One Punch Man 2nd Season Specials

Oh One Punch Man, how the mighty have fallen. This will not be a long review detailing the failings of Season 2 of One Punch, there are plenty already and it would just be a waste of time—yours and mine. I will say, that despite the issues with animation season 2 faced, there was a definite improvement over time with the Garo fight single handedly saving the seasons' MyAnimeList score. These OVA specials though? Yikes. Not only do they look as bad as OPM2 did on a bad day, but they also fail to evoke the emotions from the viewer that ONE's writing normally does. Very little of it was funny, all of the jokes that were clearly meant to be jokes fell flat, especially the last episode. The scenarios for all of the specials were either predictable or unmemorable to the point of annoyance. OPM is not merely known for having fantastic visuals (at least in manga form) but also having strong characters that are fun to watch, easy to relate to and root for, and have interesting interactions with our titular main character. But these specials don't really provide much of that in any substantive way that you couldn't get elsewhere. In fact, I believe the specials even mention content that isn't even covered in the anime. Which is a great hint to go read the manga, something everyone should do it's fantastic. I'm not going to talk about the art too much because it's already done to death but wow the specials look bad. It never gets to the level that certain episodes of the show do, which feel like they were largely drawn on four's and fives, but it doesn't mean they look good: Inconsistent and ugly character art, blah colors, low visual fidelity, no real directorial or cinematic flair. All characteristics of things that the laymen would define as "bad." And I would wholeheartedly agree. I can't normally watch pretty things that are poorly written anyways so how am I supposed to feel about this? You would think with the months in between the season and the releases of the Blu Rays that the team would have the time to make these specials look the best they can, but very clearly their schedules were just as garbage as the McDonalds that destroyed my intestines a few days ago. I anguish for the animators that were murdered in the making of these works that were definitely not worth their blood sweat and tears; as well as the anime only viewer who will miss out on one of the best looking action manga of all time. Which is ultimately why I watched them all despite their poor quality, I love One Punch Man, I think ONE is a great writer and Yusuke Murata is a fantastic artist. The fact that this was released in its current state is an insult to them and all the super talented people caught up in the OPM production committee's attempt to strike while the iron is hot, instead of waiting for Shingo Natsume to finish their mediocre Boogiepop Adaptation. I'm just glad they're all out so I can mark them as completed and move on with my life.

One Punch Man and Mob Psycho are very similar shows by the very same author, but have you ever wondered what would happen if each one took the other's formal and did a spin on it? That is precisely what these specials were, short skits with self-centered mini-stories that revolves around Saitama and gang, sometimes other characters that never got the amount of screen time they deserve (Puri Puri Prisoner). I can see why they did not have this content cramped into the main story, they do jump off the timeline of the main plot quite often, your typical sitcom that doesn't respect the nitpicks of the plot, but it's fine for what it is.

As you would expect from the specials, these are all for comedy purposes. They more or less all follow the same concept as each other, as well as the same concept of the Season 1 specials. They are nothing in particular and hold no importance, but if you are just looking for something short to have a laugh at, then I would recommend this. Do not come into this with very high expectations, just come in aware that they are all essentially following the same premise, and they are only done for comedy reasons, meaning the art style feels a little bit lacking, the characters feel a bit boring at times and the art style just does not feel smooth in the slightest.

