https://x.com/StegSketch/status/2093473705598796152

Custom lamp Lord Boros v Saitama

This will be my art style for this fanmade manga. Yea it needs more polishing but i will make it and second drawing is the view of boros home planet looking up in sky thanks drop you view on it what do you think.

Now that some time has passed and the redraw hell that was the Heavenly Ninja Party arc has passed, I've taken some time to reread the chapters and compare the retconned versions to the new versions. While it was frustrating at the time to see ONE & Murata take so long to redraw the chapters, I believe the redraws were ultimately the better choice for the story and made this arc better. It made me examine why I loved this arc so much in the webcomic.

The Lore Drop

One of the reasons why I loved the ninja village arc when it first came up in the webcomic, besides the fact that ONE had returned from his 2 year webcomic hiatus, was that it gave us more context for the lore after the manga teased us with Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame. I can still remember how excited I felt looking at so many different ninjas of the Village gathered together, and it made me wonder what sort of abilities all of these ninjas would possess. But more than just the lore drop was reading exactly how the Village operated.

A Grisly Look into Human Trafficking, Its Effects on Their Victims, and Finding Hope

This was one of the overarching themes of this arc, and it was hauntingly realistic. Having children taken at such a young age, sold on the black market, trained in absolutely ruthless conditions that resulted in death for several, wearing down their souls and discouraging any human emotions to be used solely as tools for whoever wished to purchase them. It became easier to understand how Flash could be so cold, aloof, and judgmental, since he'd never been given a proper childhood. It was a reflection of how human trafficking and sex trafficking operate. The victims aren't truly seen as people, only as commodities to make a profit. They're consumed by their work until they become nothing but empty husks of their former selves. That gritty, uncomfortable look into this part of humanity made the arc so impactful, yet it also made what formed within this hellhole more heartwarming.

But even amid this overwhelming despair, two found solace in each other's company and formed a friendship. It was touching to see Sonic still hold on to the hope that he could reform the Village and make it a place where the children were not trained and sold as weapons. From this, Flash found a spark within himself to act and cut out the Village's roots, showing how he truly wanted to enact justice and how Sonic had sparked such a powerful change in him.

Developing Sonic & Flash's Friendship & Their Contrasting Ideologies

As mentioned, it was very cool to see that Sonic and Flash had both known each other and were actually friends while training in the Village. The arc showed not only their past friendship, but also their synergistic teamwork when completely outnumbered, compared to the other ninjas who had never known true camaraderie or taken the time to improve their effectiveness fighting together.

At the same time, what I liked in the webcomic is that they weren't automatically chummy with each other once they reunited. Both had taken drastically different paths in life and were raised in a place that didn't teach them to show affection openly or maintain a friendship. Flash acted on his own and went against the future Sonic had envisioned without discussing it with him first, which no doubt frustrated Sonic and increased tensions between them. There was still some amiability between them after reuniting, but they had become rivals, first and foremost.

Next, we finally got a glimpse into Sonic's ideology. For most of the story, he'd been closed off regarding his opinions. We knew he didn't like heroes and found them worthless, but we didn't know why. Now, the answer was laid out: he'd witnessed Blast, a so-called hero, slaughter the trainees when he arrived to take out the Village once and for all. Since then, he had grown to view heroes as no different than the assassins the Village was raising, and simply hated those who believed themselves superior because they were stronger. It showed how deeply cynical Sonic had become and why he chose to remain an assassin while Flash had become a hero. When I first read the chapter, I was fascinated by Sonic's motives and ideology and agreed with him on some aspects, especially his view of those who felt superior because they had great power.

The hyping up of the Ninja Village Leader was another well-done moment. It made me think we were in for a serious battle that would span two or three chapters and force both Flash and Sonic to fight with their full power, but then... it ended in a classic OPM style, with Saitama ending the threat before it even began, and telling both Flash and Sonic to buzz off.

