickly changing their minds about each other. Tareo's the cool kid now. I'm also very happy to see that the experience has rubbed off well on Waganma and he's happier and more open too. I love Narinki being pleased to see his son come out of his shell... even if he's less than thrilled to be trampled by a horde of little boys. So it goes, dad!

Man changed against his will...

...is of the same opinion still.

I'll say this, it was hilarious to see Garou expound on his philosophy -- only to be deflated as the police officer asks what its relevance to the minor crime he's actually at the station to answer for is. Thinking on it a moment, it's not funny any longer Garou's body was beaten, but his mind hasn't changed. He doesn't think his shitty, counterproductive philosophy is wrong yet. It's just that he won't hunt heroes any more. He intends to ask first before beating them up as he's still greedy for techniques.

On the one hand, I'm very, very happy to see that Bang has stepped up as his guardian and is by his side. On the other, sigh, but Bang is a troublesome old man, isn't he?

I don't think he understands what his proper role in this matter is.

Bang should be the guy making sure there's a hot meal and a bath waiting for Garou when the latter returns from a hard day of casual labour earning money to pay for his dine-and-dash. Bang should be the guy sitting with a cup of tea to share with Garou when the latter comes back from apologising to yet another hero, who listens when Garou excitedly talks about discovering that Mumen Rider got beat up at school standing up for a fellow student who turned out to be Saitama, or his surprise that Stinger shares his cynicism about the goodness of good people as it's the most respectable people who are most likely to short his family's vegetable sales stand, or is discouraged when some don't want to even see his face [1]. That's the proper role for Bang, supporting Garou in making and seeing through better choices.

Instead, Bang has taken over and become his stage manager. Stage-managed repentance convinces no one, least of all Garou himself. Garou deserved better than neglectful parents who seemingly didn't care that he'd run away from home (he's still a minor in this cultural context [2]) and didn't come see him when he was detained. However, a guardian who won't let him learn his own lessons is not what Garou needs either.

Worse, Bang seems to have plans for him. I hope that he's spoken to Garou before embarking on this quest to groom him to take his place at the Hero Association. Now Garou would make a fine, fine hero, but only when he's actually ready to step up... and he's so not. This is going to be trouble.

Men who don't listen

What do you say about a guy who knows that there's going to be trouble but pushes through anyway? In hiding the fact of Garou's intended appointment from Sekingar, Sicchi knows that this isn't going to go smoothly.

I don't think he understands the half of it. Nobody likes to feel like their concerns are not listened to, not just the special snowflake Garou. I don't think he appreciates just how little heroes think of the top brass at the Hero Association and how bitter many of them already are at the combination of irrational demands, being overlooked despite their hard work, and the plain fact that most of the executives are totally unaware of what heroes experience in the field or need. This arc has been very good at showing us just why heroes dislike the HA management so, with Sekingar being the only one to earn their respect (at personal cost). If you've read the bonus story for volume 26, you've probably rolled your eyes at the sincere group of monomaniacally-focussed managers who can seemingly do anything for heroes... except listen to them.

Parachuting Garou without consultation or respect and expecting heroes to just deal is the sort of spark that sets a fuel dump burning. Doubly so a Garou who isn't actually sorry and doesn't really want to be there. Sicchi is going to alienate a lot of good people.

Meet the not-so-serious cyborg

I never thought I'd see the day when Genos made a joke. I don't begrudge him it. His life is tough and it's not going to get any easier, so let him laugh.

I don't know how quickly clams colonize a new coastline; I wouldn't be shocked if Genos planted it himself just to be able to make that joke at Saitama's expense. After all, Saitama called it clam-digging, didn't he? Fortunately, Saitama's the sort of fool who rolls with it. Sometimes I feel like dubbing these two sodium chloride -- largely harmless together, deadly apart.

There are two things I want to bring to peoples' attentions. The first is the timeline. It's been at least two weeks before they've been in a position to come back to try salvaging their possessions. How do I figure that? First, Bang needed to be treated by Metal Knight for radiation poisoning -- and his back got healed into the bargain. Then he needed to go fetch Garou. Then it's been a week since the interrogation at the Hero Association HQ ended. The rate-determining step for them to come back will be whether Genos is well enough to do so after his ordeal at the monster association. For him to be out of action this long speaks to just how harrowing the experience was.

The second is that the coastline has moved permanently. Remember the heroes who broke out of hospital to try pulling as many people as they could out of collapsed buildings? People can survive for days in buildings if the weather is good and there's no fires. But in this instance, there was no later for anyone who wasn't found or who couldn't be reached. The death toll is eye-watering and it's nothing compared to the sheer magnitude of destruction. But for today, we're not looking at that. Not directly at any rate.

Oh, you wanted me to say something about the dog? Nah, it'll keep until Murata is back from his well-earned rest.

As will the storm that's about to start pouring on this story.

Asides

[1] I think it would blow Garou's mind to hear Mumen Rider talk about Saitama as a schoolkid. He puts heroes on a pedestal and hasn't ever seen them as people people, just human beings like him. Many grew up in similar circumstances as him, struggle with the same issues, have to find a way to make peace with what they can do in a world so big and unjust. It could be very moving and funny indeed. Unfortunately, he's not going to get much of that with Bang coming along and rushing the whole thing through.