#opm meta

[carma-tjol]

obsessed with that "boil a frog and it wont notice until its too late" thing opm does with its audience introducing serious ass concepts in a funny way and then not expanding on how dead serious they are until way later.

like with genos's backstory getting played off for laughs because he monologues vs now seeing how his obsession with revenge makes him equate his self worth with power/he struggles to understand himself as a human instead of a commodity

or sonic's backstory about the ninja village getting comedically introduced with him bragging about his skills and then immediately getting punched in the balls vs now it going into the trauma and betrayal related to his past and that his upbringing didn't teach him any normal useful skills thus setting him up for failure

the story acts like it doesnt really matter or that it wont get brought up again initially, but as everything progresses and slowly gets worse and worse at some point the reader is like "oh fuck"

((it can probably be credited to the way the audience sees everything from saitama's eyes at first (since he tends to be a bit dense and apathetic) until it focuses on other characters and their individual arcs more but yeah))

good stuff good stuff

#opm #one punch man #meta #kind of #idk #opm meta #im not gonna bother proofreading this its 1am sorry

[onecinder]

I'm really late but rereading the recent webcomic chapters reminded me how badly Genos's psyche is deteriorating

Like, Genos has stated THIS is how he thinks of himself SO MANY TIMES. That he’s ‘thrown away his human side’, is ‘a being whose only purpose in life is to fight' among other things really shows just how much he's beating himself up -- and he has been for a while, it's just recently it's probably been triggered by Dr. Kuseno's death.

And this panel is even more disturbing. He sees Boros and says he's a 'pathetic being whose only purpose in life is to fight.... just like me', and that boros (and therefore himself) is just a living being deprived of his will and operated as a weapon.

But the most disturbing thing is that he then he proceeds to try and PUT BOROS OUT OF HIS MISERY. Like, that's basically implying that Genos would put himself out of his misery as well if he could, and that he very well might -- after all, he's got a history of drastically trying to self-destruct or taking actions that may very well lead to self-destruction. He's a hero, yes, but sometimes he comes off as a little too eager to throw away his life in order to save lives, or just defeat a monster. But a large part of why he's still alive is because Saitama stops him.

Which brings me to the other thing that's deteriorating -- Genos and Saitama's relationship (though that could be seen coming from a mile away, honestly. All the little cracks in their relationship have been played off for laughs and gags up till now, but knowing ONE, a gag is always the surface of something more serious.)

Even Dr. Kuseno acknowledged directly that Saitama had a huge part in keeping Genos human, in control, and feeling like a normal teenager, and not self-destructing.

Saitama used to be the thing tethering him TO his humanity, but now that he's not even there for Genos, and Genos is mad at him, and Dr. Kuseno, the only person with sufficient emotional maturity to comfort Genos, is gone, what's left to keep him from absolutely losing it?

When I saw these two pages, I could at first see it being construed as: Genos's belief in the humanity and goodness in people allowed him to let Metal Knight to go unchecked, and then he also believed in Saitama's ability to stop him and save everyone if anything were to go awry, and that's what 'clouded his judgement'. But obviously that isn't how it's supposed to be construed. He's definitely mad at Saitama (my shipper heart went through the five stages of grief reading it)

Saitama can't save everyone, not even Dr. Kuseno. This is another example of the consequences of a gag rearing its ugly head now... his unconcerned nature was funny at first, but Genos now feels Saitama is to blame for the whole situation.

Even at this particular panel, which is pretty early on, it's like Saitama knows that Genos is mad at him and that his self-control may be slipping away, and either doesn't really know what to do or decides to give Genos space.

This is the second time across 2 different mediums that Saitama's tardiness and nonchalance caused someone important to him/the people around him to get killed (for the manga, Genos himself, and for the webcomic, Dr. Kuseno.)

Yet he STILL blames himself and goes back to thinking he's worthless and powerless and a shitty hero.

But there's no denying it, he's super mad. Saitama is no longer the perfect idol he looked up to. It used to be such a gag that Genos was willing to do anything for Saitama, and admired him to the point it was borderline obsessive, but the consequences are really showing now.

Buuuut, maybe this is all for the best. A question I avoided confronting was when Genos would finally blow up. For a relationship to be healthy, I think it definitely requires for the people in it to have arguments, disagreements, and work through them together. That's what constitutes a strong relationship with proper understanding and communication.

Aaand if it's one thing these two are bad at, it's communicating their needs and listening to each other imo. (Even Genos misunderstanding everything Saitama says for something suiting his own 'vision' of him is played off as a gag as well.)

It's just that the consequences of these issues are exaggerated by like x1000 and the fate of many people relies on the health of this relationship, and on Genos's psyche staying intact, so... uh, I hope it's all for the best?

If they both don't come out the other end holding hands and slowly mending then RIP Saigenos :(

(sorry for this long ass post it probably could've been summarised in 20 words about 3 months earlier)

#opm #opm webcomic #genos #saitama #saigenos #opm meta #my post #one punch man

[theomnicode]

Saitama then and now

I'd like to think that Saitama going from very toned to absolutely ripped is partly an artistic choice and partly because he now has access to better food and more protein sources, courtesy to better diet and more meat because Genos lived in the same household for 2+months and with their combined income, could afford to buy meat products more often than not.

Genos version of apology for missing a sale on cheap chicken was to buy tons of premium beef enough for hotpot.

Saitama never stopped his training regime either, so it would make sense he put on more muscle as his diet now allowed it. Eating good meals at home has to have done wonders to his overall health and physique.

Saitama is no longer afraid of eating his fill either, when he has Genos for company, unlike in the past when he has been too afraid of "pigging out alone" according to the OPM game quotes. It is poor manners to be a glutton in japan, as Saitama finds himself to be often, being a lover of good food and a high maintenance body with his physique.

Genos: “Master, did you come here because you thought we’d lose?” Saitama: “No, I couldnt take the stares I was getting pigging out alone.”