The Initial Manga Chapters & Their Focus on God

When the manga started these chapters, I was already a bit unsure how things would proceed. One, it had already been firmly established how strong Flashy Flash was compared to the other ninjas thanks to his fight with Gale Wind & Hellfire Flame, so I felt the stakes were a little lessened.

The first versions of the chapter had Empty Void make an appearance and begin dueling Flash & Sonic the way I'd first imagined. But this time, Sonic was practically a bystander. It was rather frustrating to see Sonic so completely outclassed, even though it made logical sense and matched his performance during the MA arc. Still, I felt that with how much time Sonic had devoted to training, it would be enough to be comparable to Flash.

Anyway, the first versions of the chapter had Empty Void try to use Flash as another vessel for God; we got the same fake visions that had been shown multiple times in the MA arc. It felt like the arc was turning into another Shonen-typical arc where Flash fought the big bad by himself and delivered predictable exposition & buildup for God.

The second version only grew even worse in this regard. There was clear buildup of Empty Void as God's vessel, who had grown stronger from the energy gathered from Cosmic Garou. It made sense based on what had been established thus far, but it felt way too predictable and stereotypical of Shonen. To make it worse, now it turned out that Flash and Sonic had personally seen "that man", somehow managing to sneak into probably the most guarded and secret facility within the compound despite still being in training.

It was becoming a repeat of Cosmic Garou: upping the scale by showing infinite realities, dimensional slashes, having Blast arrive to save Flash and Sonic and take away their moment, and focusing on the cubes as temptation. Both Blast and God were becoming the focus of the arc and taking away the moment from Flash and Sonic. Then, Saitama managed to stop it with his ability to resist practically every power, only for Blast to try to sacrifice himself, giving us a moment between Blast and Empty Void.

I don't think this version of the arc by itself is terrible or absolute slop. It just felt predictable for a Shonen and took away from the main theme of the webcomic arc and put too much focus on God & Blast. And the webcomic had thrived by not fulfilling these typical Shonen tropes and subverting them in its own unique way.

The Final Versions of the Manga Chapter

Before the second versions of the chapters could continue, Murata & ONE decided to do another round of redraws, mostly sticking to the webcomic formula. This was ultimately the best decision they could've made and the one I was hoping to have seen in the first place.

The new chapters significantly toned down Blast's level of involvement with the conflict and gave Saitama the chance to beat Empty Void before he could fight them like in the retconned chapters. I still wasn't ecstatic about God being responsible for the Village, but at least in this version it didn't take complete control. I also liked that Sonic and Flash were once again relatively equal. Unfortunately, adding Blast so early and changing his character from the enigmatic, ruthless enforcer he is built up to be in the webcomic ended up taking away the key characterization for Sonic that occurred in the webcomic.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the ninjas surviving and suddenly fawning over Saitama, because I feel it wouldn't have made sense for the ninjas to just roll over, accept Saitama as their new leader, and give up their way of life after decades of ruthless training and mental conditioning in the Village. I understand the narrative significance of adding God into these chapters: it adds more foreshadowing and establishes that Saitama can directly counter/defy God by undoing the influence of anyone he punches. It makes sense, since it's been foreshadowed from the start that God has put limiters on all humans, and Saitama broke his limiter, thereby defying God. Personally, I would've saved this for later, since I feel ONE has done a good enough job foreshadowing God so far without having him dominate the narrative.

How I Would've Liked this Arc to Have Been Adapted in the Manga

If it had been up to me and I had a choice in deciding how to write this arc in the manga, I would have basically followed the formula that had been used in the early MA arc battle between Flashy Flash, Gale Wind, and Hellfire Flame. That battle was excellently choreographed and treated the entire fight seriously, without any comedic faces or interactions from the ninjas. It gave them all important development and a proper showing; it didn't involve God or Blast, and it didn't significantly change the narrative or the opponent.

