Yup, I think I’m abandoning this series. I had been hoping there would come a point when things would click and it’d become something more. Alas, it seems like it’s destined to continue being a hodgepodge of silliness that’s quite the mixed bag. In volume one, it was a fun time. In volume three, it introduces a whole host of new characters and plotlines that I didn’t care a smidgen about. Hero rankings, a meteor that’s going to be stopped by… I’m sure anybody reading these can guess, etc. I’ve seen One-Punch Man described as a satire/parody of anime, but I think that’s giving it far too much credit, to be quite honest. It’s not that smart. It may try for that; however, that doesn’t mean it succeeds. Give me the brainless action like in Dragon Ball Z over something like this. There’s still the same amount of stupidity and silliness, only without any hopeless aspirations for anything more. Moreover, even if his “one-punch” power is a hyperbolic take on the out-of-control strength of other anime heroes, the fact that he has it really puts a damper on the proceedings because it’s always just a waiting game. There’s no real stakes, no drama. Just padding until we get that “one-punch” and it’s over. And from what folks who’ve read a lot more of the series have said, that’s it for the length of the series. At most, “One-Punch Man” has to become “Two-Punch Man,” they say. Sorry, but I don’t have the patience or time for that.