A-rank income would ensure that even if Genos no longer lived with him in the same household, he can afford his current diet of having enough protein and big enough meal portions to eat his fill. No longer dirt poor, not only he can afford to replace his wardrobe, he can afford to at least eat decently too and even eat out from time to time.

(More Saitama and food metas here)

#opm #one punch man #opm meta #saitama #genos #food #physique #short

[eisenartworks]

On Genos asking Saitama if he got stronger...

Initially, I was a bit confused on why Genos is asking Saitama this again. It's already been addressed in the previous arc, and you'd think it's all well and done, but ONE makes a point on bringing it up again, and that Saitama's answer is different.

But that's because he's referring to two different things!

To recap:

A lot of people assume Saitama is talking about his core...

But that I wholeheartedly disagree. Genos asked on whether or not he got stronger. Saitama answered he has. Except Saitama wasn't talking about in terms of power, he's talking about in terms of spirit.

And Genos has! There's a distinct difference between sacrificing your life to taking any chance to blow yourself up just because you're passively suicidal. The story doesn't spell it out for us, but for all of Genos's great penchant to somehow survive despite barely cutting it, he doesn't exactly value his own life and happiness. This is the first time he's been put into a corner with little chance of escaping and deliberately chose not to blow himself up, because he started to not only to value the lives of his comrades, but his own too. And Saitama acknowledges that it's a good thing! That he's not wrong or immoral to feel that way! Because Saitama knows what it's like to be suicidal. Choosing to live another day is a brave feat of strength indeed.

If you're gonna argue Saitama is just being dumb and Genos was being dumb because he was misinterpreting things again because what Saitama actually meant his core got stronger - here's the thing: Saitama has never cared about power. It's always been about character with him.

The only time he'd care about someone's power level is when it's getting absurdly destructive that it may destroy his or other people's property (Psykorochi, Tatsumaki) or when it's obvious it's about to kill or has killed people (Boros's CSRC, Cosmic Garou). He didn't care that Mumen Rider is weaker than DSK, but he cared about his strength of character to protect people against all odds didn't he?

Even then, how the heck would Saitama even judge if Genos's core actually did get stronger? He doesn't have any basis for it. He hasn't seen the enemies Genos fought. He hasn't seen what the core could do. Hell, he hasn't even seen Genos since he has a broken up body during hotpot night to even know what his feats are. All he knew is that Genos is now limbless and that he lost. But that he had enough strength in spirit to hold on and protect Tatsumaki without fully giving into despair that he'd blow he and Tatsumaki up all thanks to King telling him what happened.

This... was a TERRIBLE answer.

So why was it so ass? Because this time, Genos is clearly asking not if he got stronger in spirit but stronger in terms of power.

Saitama is the last person you should be asking these things, since you might as well ask someone who is lightyears away from earth that you changed the engine in your car so now it could go greater distance and last longer on the road, he'd say "sweet!" but he won't ever be able to tell the difference even if you pop your car hood open nor show the number miles you traveled. To him it's all the same: he's too far away to make an accurate judgement.

Heartbreaking thing is, there's a fairly good reason why it's to important to Genos to be acknowledged he'd grown stronger in power and why he pursues power to begin with: it's not just vengeance nor justice for everything he lost, it's also to make sure he never experiences those loss again. Nor for anyone to experience the same things he did. Saitama's casual "dismissal" just affirms Genos's worst insecurities and fear - that he's still the same weak and helpless 15 year old that couldn't save his town nor protect his family, but survived anyway. Genos has achieved the height of power he previously thought impossible, but heartbreakingly he's so in his head he can't or doesn't even acknowledge it. For all he knows, he still doesn't have the power to not just beat enemies, but to protect people.

They really need to have a proper discussion, but ONE is never one for simple and straightforward journeys.

#opm #one punch man #saitama #genos #opm spoilers #opm meta

[garoumylove]

It's interesting to watch Murata go through the same thing as Boichi and Dr. Stone by making everyone look younger and cuter as time goes on. Senku by the last arc of Dr. Stone looks younger than 15 year old Senku at the start of the series.

I've noticed Murata is going through the same thing. Almost every character looks younger, cuter, smoother as the series goes on. (Everyone except Saitama interestingly enough.)

Garou looked much younger than ever before in this new chapter, and not just because of the haircut. The way Murata is drawing faces is different. There's a definitely an obvious 'kawaii'ness to most of them.

I know Garou is supposed to be young. He's 18 after all. And many times in the manga he looked way older than that which is 'inaccurate/unrealistic' too. (First two years of reading OPM I thought Garou was 25 ngl...) But this new chapter he looks way younger than 18 lmao. If I those were the only images I had ever seen of Garou I'd say he was 15. Times are a-changing.

For me personally, peak Garou was underground Orochi and Dark Shine fighting Garou. That was....nnnnggghhh...*chef's kiss* Thank you for the food.

I'm going to practice drawing faces. I want to draw a handsome Garou too :')

#random thoughts #garou #garo #opm #one punch man #opm manga #one punch man manga #opm meta

[cosmickmagick]

"You weren't just clinging to him for support? You wanted to save him?"

"Clinging... Me? What WOULD YOU kno---Is that what you're doing, too?"

Ok so I went and watched the YouTube video of this chapter, and this part made me be in awe. I love love love how emotional Garou can be when he just lets himself be. But what really makes me have the feels is just how Garou is staring at Genos' core in Saitama's hand. (God I love it when manga panels are done so right.)

In the end, Garou realizes the consequences of obtaining all of the power he went after, that without people around--life would feel so empty. Tareo's friendship is a focal point in Garou's evolution as an anti-hero. The only reason he can never truly stay a monster, is because his inner child, is still alive. His humanity is what brings him back to his senses.