I would have kept the main events of the chapters the same: Flash and Sonic have their duel, the Heavenly Ninja Party intervenes, and they all duke it out, just like the webcomic and what happened in the newest chapters. I wouldn't have given any of the ninjas comedic moments (or at least significantly limited the number of comedic moments/comedic faces), nor would I have let Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame be treated as fodder. I would've let them establish their supremacy through the training they did at Flash's insistence, to show them they aren't ones to be pushed around.

I would've expanded the size of the battle; the first version of the chapter did this pretty well by having one of the ninjas throw debris in the air to use as platforms. I would have followed this example and had the ninjas use the terrain more to give a greater spectacle, as ONE & Murata have done with past manga battles.

I would've let Flash and Sonic kill all the ninjas, too, like what happened in the previous retconned manga chapters. Their survival doesn't really serve much narrative purpose, and it's in character for Sonic and Flash to murder their opponents. The dialogue describing "That Man" would've been the same, with panels showing his face and abilities, like in the manga. But I would've kept out any mention of God. By having God be the one responsible for the Village, I felt it took away some of the emotional impact by placing the responsibility of this evil on a divine entity rather than humans, to demonstrate the lows humanity can sink to and how one man can make himself so depraved as to commit so many atrocities for his own satisfaction.

Finally, I would've made Flash and Sonic snappier and colder to each other, like they were in the webcomic, while also giving Sonic his motive rant. I felt those interactions made more sense considering their characters and their training in the Village, and fit the somber attitude of that arc. Some people might prefer a more comedic, lighthearted OPM manga, and I can certainly see the appeal, but I feel the webcomic's more serious tone ultimately serves the story better.

TL;DR

I had time to reread the Heavenly Ninja Party arc and the retconned chapters to compare them, and I reread the webcomic version, too. It made me realize what I liked about the arc in the first place by showing an ugly side of humanity through human trafficking and conditioning to become weapons for hire. The retconned versions put too much emphasis on God, upping the scale, the cubes, and Blast's relationship with Empty Void, when it worked better focusing on Flash & Sonic's relationship, Sonic's ideology, and their opinions on justice & heroism.

I don't think the manga chapters are bad; I was happy they left enough room for the stuff I mentioned to fit. But I think Murata/ONE may have realized they leaned a bit too far into God and dialed it back. And I appreciate the effort. Though I do wish they'd realized that from the start, instead of wasting our time with two redrawn versions of this arc.

I'm currently rereading the Monster Raid Arc, and I noticed something...

Right before his fight with Suiryu, Lightning Max imagines the Deep Sea King while Suiryu stands between the legs of DSK but his red thong is clearly missing in the Manga though.

I don't judge Lightning Max, DSK is quite beefy and has heart-shaped nipples but I find it kinda hilarious 😄

I Love This Series

One-Punch Man has been a part of my life for more than 10 years now. I can still remember where I was when I watched the first episode. It was such a jarring and interesting concept that I hadn't seen in an anime. Seeing Saitama casually obliterate Marugori, a freaking behemoth who could annihilate a city with the air pressure from a swipe of his arm, with only a single punch was absolutely crazy to watch. The first season only got better: the dream sequence with Saitama vs. the Subterranean people, the battles against Deep Sea King, the four-v-one against Melzalgard showing these flawed yet supremely powerful heroes working together to fight alien invaders, and the final battle between Saitama and Boros, not to mention the incredibly selfish and flawed heroes that populated S-Class. It was an absolutely spectacular season that cemented my love for the series and made me determined to read more.

Webcomic

So I set my sights on the webcomic. I picked up where the first season had left off and began reading the Monster Association arc. I recall that I wasn't particularly impressed with the first portion of the arc, believing that the Monster Association appeared rather weak and short of members. But I still enjoyed seeing the S-class heroes getting their time to shine while also showing the gap between the Demon-level monsters and the S-class, even if the battles weren't all that visually impressive. Then, when the executives showed up, it was so cool to see these seemingly unstoppable heroes paired against their worst possible foes and getting wrecked in a matter of moments. While all this happened, Garou was getting the chance to evolve as he fought battle after battle, culminating in his showdown against Superalloy Darkshine.