English version: Short, light and funny episodes from distinct One Punch Man characters. 1°: After stopping in a public bathroom, Saitama finds himself facing three outlaws who have a plan of villainy, they frame him to test their superpowers. 2°: Atomic Samurai and Bang go fishing after the events in city A, where they were attacked by aliens. The two talk about life, acquaintances, younger heroes and youth. The two longtime friends are in agreement that a hero doesn't just have to have courage and determination, what's lacking is just one thing: strength. 3°: Upon losing his memory, Genos tries to remember who he is, taking for himself personalities he finds in magazines and on television. 4° Saitama enters on a game tournament where people from all over the world can play online, but he is just aiming for the prize. The game features real fighting moves, and Saitama finds more people with great fighting skills, isn't he the only one with an absurd strength in the world? 5th Puri-puri prisoner escapes from prison and some inmates take the opportunity to escape together, the problem is that Puri-Puri prisoner always goes after those who escape from prison, thus showing that even being a prisoner, the hero is still an agent of the law. 6° A small group of heroes is sent to exterminate a monster that lives in the mountains. Caught by a blizzard, they are forced to stop at an inn. There, they come across a possible assassin who can kill everyone who is staying in the house, including Genos and Saitama who are there. Portuguese version: Episódios curtos, leves e engraçados de personagens distintos de One Punch Man. 1°: Após parar em um banheiro público, Saitama se vê enfrentando três marginais que possuem um plano de vilania, estes o enquadram para testar seus superpoderes. 2°: Atomic Samurai e Bang vão pescar depois dos acontecimentos na cidade A, onde foram atacados por alienígenas. Os dois conversam sobre a vida, os conhecidos, os heróis mais jovens e sobre a juventude. Os dois amigos de longa data estão de acordo que um herói não precisa apenas ter coragem e determinação, o que está faltando nos ademais é apenas uma coisa: força. 3°: Ao perder sua memória, Genos tenta se lembrar de quem é, tomando para si personalidades que ele acha nas revistas e na televisão. 4° Saitama se inscreve em um jogo onde pessoas de todo o mundo podem jogar online, mas ele apenas está visando o prêmio. O jogo conta com movimentos de lutas reais, e Saitama encontra mais pessoas com grande capacidade de luta, será que ele não é o único com uma força absurda no mundo? 5° Prisioneiro puri-puri foge da prisão e alguns presidiários aproveitam para escapar junto, o problema é que prisioneiro puri-puri sempre vai atrás daqueles que fogem da prisão mostrando assim que mesmo sendo um prisioneiro, o herói ainda é um agente da lei. 6° Um pequeno grupo de heróis é enviado para exterminar um monstro que mora nas montanhas. Pegos de surpresa por uma nevasca, eles são obrigados a pararem em uma estalagem. Lá, eles se deparam com um possível assassino que pode matar a todos que estão hospedados na casa, inclusive Genos e Saitama que se encontram ali.

A series of mini-stories related to the main plot but inconsequential and skippable, I would still recommend them though, if you enjoyed the main story then you're going to find this fun, maybe it's not as good and engaging but they're short enough so this is not really an issue. As OVAs tend to, this won't have any outstanding animations. Saitama and Those With Reasonable Abilities Saitama meets weak villains who plan to rob a bank, chaos ensues. Old Dudes and Fishing Atomic Samurai and Bang fish while C class heroes fight nearby. Genos and Memory Loss Genos gets amnesia after Saitama knocks him out accidentally Games and Rivals Saitama, Garou, and others join a video game tournament. Puri-Puri Prisoner and the Escaped Prisoners Puri-Puri Prisoner breaks out to fight a monster and fugitives. The Zombieman Murder Case 2 Zombieman, Darkshine, Metal Bat, etc... investigate a monster attack in snow.

Solid specials for the most part. Nothing major and all of them were pretty much comical. There were some nice dialogue here and there but yea nothing too crazy. Even with the disappointing season 2 of One Punch Man. The specials were not that good or bad. So if you were fine with S2 of One Punch Man I think it's worth checking out or if you wanna complete it for the sake of completing it. And they are pretty short also so worth a watch if you feel like wasting time. The animation is the same and with the music also. Nothing to talk about that.