Then in parallel, Saitama also never fully realized how much Genos' bond means to him, until Garou tests Saitama's fury and power by destroying Genos. What Garou and Saitama realize is there is more to life than power. That there is nothing wrong with bonds that give our lives meaning, and in turn motivate us to be better.

#opm meta #opm #one punch man #saitama #opm saitama #opm garou #garou

[webtoon-devourer]

i don't think it's necessarily the ruling opinion, but there are no doubt some people upset with the end of the Monster Association arc and how everything was "fixed" with time travel. i would like to express the level on which i disagree with this sentiment.

this dislike of the arc's conclusion likely stems from the general dislike of "it's okay, we can just go back in time!" and "it was all a dream :)" style endings, specifically the idea that these endings, under any circumstances, are cop outs. i disagree. if One Punch Man ended there, with saitama travelling back in time to stop everyone's deaths and his fight with garou, i would be immensely dissatisfied with the ending. i think that would be fair. however, vitally, it does not. those events are only the conclusion to a single arc. it brings us to a similar situation as the ending of the lord boros arc, with a city destroyed but none of the important characters dead. therefore, i would argue that such a conclusion to an arc is par for the course for One Punch Man. but there is also the vital matter of "it was all a dream :)" situations and how, in my opinion, while often used as cop outs, they are not inherently so, and dogmatic insistence against them is detrimental to good writing. having every possibility on the table is important in order to develop a plot in the way best suited to it - it's simply lazy writing which misuses these possibilities.

the vital question here is: was the time travel ending of the Monster Association arc a cop out? no, it was not. in my opinion, the events which were reversed could nearly be considered expositional. the cosmic garou vs saitama fight and the events which caused it tell us a heck of a lot about the characters. that garou retains his humanity even after becoming monsterised - when he sees takeo dead, he realises that his actions have not led the world in the direction he hoped, which was always a fairer existence. (he's really not a bad guy at all.) what saitama is capable of - man caused untold destruction during this fight without much of a care, including nearly destroying the earth if not for blast and co; on the technical side, we are shown that his power increases exponentially in response to another being even beginning to approach his level of power, leading him to easily beat a puppet channeling the power of literal GOD. that saitama actually cares a heck of a lot about genos, and clings to him for his sense of humanity, which he is barely hanging onto. it also gives us a taste of god's power, for future reference. the only reason i don't consider it expositional - that is, a "what if" scenario purely for the audience's benefit, which fleshes out the characters under otherwise inaccessible circumstances - is that genos remembers. therefore, these events actually do impact the plot through him. (there's a chance that blast and co also know, which would also affect the plot, but i'm not sure.)

the ever-increasing stakes are vital. we're still within the time frame of shibabawa's great prophecy of a god-level threat. at first, we thought it was lord boros, then garou, and now it's looking like the god-level threat might literally be god. whose power we have gotten a taste of, thanks to the cosmic garou fight. things are very much not hunky dory. there is still plenty of opportunity for things to go terribly wrong, even if it didn't happen this time. especially now that we know that saitama is barely clinging to his humanity. the deaths of everyone he knew affected him for sure, but particular emphasis was placed on the death of genos, because he's saitama's hinge to humanity. (if you deny this, i will be forced to call into question your reading skills.) this ups the stakes in a unique way. before, the concept of genos' death carried far less weight. genos fans would be upset, naturally, and saitama would be pretty sad, because it was clear before this arc that he cared at least somewhat about genos. but now? we know how saitama will react to genos' death. and it's not in a sane manner. genos' death now carries with it the stakes of the earth potentially being destroyed and saitama losing his sanity. at least personally, i will look upon any close calls genos has in future with greater anxiety. this newfound knowledge that we have only gives more ground to the idea that the final enemy might be saitama. either the final enemy of the earth, if he turns into a villain (quite possibly due to losing his mind), or the final enemy of saitama himself, as he battles his depression and struggles to stay in touch with his humanity.

the time travel ending was not a waste, nor a cop out. i encourage you to look at the bigger picture instead of allowing your instinctive reaction of "time travel clutch bad" to inform your opinions. there is still the problem of time travel now being on the table as a solution, but this can be avoided in various ways. for example, the existence of the alternate universe where everyone died and saitama fought cosmic garou as a parallel universe created by time travel, therefore not really fixing the problem, but merely rerouting it. or having time travel somehow taken off the table as a possibility. for example (this is just conjecture and not supported by canon), if god dies, perhaps time can no longer be manipulated, and saitama will have to make a decision between destroying god or saving everyone but letting god live and continue to manipulate events, a decision which he can never bypass because he ends up at the same crossroads no matter which path he takes leading up to that. i understand the concern, and am somewhat concerned myself, but i trust ONE and Murata not to end the series in a dissatisfying way. also, i think it adds another level of interest, even. if saitama's power is so great that he can manipulate time, that he can do basically anything, then hitting a single roadblock which he cannot bypass regardless of his power would undoubtedly have incredibly interesting effects on him psychologically. he could be glad to not be all-powerful, and have to actually fight for something for once, or - much like the events with cosmic garou - he might realise that finding a difficult opponent (in the form of a fighter or an impossible decision) at the expense of the people he cares about doesn't actually make him happy or excited. that perhaps he should have turned his search for feeling and a reason to live elsewhere, beyond fighting, a long time ago. idk 🤷‍♂️

#saitama and genos #caped baldy #saitama #arc: the monster association #opm meta #opm takes #one punch man #mine

[nenee-blog]

Garou and Metal Bat

They are good friends. "If you need some fight club or a hot chat, call me. You can come Nagi's home and eat with us if you dare, hehehe. We also have video games." Garou.