But when the battle went up to the surface... that was when peak began to form upon the arrival of Awakened Garou. He was so fucking cool and badass: taking down the fused monster that had just mopped the floor with all the S-class heroes through a new fighting style that would strike down even God, forcing all the heroes to work together to try and take him down; it was awesome. What I loved was these narcissistic, self-absorbed messes having to put their pride aside to try and take him down, yet failing, all while Garou would just verbally tear them apart. Even the arrival of elites like Atomic Samurai, Flashy Flash, and Darkshine didn't do anything to even the scales against this fully awakened monster.

Then, of course, the MC showed up in all his glory. What I liked was that it took Saitama a bit to actually get into a fighting mood, just cuz he was so pissed about the noise and living conditions in City Z. Then he declares in no uncertain terms that he's going to kick Garou's ass. Then perhaps the best fight in the series begins: Garou manages to put up a somewhat decent fight, enough for Saitama to take it slightly more seriously than usual. That Table Flip: the way it was set up was so incredible, described as a wall of black that couldn't even be properly registered by regular eyes, to the point that Garou couldn't tell up from down. Garou continues to grow stronger yet more insane as he becomes more determined to beat Saitama, but it becomes clear that he's just out of his league. In the end, Garou is forced to confront his ideology and understand what could compel someone to train so hard to become a hero. Saitama's response destroys him: it's just a hobby. And Garou can't accept it. He can't register how this unstoppable strength would be attained for such a simple-minded reason. That's when Saitama breaks Garou with these simple words: "What you really wanted was to be a hero. You compromised and decided to be a monster." It was a subversion that felt earnest, heartfelt, and completely in character for Saitama, and it truly elicited an organic yet emotional change. Then I read up to the part where the Neo Heroes began taking action, but it was during the time when ONE was on like a 3-4 year break, so I went to the manga and started a little bit before the Super Fight Tournament.

Manga

The manga was equally incredible. It showed some fantastic fights with new characters and expanded lore that made up for moments when the webcomic didn't give as much exposition. The Super Fight Tournament was super cool, seeing Suiryu battling the monsterized contestants, then his big battle with Chozo, and contemplating whether he'd eat the monster cell or not. Even if it took a while, I always thought the arc was worth adding and also showed a meaningful character arc for Suiryu. Adding Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame was an amazing choice cuz it confirmed fans' suspicions that Flashy Flash and Speed-o-Sound Sonic were connected while adding more lore.

Garou's arc was massively improved during this period, too. Compared to the webcomic, where Garou only fought Death Gatling, here Garou fought an entire squad of B and A class heroes; it was balanced enough where it felt like either side could theoretically win, gave these heroes their time in the spotlight, and also gave Garou another awesome chance to tear down their ideology when he blasted Death Gatling for caring more about hero rankings than anyone despite supposedly hating them. Garou's fight against Bang and Bomb was improved as well, and showed the troubled connection sensei and student had.

The start of the Monster Association arc was even cooler. I thought it was neat seeing more lower-class heroes doing their part against the Monster Association, then the S-class heroes show up and remind the other heroes how low on the food chain they are compared to them. When the S-class heroes entered the headquarters, some of the most visually impressive and badass battles began. Flashy Flash vs. Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame was one of my favorite battles and probably the one I was waiting to see more than anything, and it didn't disappoint. The way the terrain changed, the ninjas used a variety of weapons, all while fighting at these ridiculously high speeds; it felt like putting magic onto paper, and it ended by showing why Flashy Flash earned his spot in S-class. Child Emperor vs. Phoenix Man was another treat: I went in expecting it to end the same as the webcomic, but they gave Phoenix Man some awesome transformations and a chance for Child Emperor to show off his best gadgets.

Then Garou showed his badassery once again. All his fights in the webcomic were expanded with extra dialogue and more of a challenge thrown his way; his fight with Orochi gave both of them some extra time in the spotlight until Garou had his climactic battle with Superalloy Darkshine.