Allow me to digress… Did this special really take me almost 4 years to finish? I remember I watched the first two episodes in 2019 and then stopped. Sheesh. Well, let’s review it and see if I was justified to slack off for so long or if I’m just lazy. I will do a quick review of individual episodes, I will tell you what these episodes are about and then list them in rankings. Let’s go. Every episode is 10 minutes long, that’s about ideal for specials. 1st episode is centred around Saitama and three “Ebay” robbers planning a heist. Robbers bump into Saitama and try to eliminate him, only to realize their powers are quite weak to be mild. Out of fear, the robber trio undergoes an afternoon training session with Saitama, trying to “pretend” they want to become heroes. What to say about this episode? It’s for the giggles mainly. Some references are thrown here and there. For example: the mosquito swarm is a reference to OPM Season 1. The episode is mainly messing around with no real motion. The writer has thrown in a “strong” monster for Saitama to defeat as well as Genos cameo. I say this episode is somewhere between “mediocre” 5 and “average” 6. A slow start to the OPM S2 specials. I won’t probably watch this episode ever again, there’s nothing really interesting for me. 2nd episode is a fishing episode. Bang and Atomic Samurai fish while Mumen Rider and “Something” Chain are fighting a monster, thinking these two fishermen are average humans. I’m starting to notice a pattern. Basically, writers seem to add this monster who either wishes to destroy the world or conquer it into the OPM Specials episodes. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of this approach. I view it as a “jumpscare”, sure they might scare you or excite you at first, however… the more jumpscares you experience, the more hardened you usually become. Eventually, jumpscares might stop exciting you and it becomes an annoying pest. I feel like this “pummelling” of Mumen Rider and his buddy by a giant frog just doesn’t work here and the director should have either used longer flashback sequences or a brand-new animation of some unknown or less-known heroes. Sure, One Punch Man is about fighting monsters and etc. It doesn’t mean you always have to force a battle for no other reason than a “thrilling” moment. Talking episodes can be fun too, for some. Overall, it’s an alright episode and it is better than the previous one for sure. I won’t rewatch it most likely tho. 3rd episode is an amnesia episode. Genos loses his memory and goes on a journey to regain it. That description sounded more exciting than it actually was. The best thing about this episode was and yes, you heard right, the best thing were those flying Lays chips in slow motion. Lays should copy it into one of their commercials with Lionel Messi no kappa. Otherwise, some cheap laughs about Genos acting out of character with Saitama and Fubuki. Yet another monster aiming to destroy the world appears, or destroy urbanism to be precise. Unfortunately fails and City Z occupants still use “DoorDash” to this day, a tragic ending. This episode didn’t hit the right spots for me and it is maybe the worst yet. I didn’t enjoy the way OPM handled the amnesia, it’s probably because my humour senses just did not tick. You probably guessed it, I won’t be rewatching this one anytime soon. 4th episode is a gaming episode! Saitama goes to a gaming event to participate in a tournament. This was the best episode by a margin. Creative episode, with a clear idea of what it wants to do, paired with great execution. An interesting choice of cast. About the tournament, we all knew which god gamer is taking the victory. This episode is a strong 9, a definitive highlight of specials. I would watch this episode again. 5th episode is a jailbreak. Some prisoners escaped, and PP Prisoner is hunting these poor souls down. I feel like a good portion of your experience will depend on whether you like Puri Puri Prisoner or not. If you enjoy seeing large, muscular, naked dude fighting, then this episode will offer you something of value. The episode itself is quite average, nothing exceptional. Basic prisonbreak, and a fight with some monster in a jar. Prisoners didn’t even bother to split, except like 2 and stayed together to make it easy for PP Prisoner. Probably 5 or 6, I won’t be rewatching this episode. 6th episode is a “killer” mystery. Well, it’s a sequel to the "who killed Zombieman". Some S-class heroes and Saitama get stuck in a cottage during a blizzard, they capture Sonic o Sound and eventually, somebody kills Zombieman, so the cast must find out the culprit to protect "blondie" in distress. The 2nd best episode. Not nearly as good as the gaming episode, still way better than the rest. When I saw the episode title I was hoping this might be an attempt to make a bit of a horror episode. Unfortunately not, the most “horror” thing was Sonic creeping on Superalloy Blackluster workout. Still, good idea, with solid execution. It’s a weaker 8. Okay, time to rank these episodes. Meh: Episode 3: The amnesia episode did not work at all. Episode 5: “Vanilla” prison break. Episode 1: The idea was there, execution missed the mark by a lot. Alright: Episode 2: Mumen Rider getting pummelled didn’t bring anything of value. The fishing part was good tho. Good: Episode 6: I think the prequel was better, was a while since I watched it. It’s worth your 10 minutes of life. Excellent: Episode 4: I’m glad I didn’t waste 1 hour of my life, this episode is great and I’m glad I finally kicked myself enough to watch it. The final rating is 6/10. You should at least watch them once, even if you hated the 2nd season animation. It’s a downgrade from season 1 Specials, still, there are episodes worth your time. It took me almost 4 years to finish six 10-minute episodes, I bet you’ll be done in 2 years. In the end, I was a lazy bastard, kinda.