Garou is Bad' senior. (Nagi is a oc from my Garou's doujin)

I have lot of fun with all of them XD Hope you like it♥

nenée

#garou opm #opm x reader #opm garou #opm fanart #opm meta #opm webcomic #tareo opm #garou the monster #garou sex machine #doujin #nenee #fancomic #sexy #metal bat #bad #garou metal bat #best buddies #fanart #humor #fight club #hot chat #opm

[bebe-tatsu]

A One Punch Man Meta (Where I overthink about One Punch Man because no one wants to)

Disclaimer: Don't take this so seriously. I just love Saitama and more so Tatsumaki so this is a fun little side project lol If you're not a fan, then think of it as my little headcanon that I want to ruminate on.

So, I have been rereading OPM partly because it’s the Psychic Sister Arc being adapted in the manga now and I simply love Tatsumaki. I need more content of her before she disappears again (insert sad face) 

To be honest, it’s going well but I am stuck in Chapter 137. Like I keep saying repeatedly, I love Tatsumaki so this chapter needs more drilling into

 In the opposite spectrum, Chapter 77 is Saitama’s chapter. Here. we have insight of his psyche via King’s introspection. He feels lonely. He doesn’t feel any emotion anymore. He thinks strength is the only metrics to be had but now he feels bored out of his mind

King actually suggests Saitama to maybe have friends outside of the Hero’s association but he rejected it quite vehemently. He doesn’t need any more friends let alone outside of the Hero Association. (SO WHAT DO YOU WANT SAITAMA)

Here we have an overpowered hero who feels nothing.

On the other hand, we have Tatsumaki who feels every emotion in the maximum capacity.

Both person, with overwhelming strength, felt very alone

I still can’t make heads or tails on how to perceive Tatsumaki’s character and how I feel Saitama will have a profound effect on her debilitating psyche. You ask, why these two specifically and why not others? Because I want to shoo.

For sure, I think we’re all expecting it but Saitama is going to be the catalyst for her change. And by we, I mean maybe it's just me. Lol.

Blast was the one who put the curse in her heart and someone else is going to have to remove it. Who else but someone who actually parallels Blast but is more open to have positive relationship with other people?

Once Saitama utters the phrase “I’m just a hero for fun”, her mind has to go to Blast immediately. It has to!! But unlike Blast who told her to not expect anyone to come save her, this one’s going to be sticking with her.

And before all of you say it’s going to be Fubuki that should help her sister out, it’s not. At least, it's what I believe.

I think Fubuki is a hindrance to Tatsumaki. Tatsumaki feels obligated and responsible for her sister’s safety (Because Blast said so and she took it so seriously) therefore if she’s going to do any growing up, Fubuki needs to be out of the way.

For #1 to happen, Fubuki needs to have her own storyline out of her Sister's sphere. This is where Psychos and the Blizzard group comes into play, so many forthcoming things on that front (especially with the new scenes in the webcomic)

In Chapter 144, Fubuki mentions that she is gathering forces to help her sister so she can save her. This is why Saitama and Fubuki's arc are interconnected because Fubuki will be the leeway to connect Saitama and Tatsumaki's paths together

Saitama by way of meeting Fubuki was actually the reason why Fubuki understood her sister a little better (It's lonely at the top) which establishes that Saitama and Tatsumaki are one and the same person. They just need to realize this Fubuki panels that make a direct comparison between Saitama and Tatsumaki

Anyway onto reading the rest of the chapter and overthinking. Until this arc is over, I'm not gonna shut up ahahaha *Evil laugh*

#one punch man #opm meta #saitama meta #tatsumaki #saitatsu #saimaki #saitama #ONE I trust in you #ONE I know you love Tatsumaki. It says so on your twitter

[scary-senpai]

Fun with Symbolism: Saitama as a "Wise Fool" Character

Saitama is a unique character for many reasons, least of all because of his explicit (if unusual) goal: he’s a hero not for fame or glory, but for fun. Because of the turbulent way that the Monster Association arc unraveled, this aspect of Sai’s personality has become a topic for debate—is he chasing glory, or merely fumbling towards some much-needed dopamine? Sometimes I feel like the subtext of OPM is really “people will really do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and 10 K running before (or become the world’s strongest monster) before they will go to therapy.”

I would argue that while “being a hero for fun” doesn’t traditionally constitute Good Samaritan-ism, it does inoculate Saitama from the pitfalls of egotism and entitlement that plague his pro-hero colleagues. If Saitama was granted these unique powers by design, it likely has to do with his unconventional approach to heroism (or rather, his non-attachment to all the subsequent glamor and glitz). While he might seem a bit foolish, even juvenile at points, I've always considered him a wise fool: in literature, a character that is initially seen as silly or senseless, but eventually comes to demonstrate wisdom in their own unique (and usually humble) way.

When I think of Saitama and his ultimate power, I think back to the Ruler of the Universe (AKA “The Man in the Shack”) from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. How does one qualify for a position of far-reaching, inexhaustible power?

Simple: wish for literally anything else in the world.

Here’s an excerpt from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe that explains in more detail:

It is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President (of the Universe) should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary: people are a problem.

** In Adams' series, the President of the Universe holds no real power; the Presidency is a stooge role that exists solely to mollify and distract the ruthless, power-hungry people that desire to control everything, at the expense of anything (which often goes poorly, as we know from life on earth).

I have (half-jokingly) hypothesized that OPM happens inside a “Philadelphia”—a humorous concept proposed by playwright David Ives. In a Philadelphia, the Universe actively identifies what you most desire and then deliberately moves it away from you. For Ives, this is a running gag, but I think that in the OPM-verse, this same concept could be read as a statement on non-attachment.

Non-attachment is an a stepping stone towards Enlightenment in many major religions / belief systems, and there are plenty of references to Enlightened entities within OPM. Saitama is literally parting the sea and walking on water, and that’s not even getting into the various references to Hinduism/Buddhism, particularly with Garou but also Blast and Psykos.

But it’s very easy to lose track of what’s important, and to be distracted by all the wrong things, as Adams explains:

And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galatic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they are not.

Being a hero isn’t fun for Saitama; that’s probably how we know he’s doing it right.