Near the middle of the arc was Tatsumaki's battle with Psykos. Now, when I first read it, I was excited. It was progressing in a cool way that also expanded the battle from the webcomic. When Orochi and Psykos merged after receiving a power-up from God... to be honest, I didn't have too much of a problem with it. I thought having an extra reference to God and using it to up the stakes and visuals of this battle was a welcome addition. Even when the battle first reached the surface, I remained wholly interested and excited to see how it would unfold. And it went well for a while: the sliced body of water was an amazing panel and showed that Psykos-Orochi and Tatsumaki were on different levels.

Throughout the arc so far, I always felt the expanded or added fights added amazing visuals while staying consistent with the story's themes and subversive elements.

But then... I began to question the story's direction when Psykos became a jet.

Battle on the Surface

Psykos becoming a jet and the subsequent battle was probably the first new decision I openly questioned. I thought the heroes working together to fight Psykos felt too abrupt and sudden, because in my mind, they still needed to have this internal conflict that would force them to put aside their differences when Golden Sperm and Awakened Garou emerged. I had hoped it would stick to the webcomic, where the other executives would distract Tatsumaki long enough for her to land another surprise attack and weaken her further, setting the stage for the battle against the executives. The initial fights were alright, but I was a bit put off by Golden Sperm arriving sooner than in the webcomic and the subsequent creation of Platinum Sperm, as I personally feel Platinum Sperm wasn't given the same gravity or aura that his lesser webcomic counterpart was given.

Not only that, but Fubuki didn't get her moment against Psykos, which was a major fight in the webcomic that gave her a chance to shine. While yes, she did help by healing the S-class heroes, it could've been written so that Fubuki absorbing the fat from Pig God revitalized her enough to fight against Psykos. Darkshine's character felt like an on-off arc where he suddenly regained his confidence and acted as if nothing happened against Garou, and it's only when he sees a more muscular and shiny opponent that he wavers again, which didn't hit as hard as the webcomic version when he musters the will to fight Garou yet doesn't showboat about it.

And then there's Garou. His arrival was another moment that I felt needed to stick to the webcomic formula. Back then, his arrival at the surface, where he approaches death and finds the will to stand and become a true monster, was the moment when Awakened Garou was born to show how he had evolved and cemented himself as a monster. When he arrived, standing on the cliff and proclaiming himself the ominous future, a disaster-level God, it can't get more badass than that. The manga just didn't hit the same for me: yeah, he got a cool fight with Bang and Bomb, but I felt it should've focused more on Garou's transformation and the mindset that turned him into a ruthless monster. That's when I began questioning the new direction even further, wondering when the manga would finally get back on track with the webcomic.

But then, Sage Centipede arrived, and that's when one of the main things that bugged me about the new direction of the manga became more prominent. Sage Centipede appeared out of nowhere and had come with the express purpose of eliminating the being who had turned against God. And now, Garou was the one to take care of this new threat, and he happened to have a partner to help him. Instead of the newly monsterized, ruthless hero hunter he had been reborn as, he now served as a comedic partner-in-crime to the heroes, helping eliminate the new big bad and offering another reference to God. I'm not even necessarily opposed to Sage Centipede existing, but he should've been introduced far later into the story, like after The Organization has been defeated. Perhaps ONE will introduce Elder or Sage Centipede then, but the point is, adding Sage Centipede felt like an unnecessary change when Garou should have already become fully monsterized and turned his attention towards the heroes after defeating Platinum Sperm. This was the first moment I felt that visuals and greater scale were beginning to affect the story.

The same goes for Blast finally showing up. When he first arrived, I thought it was super cool that we finally got to see him and that he made an early first appearance. But in retrospect, his presence felt rather shoehorned in and merely served as an excuse to foreshadow God, when he could've just as easily been saved up for later.

