One-Punch Man

Episode 5

Episode 5 of One-Punch Man brings to life a belief that I've always held deep in my heart: every superhero's mettle should be tested with a game of Whac-A-Mole. Somehow this is not the most eyebrow-raising aspect of the Heroes Association Examination, which takes up the majority of this week's adventure.

Of course, that might be because the Heroes Association was not actually built by heroes. Genos explains that the entire organization is only three years old, founded by a normie billionaire after his grandchild was rescued from certain pulverization by a superhero. This might also explain the Association's laughable criteria for classifying professional do-gooders, which weighs physical prowess on a 50/50 keel with a written essay about herodom. Both Genos and Saitama are freakishly overqualified for the physical tests, but Saitama flounders when it comes to putting feelings to paper about the noble profession. At the end of the test, Saitama has blown away the competition with his athletic perfection (even convincing many applicants to quit while they're behind), but barely gets bumped into Class C because of his abysmal essay score. For reference, Mumen Rider is the highest ranked Class C hero. Ouch.

Obviously, this episode is poking fun at how corporate hierarchies blunder in applying their reductive sensibilities to working professionals, whether that be in academia, creative professions, or any other system where bureaucracy can put the little man in a bind. However, there may be a slyer shade to this show's ideas that gives Saitama a lot to think about as he stares down that big letter C. Sure, the Heroes Assocation has laughably misjudged him, but their system has also revealed that for all Saitama's strength, he's psychologically flabby to an extent he's not comfortable with. When he asks Genos if there's any other system for categorizing heroes that might suit him better, his apprentice mentions the numerous fan clubs that form around heroes once they've done enough pro work to get a good nickname. "But nobody cares about that," he concludes, before changing the subject.

Au contraire! Saitama cares very much about that, but he has to hide his feelings after seeing how little it matters to Genos. It's been clear from the beginning that Saitama was attracted to the hero business because he thought it would cure his existential dread. He might not realize it, but the One-Punch Man is seeking validation from fans, peers, and rivals that continually slips from his grasp because of his less-than-relatable personality and prowess. He looks at the meager approval of 71/100 on the Association printout, sees his name at the very bottom of their giant on-site list, gets a lecture from a bitter middle-management hero named Snek who won't stop talking about his (clearly useless) A-ranking, and ultimately Saitama thinks: "Maybe this isn't the kind of hero I want to be." Poor guy...

By contrast, Genos got a rare Class S ranking: a special dispensation given only to applicants who get a perfect score on both halves of the exam and impress the Association's board of executives during a special interview. The panel seems especially interested in Genos's destruction of the House of Evolution, which immediately raised some red flags for me. After Genos tells them that he decimated Dr. Genus's building in hellfire without a second thought, the execs make a special phone call to a loyal celebrity hero named Amai Mask about sweet-talking the cyborg to let him know he's welcome in the Association. Why would they be so interested in Genos's high destructive potential and lack of self-control specifically? (We know he's just a big baby on the inside, but it's clear the Association has seen him as more of a death machine and given that perception their approval.) I'm not sure about the Association's motivations yet, but I think it's safe to say that even if they're simply misguided rather than malicious, their lapdog Amai Mask is bad news. His "welcome" to Genos is more like a veiled threat, and his attitude toward the Association seems more cultish than collaborative.

Comedy and intrigue aside, this episode's real centerpiece is the outstanding faceoff between Saitama and Genos. Sure, the victor is obvious from the get-go, but Saitama's superiority isn't really the point. The three-minute fight scene is bursting with personality, intensity, and even a little humor as master and pupil go all Dragonball Z on each other in fluid and visceral explosions of beautiful animation. Genos's blazing chrome mechanisms are a marvel to behold, with details so intricate and sturdy that it really feels like you could reach out and touch his body at any time (and burn your hand down to a bloody nub). I'm not a mech fan and fancy cars do nothing for me, but Genos's spotlight scenes mark the first time in my life I've ever found machinery drop-dead sexy. I am definitely Genos-sexual, and I defy any animation lover not to get a little worked up over this fantastic production. I'm glad that One-Punch Man has plenty of story to discuss, because words can only do so much justice to the feats Shingo Natsume's team is pulling off on a TV anime budget.

Speaking of sexy, it looks like Genos will be moving into Saitama's apartment next week! It's anyone's guess as to whether they'll share a futon or Genos will just plug himself into the wall and stand in the corner. More importantly, I'm eager to find out what Amai Mask is planning for the Blond Cyborg and Caped Baldy in the future. Snek may be the cobra-themed hero, but I think this sugar-faced bishounen is the real snake in the grass.

Rating: A

One-Punch Man is currently streaming at Hulu, Daisuki.net, and Viz.com.

Hope has been an anime fan since childhood, and likes to chat about cartoons, pop culture, and visual novel dev on Twitter.