Saitama is a simple man with a relatively straightforward goal ("to have fun"), and I think there's something refreshing about his brutal honesty.

Much like Adams’ Ruler of the Universe, Saitama’s not one for lofty concepts ("twenty words or less!"). Similarly, despite commanding the entirety of the known cosmos, the Ruler of the Universe only focuses on what’s in front of him (this is from the Hitchhiker's fandom wiki):

[The Ruler of the Universe] has an odd, solipsistic view of reality...He has a very dim view of the past, and he only believes in what he senses with his eyes and ears (and doesn't seem too certain of that, either): anything else is hearsay, so when executive-types visit to ask him what he thinks about certain matters, such as wars and the like, he tells them how he feels without considering consequences.

And I think that while this is a frustrating position to take, it’s also an honest one: sometimes the answer is, “there is no (good) answer” or “I know that I know nothing” (also known as the Socratic Paradox, not actually said by Socrates) but people tend to hate it when you point that out.

Because at the end of the day, what is justice and what is evil? Pfft. Who knows, man. The only reality is sale day and sweet, misguided kids in weird costumes.

Tackling macro-problems (like world peace) requires us to zoom out, which may cause us to lose touch with reality—often in ironic and unfortunate ways. In this way, Garou serves as a foil for Saitama. Think of their interaction with Tareo: when Tareo begins to shed tears of concern for the rapidly-monsterizing Garou, Garou assures the boy that his actions are ultimately for the best—by becoming Ultimate Evil, he can create a world where no children cry. And if Garou took a good, hard look around him, he would realize that Tareo is sobbing not because of hypothetical bullies in Garou's imagined example, but because of what Garou is doing right now. This is a prime example of the “finding a good reason” fallacy that plagues pretty much everyone in the OPM-verse (but Garou in particular).

But. despite his lofty concepts, Garou is still looking at the world upside-down and backwards. In contrast, Saitama immediately identifies what’s important now: praising the little kid standing up to defend the monster (Tareo, but Garou by extension), foreshadowing the importance of anchors for impossibly stubborn strong people like them. Much like the Ruler of the Universe will redirect high-level conversations to the things he can see and touch, this approach solidifies (for me) Saitama's standing as a Wise Fool. More context from Wikipedia:

The wisdom of the fool often captures what Intellectualism (logic and reasoning) fails to illuminate of a thing's meaning or significance; thus, the wise fool is often associated with the wisdom found through blind faith, reckless desire, hopeless romance, and wild abandon, but also tradition without understanding, and folk wisdom.

There are pros and cons to Sai’s approach, and you could even argue that he botched this interaction with Garou, but put a pin in that thought, we’ll come back to it.

Desire is insidious, and heroes in the OPM-verse desire not just power but recognition. Think of common synonyms for hero: star, legend, celebrity, idol, favorite, VIP, darling… there’s a reason you’re not supposed to meet yours.

Practicing non-attachment is the key to living a good life according to many religious beliefs / spiritual practices. This includes non-attachment to non-tangible things like recognition, as well as tangible things like wealth and food.

Thinking about non-attachment brings me back to a lecture I attended at the Integral Yoga Institute, which focused on the 3 granthis (the knots of the heart that prevent us from reaching enlightenment), and the speaker specifically emphasized that being selfless included non-attachment to outcomes. Simply put, are you prepared to be a good person even if your efforts fail? Even if you never receive recognition--or worse? Even if you're punished for doing the right thing?

Overcoming the need for recognition is necessary to maintain one’s moral compass, because doing the right thing is damned hard. The Good Place, where characters grapple with the idea of "Moral Dessert": the idea that if you act with virtue, you deserve a reward (and the source of many, many stomach aches for poor Chidi—who argues that good deeds don’t “count” if they are not freely given.)

What truly matters, then, is how you treat others when nobody is looking—and Saitama often goes a step farther during his battle with the Sea King (by “announcing” that he was a weak, C-class hero taking credit for his colleagues’ hard work)... or even now, amazingly, even with Genos singing his praises Saitama seems entirely uninterested in the laudable deeds he did. Partly because Genos is being very Genos about it (bless my curmudgeonly-yet-emphatic toaster son), but Saitama is also the kind of guy that knows how to touch grass when he needs to. That was key yo the last arc.

It’s important to stay detached from recognition or results because taking up the Wise Fool/Holy Fool mantle might include enduring mockery/humiliation for doing the right thing, like shirking recognition in favor of the greater good, or living a simple life in the service of others.

…For the record, though, “non-attachment to recognition” is very different than demanding a fair/transparent salary system from your employer, as is the case with the Hero Association.

Anyway, other "Wise Fool" characteristics that Saitama demonstrates:

blind faith (in his exercise regime as the source of his power)

unexpectedly wise and insightful (Saitama is perceptive and canny—able to assess characters like Garou/Fubuki/King accurately and astutely, almost immediately upon their first meeting—but he is often coy about how much he knows)

unassuming and innocent seeming

These last two points (insightful but unassuming) are important—while Saitama’s character observations are usually accurate, they are often blunt and rather tactless— but gets away with it, because he seems Mostly Harmless. When the Fool Character appears in a story, this is usually their primary responsibility—to speak scary or unpleasant truths in a more palatable way. This may also be why even though Saitama is the protagonist, we spend so much time around people who are not Saitama… so we can see how his simple truths have changed them.

Playing fetch with Fire-Breathing dogs, taking a spa-day in magma… Saitama finds joy in everything, maybe too much joy. That’s the flip-side of being a fool: immaturity.

