One-Punch Man is not your typical anime. Regardless if you’re in the camp that thinks it’s one of the best out there, or you don’t feel the hype at all, there is one thing that it is clear: it’s different. A question that is often raised is “when does it get good”?
One-Punch Man starts getting good when it starts showing what it is really about. Unfortunately, this takes quite a while in the Anime. You should have some appreciation for the show by the 5th episode of the first season, while the 9th should really draw you in. If this is not the case, then the show probably isn’t for you and that’s ok too. Either way, at that point the rest of the first season and the second season are very unlikely to convince you otherwise.
A Deeper Analysis of One-Punch Man
Saitama may undoubtedly be the most powerful person around, but he is not without his own issues. He struggles with seemingly more mundane things such as grocery shopping, sure, but also with more serious issues such as social anxiety and even depression. He also sometimes borders on depression, no longer getting any fulfillment out of his battles.
Apart from this, it is also a story about everyone else. Saitama may arguably be a gag character (at least combat wise), but other characters are not. Power scaling is important when dealing with any character that is not Saitama. There are also deep themes such as corruption and what it really means to be a hero. Despite its simple premise, the series actually has quite a bit more realism than many other shows.
To appreciate One-Punch Man, you need to enjoy its different elements. The show is about more than a guy killing monsters in a single punch, but it’s also not a traditional story about heroes. That makes it quite interesting for those who are into something different but can also make it feel lacking if you DID want a story with more traditional heroes. If you belong to that latter category, that is totally fine.
There isn’t a single anime out there that is liked by everyone. If you don’t at least somewhat like the anime by the fifth episode and fully convinced by the ninth episode, the rest of the anime is not going to convince you either. Chances are you would like an anime such as My Hero Academia better.
Conclusion
One-Punch Man is about a lot more than a guy punching things. This, however, takes a while to see. If you come into the show with the mindset of “how good could a show about a stupidly overpowered character” really be, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. It is also possible you will still not see what the big deal is though. Either way, it shouldn’t take more than five episodes for you to get a good idea if One-Punch Man may be something for you.