The Best

 Sometimes anime gets reality better than what almost everyone perceives it to be and can even teach us more than we know ourselves, with many limitless subjects to be invested into; it is no wonder why anime is so popular and becoming more acceptable (except by boomers) Today I will explore what anime gets just right about things few get right. 

Anime/Manga - One Punch Man

Rating - 1000/10

Creator - ONE

The thing that I really love about One Punch Man is that it's a light-hearted tone throughout the show which doesn’t take itself seriously but at the same it’s very serious in what the product offers because; most series show you all the potential in one go to reel in the viewers, then relax and make easy bank by doing as low effort content as possible. However, what One does is he never stops in quality and great content; by never overselling his product with smoke and mirrors. In turn never stopping in having the most outstanding scenes, characters, and always new introductions in the story to keep it very interesting. It shows you how amazing (I guess it does what it says on the tin, XD). What you can learn from OPM is that being the best at something isn’t just handed to you by God at the age of 2 and 9 months. Nevertheless, the best get to the top from dedication and a hell of a lot of training; if you want to be number 1 of the world, train hundreds or even thousands of times over to be the best.

Top athletes, gamers, or hobbyists get to the top not because of talent but because of obsessive dedication. This is even true in this series as well, the main protagonist Saitama (which his name literally means the greatest egg XD) got the best because of an unfathomable amount of training which now makes him a literal god in his field; it makes his character as realistic as it can be for an overdone genre for shounen, Saitama’s character is not just an overpowered character but also one that could happen in real life. The world is filled with giant monsters and aliens so even though all these are over the top creatures because one word that someone may describe this show as over the top, it somehow makes the over the top premise as original, realistic it can be and can add as many of over the top things as he want; and it will still be the most exciting series out there.

This series also teaches a lot of humbleness throughout it. One of them I really enjoy is that in OPM, Egg man is at the top and there are people who think they’re unstoppable, but Saitama eventually comes around and shows them that you can always improve. I think what ONE is doing is using Saitama as a catalyst to segway into the other characters, comedy and thrilling scenes so side characters can be developed as the same face as protagonist would get boring after a few volumes so what he did was pulled back on the focus on Saitama doing overpowered things, and ended it perfectly, so we wouldn’t get bored with it. It is unheard of in anime for an author to completely change focus away from the main characters and make the side characters into a pseudo main character. I love this because you get a new experience every time you pick up the manga, in my opinion; few mangas can make you feel this way, which is why I love this series as it never stops giving.

“Being perfect in fantasy is good, but in reality, it is just a soft lock for your potential. If you are always perfect, then you can never improve or learn - coma 2021”. There is never a max you can be in being good, so being normal is actually beyond perfect. Saitama shows that even if you are the best, there’s always someone that will be better than you or can surpass you; which I loved how this series can teach you life lessons. It is the perfect series for everyone to read. It was the smartest idea that it swerved away from the overpowered generic troupe and made it work without being stale. I still cannot get over how amazing this series is. Even when the protagonist is at the top he does not flaunt it like a trophy (as that’s what real professionals do) he knows that showing off is what amateurs do and people who made it to the top, still have compassion for what they were at the bottom.

Five Knuckle Man has got to be the most realistic hero anime out there, as it’s not always about being the best either. Sometimes you can get caught up in your own obsession and forget what really matters, which is even portrayed in the show of Saitama having a complex inner conflict of what he should do with his ultra powers, so he escaped reality from having fun playing games with King or competing in a competition for fun. Which makes Saitama seem like a real human that actually has a realistic way of thinking and more than one mind-set than trying to be the best. Without having burnout; which is not what real people do. A human is not a robot, and the author knows this. ONE knows too much about how not to be tone-deaf that they should be a politician or something, as they have a very realistic way of thinking and considers the pros and cons of what he is doing. (I would love to have a behind the scenes of him, one day) There is a perfect balance of everything in this manga that is, without a doubt, a 10 out of 10 from the legendary coma. Being too obsessed with being at the top can ultimately be your demise, if all you think about is the top; you will never notice where you came from and what was really your original motive, and you will lose why you are doing it.

I find it funny how Saitama is not the strongest in terms of ranking, although he is the best. It must be a mental thing for him, as he too has lost his way somewhere in between and now is mellow to everything. He regrets not being able to be a normal hero like the rest. Sometimes, when you get all you want, it doesn't seem as great as what you perceived it to be. That is what I think happened to him. Which is why this show is not just an anime but also a case study of the greatest and life of success. Every person wanting to be successful and great should read this manga; it will definitely open a new perspective on things while also being very enjoyable to read. Another reason this series is a masterpiece is because if you switch off your brain it can entertain you for ages, then when you look back you’ll have a better appreciation for it. It seems to be a common trend for me. I will watch a show and not think that much of it or like it, then evaluate or think about it and realise how great it really was; even shows like orange which when I saw I thought was average, but now I'm older, I think that show was actually superb.

Even Denzel Curry. A rising star in the Rap & Hip-Hop industry has based his entire philosophy on One Punch Man; no wonder, as a successful person should always be open to new ideas and change, just like Saitama does. Although he is at the top of everything he wants, he doesn't let that change him or make him selfish or an opportunist. He accepts that he still has to work to get a top rank. It doesn’t bother him he is not number 1, as he knows that the world has more than one way of being the greatest. Strength can only get you so far; there is more than just being the best to be the best. You got to work day and night every day to get #1 and in the show, Saitama was working on himself but lost himself for years.

Despite that, learning from others or taking notice of what they have to say is more important than being the best; being respectful to the little guy and people lower than you will teach you more than just being all full of yourself. Therefore, Saitama is the best protagonist in anime, he has both a yin and yang to him and just like Yin Yang, everything about his character is balanced; nothing too overbearing or not too many bad/good traits either. He is a prime example of a perfect protagonist because he doesn’t just have all the good but also has negative things about him. That makes him more believable as a human. The author really loves experimenting with original and complex characters, which can be shown by his other works, like Mob Psycho. You can tell that it has been made by someone with talent and passion, as he even named himself One, which is referenced in both series, which is why you should read One Punch Man.

Thanks for Reading!