The Fool is (usually) the first card in the Tarot deck for a reason. It is number Zero (the number of infinite potential) and does not actually have a set place in the deck--as the whole deck is meant to symbolize the fool's journey. However, it is often placed first. The most common imagery probably comes from the Rider-Waite deck:

Poor guy’s about to walk off a cliff— is he feckless or fearless? Poor (in pocket) or rich (in spirit)? The answer is both. I've included an excerpt from one of the books in my library (with some interjections). The source is Tarot by Jessica Hundley--it's part of Taschen's Library of Esoterica and it's really gorgeous (a nice coffee table piece!). Anyway, the chapter reads:

The fool marks the beginning of the journey through the Major Arcana. Often depicted as a young person, he is usually shown walking precariously close to a cliff or deep ravine, sometimes with one foot poised, as if he is about to step directly into the void, yet he remains blissfully unaware of his imminent danger (like when Saitama is challenging Garou to what seems like an lighthearted fight). His clothes and cap are vividly colored, often in blues, reds, and yellows, and at times emblazoned with symbols. With one hand, he carries his belongings, wrapped up in a kerchief tied to the end of a staff (or maybe a bucket), casually slung over his shoulder…At his feet, a small dog (ROVER) or other small animal is often shown, a protector and loyal companion on the Fool’s adventure. Beyond are the sun and the snow-capped mountains, signifying his ultimately destination ahead, a mystic path towards enlightenment.

Attributes The fool is a nascent spirit embarking on a search for experience. He emerges from the void and sets out on his journey with the innocence of a newborn. His story has yet to be told, he is infinite potential—all things and no thing, at once. He is not yet rational, but rather intuitive, acting entirely on instinct.

Obviously, Saitama's perceived lack of hero instincts have come up, but without getting into detail—I would argue that recognizing/understanding/incorporating our instincts into reasonable thought is part of our journey towards being better humans. Getting back to it, though:

…Naive, spontaneous, a blank page awaiting the first touch of ink, he has no expectations, no past. He is rash, obsessed, and unrestrained. He is energized and continually renewed by his own inception, propelled forward by impulse and cathartic creations.

So we have a through-line of Fools and Enlightenment, walking together hand-and-hand. The forward to this chapter quotes Learning Tarot Essentials (Paul Foster Case), and it’s absolutely beautiful so I’ll share that too--although it's a bit more esoteric and meta than Hundley's explanation:

The cosmic Life Breath is forever young, forever in the morning of its power, forever on the verge of the abyss of manifestation. It always faces unknown possibilities of self-expression and transcends any height it may have reached at a given time. He is the primary aspect of universal consciousness, which we term Super consciousness. Because he symbolizes the state of the Life power just prior to beginning a cycle of the self-expression, also represents inexperience. It is because of this inexperience that the noble wise men who invented the Tarot called this trump card ‘The Fool’— Finally, the title of the Zero card refers to that “foolishness of God, which is wiser than men."

That bit about "foolishness of God" is from 1 Corinthians, and I would argue that the full quote is more about hubris / inability of mortals to grasp the divine, but I'm a theology enthusiast, not an expert and most of what I know about Bible comes from Apocrypals.

Anyway, I know that was a lot, so I’ll leave with one of my favorite articles about Michelangelo’s David: the author, Sam Anderson, describes how The David—masterpiece, hero, epitome of perfection—is everywhere in Florence. Initially, Anderson is inspired by the statue—but he’s inspired to be perfect, something that he can neither achieve nor maintain (and, as the article reveals, even the David has cracks in its ankles—“a hero’s destiny is not to stand but to fall,” Anderson writes). In later life, Anderson finds the real hero of Florence to be Dostoevsky’s Prince Myshkin. Dostoevsky wrote The Idiot while living abroad in Florence. The protagonist (another Wise Fool / Holy Fool character) grapples to maintain purity of heart in an uncertain and confusing world.

I love this deliciously messy concept—a fool of a hero—because it’s relatable. Although accomplished. Saitama doesn’t speak to what could be as much as he speaks to what we are now, which is arguably more important.

#one punch man #opm #opm meta #meta #saitama #esoterica #tarot #armchair theology #in this essay i will #douglas adams is a hoopy frood who knows where his towel is

[carma-tjol]

So, about the dream Sonic got!

Even though it’s mainly comedic relief, I feel like it does a good job at subtly showing his character development and I wanted to talk about it.

His dream wasn’t quite as heart wrenching as Flash’s. God(noID) decided the best way to manipulate him was through his warped perception of power. After all, he took the monster cell before.

The reason he rejected the monster cell is the food poisoning trauma (lmfao) but the dialogue of the scene is focused on power and taking a quick and easy way to the top. It works well keeping a funny tone while still representing a rejection of his previous ideals.

Before he was unable to accept there were people more skilled than him and it ate him up inside. He constantly searched for a chance to prove himself, rather than improve himself. It became a mental barrier.

But he got his ego checked after his fight with Flash and the other ninjas. The way he viewed his power in relation to other peoples’ shifted.

(And what better person to say this than Flash. Flash got as far as he did because he went through the same thing after all. His advice wasn’t conceited and it didn’t come from nowhere.)

His pride held him back, but deep down he is a very headstrong person with a strong sense of identity. Letting some of his arrogance go allowed that to shine through and save both of them. It’s the first step to letting him unlock his true potential.

“Don’t worry, you’ll improve.”

#opm #one punch man #speed o' sound sonic #meta #opm meta

[jaijaitbinks]

Read the recent chapter and i am... both concerned and intrigued by Saitama's quotes in the last panel.

"What the hell's this?"

"They're keeping monsters as pets right here in the middle of the Hero Association HQ?"

"In that case I guess it's no big deal to keep a dog or two where I live."

I... Don't know what to make of it. There's several ways to interpret them.

Saitama's phrasing, for starters. He uses the term "pets", and compares it to having Rover (who, he definitely knows is a monstrous canine. He doesn't seem to care about the monstrous part though). I can't tell if he means that in a derogatory way, like an equivalent to a test subject, or if he genuinely thinks they're keeping them as something akin to a household pet. That they train them like one would a dog.