At least these specials manage to be better than the main second season, which, considering the final result of that adaptation, is already a merit. Although they don't bring anything essential to the story, they fulfill their purpose well, showing small everyday situations of the heroes and delivering lighthearted episodes aimed at fans of the franchise. As expected from OVAs of this type, the narrative doesn't try to develop the main plot or add important information to the Garou arc. Instead, it focuses on short, lighthearted stories. One example is the mission involving some heroes at a lagoon, while Bang and Atomic Samurai are shown calmly fishing. These are simple moments, but they manage to explore the characters' personalities a little more and provide interactions that would hardly appear in the main series. It's also fun to see secondary heroes receiving a little more attention. Characters like Frog-Man and Mumen Rider end up stealing the scene at various moments precisely because they participate in more lighthearted situations. This type of episode helps enrich the One Punch Man universe without constantly resorting to large battles or the main events of the manga. Unfortunately, the biggest problem of the second season remains: the production quality. The animation remains inconsistent, with limited movement, action scenes lacking impact, and visual direction far below the standard established by the first season. Even when the episodes' premise is simpler and focused on comedy, it's difficult to ignore the drop in quality. Some facial expressions, framing, and movement sequences clearly seem below the potential the work possesses. This is precisely what prevents these specials from being truly memorable. The script is charming, the characters remain charismatic, and the humor works most of the time, but the presentation never lives up to that potential. The feeling is that there was a lack of care in the production to transform good ideas into truly memorable episodes. In the end, they are enjoyable OVAs for those who already like One Punch Man and want to spend more time with the characters, but they are far from indispensable. They don't add anything significant to the narrative and also don't fix the technical problems that marked this phase of the anime. Still, they manage to entertain more than most of the second season precisely because they don't try to be something bigger than they actually are. Overall, it's a competent set of specials, fun at times and forgettable at many others. Worth watching out of curiosity for fans, but unlikely to leave a lasting impression. Rating: 5/10. =================================================================================================================Versão em Português===================================== Ao menos estes especiais conseguem ser melhores que a segunda temporada principal, o que, considerando o resultado final daquela adaptação, já é um mérito. Apesar de não trazerem nada essencial para a história, eles cumprem bem a proposta de mostrar pequenas situações do cotidiano dos heróis e entregar episódios leves voltados para os fãs da franquia. Como era de se esperar de OVAs desse tipo, a narrativa não tenta desenvolver a trama principal nem adicionar informações importantes ao arco de Garou. Em vez disso, aposta em histórias curtas e descontraídas. Um dos exemplos é a missão envolvendo alguns heróis em uma lagoa, enquanto Bang e Atomic Samurai aparecem tranquilamente pescando. São momentos simples, mas que conseguem explorar um pouco mais a personalidade dos personagens e proporcionar interações que dificilmente apareceriam na série principal. Também é divertido ver heróis secundários recebendo um pouco mais de atenção. Personagens como o Homem-Sapo e o Mumen Rider acabam roubando a cena em vários momentos justamente por participarem de situações mais descontraídas. Esse tipo de episódio ajuda a enriquecer o universo de One Punch Man sem precisar recorrer constantemente às grandes batalhas ou aos acontecimentos principais do mangá. Infelizmente, o maior problema da segunda temporada continua presente: a qualidade da produção. A animação permanece inconsistente, com movimentos limitados, cenas de ação sem impacto e uma direção visual bastante inferior ao padrão estabelecido pela primeira temporada. Mesmo quando a proposta dos episódios é mais simples e focada na comédia, fica difícil ignorar a queda de qualidade. Algumas expressões faciais, enquadramentos e sequências de movimento parecem claramente abaixo do potencial que a obra possui. É justamente isso que impede estes especiais de serem realmente memoráveis. O roteiro é simpático, os personagens continuam carismáticos e o humor funciona na maior parte do tempo, mas a apresentação nunca acompanha esse potencial. A sensação é de que faltou um cuidado maior na produção para transformar boas ideias em episódios realmente marcantes. No fim, são OVAs agradáveis para quem já gosta de One Punch Man e quer passar mais algum tempo com os personagens, mas estão longe de serem indispensáveis. Não acrescentam nada importante à narrativa e também não corrigem os problemas técnicos que marcaram essa fase do anime. Ainda assim, conseguem entreter mais do que boa parte da segunda temporada justamente por não tentarem ser algo maior do que realmente são. No geral, é um conjunto de especiais competente, divertido em alguns momentos e esquecível em tantos outros. Vale a curiosidade para os fãs, mas dificilmente deixará uma impressão duradoura. Nota: 5/10.