Second, his nonchalance (boredom?) about it. Part of me believes it's just cuz he's still hung up about Tatsumaki destroying his house. But another thinks that... he wasn't surprised about it. Like he knew the HA is extremely shady and this discovery only confirmed his suspicions rather than completely caught him off guard. But if he knew something was up, how did he know? Did he see something before? Overhear something? Did someone tell him?

Also, the way he adds "right here in the middle of the Hero Association HQ", emphasizing the placement and holding of the monsters. It sounds like either he knew H.A. had them but just didn't know where (and thus didn't expect them "in the middle of the H.A. HQ"), or he didn't expect it at all, but was shocked more so about their location rather than the fact they were there.

Again, somehow he had either a suspicion or knew about it.

#opm #one punch man #saitama #opm meta #quote analysis #hero association

[theomnicode]

One punch man and flirting with romance

Romance, in my opm? More likely than you think.

There are many instances in one punch man where the author and the mangaka specifically tip their toes into showcases of implicit romance than explicit, but it is there and I'd like to jump into the romantic cruise ship and put down some of the cases where romance has been implied.

Starting with number one, Fubuki and Psykos implied to be kissing under a tree as teenagers where Fubuki seals off Psykos' powers with an implied kiss, where Psykos is also seen blushing right after. Rest of their interactions also ooze romantic overtones.

Number two is cd audio drama, Saitama and the mysterious heroine, where Saitama and Genos go see a movie and Saitama starts talking about relationships after seeing Suiryu flirt with a woman, then goes on tangent about girlfriends and such.

Saitama: That’s not the point... I have the feeling that things like a heart to heart interaction, sharing an umbrella, warmth, are all things broken away in my life. Other people can have things like big events and circumstances happening, romances and such bringing happiness in their daily lives. I have the feeling something broke and that sweet-like fluffy, nice stuff just fell right off from me. That's what I meant.

Saitama: Genos, look, have you ever seen a hero anime without a love interest in it? Genos: I don't remember watching a lot of anime in the past.. Why do you ask? Saitama: Well, we're heroes, right? We're working and living as such. And yet, why are we indifferent towards things like love interests or girlfriends? In some way it seems obvious and logical, but is it really ok? Are you ok with reality being so much harder than fiction?

It is obvious that Saitama would still be interested in romance, as he seems to be a romantic at heart, yet after becoming so strong he struggles with his emotions, his apathy.

Saitama also reads romantic shoujo manga on his spare time, as seen on season 2 OVA.

Number three is fairly recent addition where it is implied that Genos interest in Saitama as a disciple may or may not be entirely platonic. 3 different people (Zombieman, Flashy flash and Amai-mask) take note of Genos growing interest in Saitama. Genos has also been noted very much be interested in his master's physical appeal in audio cd dramas and below excerpt.

Genos for a long time, has been a prime example of a potential fool in love, but it is still handled in implicit rather than explicit manner. Shoujo sparkles and all that included.

Number four is a most recent addition of Blast and his partner, possibly holding hands under the panel. Blast's partner is specifically referred to as "partner" and not a collaborator by Sitch, giving his partner some more importance in the scene than rest of Blast's teammates. This one may be reaching, but we'll be seeing in future arcs how correct that assumption is.

Number five, Saitama and makeover audio drama where Genos has given Saitama's attack a long name.

Saitama: (Serious voice) Super shining and lightning, that’s right, this next punch will overwhelm you like a gust of northern urban wind deep in December, this illusionary, fantastical, understanding punch from the heart, starting from hyper dreaming attack the final, a never-ending eternal forever endless sentimental with a high sense aggregation of full throttle, godless, loneliness, can’t stop falling in love and as soon as fighting…

Number six, monsters named Maiko plasma and Electric catfish man appear to be a married couple. Maiko plasma refers to Catfish man as "darling" in multiple occasions, so they appear to be involved.

Number 7, where Tatsumaki thinks that Saitama is attracted to her because he's gripping her hand.

Last but not least, number 8, romantic alternate universe comedy part between Fubuki and Saitama in high school audio drama, where Fubuki thinks Saitama wanted to confess to her.

OPM may not yet have any really explicit romance, but implicit...there is a boatload. ONE does not leave fans cold when it comes to romantic undertones. :D

#opm #one punch man #opm meta #romance #saitama #genos #psykos #fubuki #tatsumaki #blast #maiko plasma #electric catfish man #Youtube #long

[eisenartworks]

Been think abt @aforrestofstuff's twt post abt the strongest people in opm only maintaining their humanity bc of their connections with others and I thought

The best part... The best part is that these connections bring the best and worst of them. Saitama was willing to destroy the universe when he loses Genos. Tatsumaki is over controlling and overprotective to the point it's hurting Fubuki. Garou gets the resolve to become absolute evil if it means Tareo would never experience bullying again.

But... But Saitama keeps both his humanity and sanity because of Genos. Tatsumaki gains a new purpose and will to live because her little sister. Garou was willing to lay down his life if it means Tareo would live, over and over. I'm being super normal about this

#Opm #One punch man #Opm meta #Not okay! Definitely not Okay #Garou #Tatsumaki #Saitama #ONE: relationships are great but pls find a fucking balance

[garoumylove]

I know there will be several talented people doing write ups on this but I just want to add my own two cents as well because this got me emotional.

The reason I write Garou fanfics so much is because I find his psyche absolutely fascinating and close to my heart. He presents with such anger and sassy cockiness while dealing with so much inner turmoil. And most of the time we don't get to see that inner turmoil but every once in a while ONE/Murata will lift that veil through one panel or a piece of dialogue and we get a glimpse of the troubled young man and all those painful feelings inside. And it's that pain, inner conflict, the vulnerability he guards so closely that I love to explore and that makes me fall for him over and over again.

This panel is one of those. As I've mentioned a while ago, I'm not a fan of the way Garou has been characterised in the manga since he reappeared on the surface at the end of the MA arc and especially not a fan of his characterisation post MA arc. This, however, is the Garou that I love. The troubled young man who pushes his way through life with a heady mix of bravado and stoicism. And then we get this.

"I'd love to show you how 'easy' it would be...' accompanied by a somewhat gruesome inverted panel with blood splatter. To me, this is the first time Garou is letting out his pain and frustration at his loss with Saitama. His ideology, while simplistic, got him through a tough childhood and adolescence. He clung to that goal and shed an exorbitant amount of blood and sweat over it only to discover it was never going to be. The loss of that would be gut wrenching. And finally here we get him giving us a glimpse of that raging pain. Of that vulnerability.

But what gets me even more is the next line "You worthless hunk of junk that can't even bleed or feel pain". This is one of the most obvious and clear times that Garou is coming face to face with his own pain. To me, it's like he's finally admitting that he is in pain. Not physical pain, but just this existential pain that he finds himself sometimes drowning in and doesn't know what to do with.

And then next panel he just goes right back to work with the older guys looking after him which I find so fucking sweet and adorable, telling the lad to put everything down and stop working.

At this point I see Garou starting to deal with all that backlog of pain and trauma. He is not in it all the time but he allows it to come to the surface, holding it, feeling it and then he goes back to this new low-key life. This isn't something he is going to process in one go. This will be an ongoing process. Diving head first into that chaos, those demons in his head, into everything that hurts and unravelling it a little at a time before swimming back to shore and going on with his life.

It's a process that I think is a lot more poignant and powerful than the happy-go-lucky de-fanged puppy characterisation we currently (but didn't used to) get in the manga. The Garou we get in the webcomic still has those fangs, but he lets himself be more than that little by little. One day, he will be at peace with who he really is and every time I think about it, I kinda want to tear up.

#this is why i love him so #garou #garou one punch man #opm #one punch man #garou meta #opm meta #one punch man meta #opm webcomic #one punch man analysis #garo

[no1monstersimp]

14 and 15

WARNING THIS WILL BE VERY RANTY

Sorry this took a bit to answer haha, I was thinking about these ones for a little bit and I wanted to be able to type it out on my laptop because this may be long(and my laptop is slow). This will be a pretty heavy one.

So lets start with 14 -sigh-

TW rac*sm, h*m*phobia, ped*philia, r*pe, inc*st.

I'm sure this isn't unpopular, but my opinion about the fandom is it's pretty bad. Of course I love most of the users on here and have overall been very pleasant to interact with, but the issues are very overwhelming and become more apparent on the Reddit. You can say, it's just the Reddit, but I've seen these issues on Instagram, Twitter, and pretty much everywhere else. Some of the major issues are homophobia, racism, and the very concerning amount of pedophilia jokes/normalization.

So let's start with the homophobia portion.

As I'm sure everyone has experienced sometime in the fandom, there is an overwhelming amount of homophobia within the fandom. Let's take GenoSai for an instant. Whether like the ship or not, there is definitely a double standard among the fandom. Art where the ship is Genoko(Genos genderbend) x Saitama, it is perfectly fine and little heads are turned, but as soon as you mention Genos x Saitama, everyone goes batshit. They like to say it's because "ships don't belong in the fandom" but then turn around and ship Saitama and Tatsumaki or Saitama and Fubuki. They even go as far as to say "making them gay is disrespectful to the character or it ruins them". I'm sorry but if you're that delusional, I don't even know what to say honestly. Certain users got up and arms about the Batarou ship as of late after the reveal of Kiro in 170. Many users were sent unprovoked abhorrent asks or comments all because they ship them. Some have also downplayed the fact that bisexuality exists as well because of this, just stating "Garou isn't gay" or "Garou doesn't like men". There have been some that have written amazing essays on it so I won't go too deep into it here. Another thing is the downplay of LGBT voices in the fandom. They constantly harass LGBT users for having gay ships or other LGBT ships, when all we literally want is representation. It angers me when they say "well you have Puri Prisoner" and I'm sorry, but fuck that. I literally hate the character. They have no right to speak over us and preach what an acceptable character to represent the community is. No right at all...

Anyways... back to double standards, lesbian ships are more accepted because they are fetishizing them. Some of the most popular are Psykos x Fubuki, Fubuki x Do-S, and...ugh...Fubuki x Lily. So they ignore a literal 14 year old and 23 year old and think it's okay but somehow two consenting male adults in a relationship is worse??? Same thing with incestual relationships such as Fubuki x Tatsumaki.

A smaller section is the way they excuse Darkshine. I understand the intention may not have meant to be racist, but at the end of the day we can't keep excusing it. I feel awful when I remember his backstory because he's not a bad character, in the sense that he's a good guy.

Ah the pedophilia jokes and the normalization. I can't tell you how many times I've seen really disgusting jokes about the child characters in sexual situations. The thing is, they aren't even funny. As mentioned before, they already normalize the relationship between a 14 year old and someone she looks up to, who is 23. Well, let's dive into their favorite thing, One Hurricane. There is a volume of this lovely series , I say sarcastically, in which Child Emperor( a 10 year old) is raped by Fubuki (yet again, a 23 year old) and I sadly laid my eyes on a panel. Fubuki is sexually assaulted by Saitama multiple times throughout the series as well as Do-s in one volume. They still celebrate the series as "so good" when it literally excuses rape ad pedophilia. It pisses me off so bad. There are many users who draw or post incest, pedophilia, rape and are celebrated. It's sad I can think of so many off the top of my head, BY NAME.

I have some other things I want to talk about but the post is getting long...

I'll do a briefing of things I don't like about the manga itself. I don't like the way Kama is treated, she's way too beautiful to be presented the way she is. Especially in the webcomic when her name was "Slicing Shemale". I understand that there is apparently some translation issues, but sometimes I wonder.

I already talked about Darkshine and Puri.

#fandom discourse #opm #opm fandom #opm meta