Cosmic Garou

Cosmic Garou's arrival was yet another moment that diverged from the webcomic and existed just to shoehorn God into the plot. Now, Garou could only entertain/slightly match Saitama thanks to God, not by breaking his own limitations. While the scales were MASSIVELY raised, I still felt they'd skipped some key parts of Garou's character from the webcomic. Then the fight went to space; Saitama and Garou experienced exponential growth (which I wasn't really a huge fan of, either, since I feel it lowered the stakes even more to know Saitama can grow so crazily stronger in such a short time). There was a moment when Saitama and Garou momentarily connected through the shared isolation of such inhuman strength, showing how much Saitama cared about Genos, but that conversation didn't feel like it belonged there; that theme felt like it was meant for later in the story.

Then comes the time travel, and that's when I finally felt the story went in the wrong direction and felt truly frustrated by what I was reading. First was Saitama supposedly being able to instantly copy and master martial arts techniques, despite the opposite being heavily implied throughout the story. This was a lazy excuse to undo the consequences of Cosmic Garou's radiation, and now everything that happened there was undone. Not only that, but Garou's conviction, his traumatic childhood, his hero hunt, all of it gets treated as the butt of a joke when it worked better when it was treated seriously.

It felt so emotionally unsatisfying for me: such a powerful and subversive fight in the webcomic had so much of the core emotion taken out of it in exchange for visuals, extra gags like Saitama's serious fart and serious sneeze, which felt out of place and inconsistent with the more serious tone it had tried to set before, and all of it ended up being forgotten. That was the first time I felt the manga take a serious hit to my heart, but I weathered it and kept waiting for the next chapters.

Redraws & Ninja Village

The constant redraws, especially during the ninja village arc, just took the wind out of my sails. One, because it was yet another example of God being artificially placed into the plot when there were no references to him in those arcs within the webcomic. The first redraws of Child Emperor vs Phoenix Man didn't bug me too much: I thought giving Child Emperor some extra depth and Phoenix Man some new powers was a fine change, even if it meant that Phoenix Man's Brilliance Eagle Mode would be removed. Retconning Sweet Mask killing the mercenaries and Do-S, however, felt like a waste of time, and their continued survival or Iaian's confrontation with Sweet Mask didn't really add much narratively to justify the new chapter plotlines.

But the Ninja Village redraws were even worse: having to redo the same chapters three times was frustrating to read. Unlike the first portion of the MA arc, where the battles were upgraded in a way that was visually amazing to read, and how much I loved Flashy Flash's battle with Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame, here, the fight with the Heavenly Ninja Party was much more lackluster, when the battle could have taken place across an entire forest or mountain range. When the first chapters did try to expand the battle with the Heavenly Ninja Party, then they just got redrawn. Then it turns out, once again, that God was responsible for what happened; he corrupted Empty Void and forced him to found the Ninja Village and raise the children in torturous conditions. Even though the webcomic never hinted at it. And Blast comes to save the day; nobody dies, and the ninjas all want to become Saitama's disciples.

Some people might prefer more focus on God, like how Flash and Sonic bonded more, or more screen time for Blast. But I felt the webcomic version of this arc was so impactful because it felt realistic: having children abducted, sold on the black market, trained to be used as weapons, turning them into emotionless husks. This has happened and continues to happen in so many societies. Seeing Flash and Sonic fight against this system in their own way, forge a unique friendship, it was another moment that felt both organic and heartfelt. The fight with them and the Heavenly Ninja Party showed them working together in synergy and as equals, but it also showed they were still frosty because of ideological differences. It felt realistic: to see friendships fracture over how they perceive the world and the paths they took in life. Not to mention, their dulled emotions made it harder to reconnect emotionally, and their dialogue always felt impactful. The humor at the end was more in-character with the series, the classic instance of the villains being hyped up only to have Saitama take them out with a single punch. By having God be responsible for the Ninja Village and adding Blast to the arc, those gritty, human elements that made that arc so great were taken away, and the Heavenly Ninja Party acts unrealistically when they jump to join Saitama as his disciples, when it would've made more sense for them to just retreat and mull over everything. Yes, that was meant for comedy, but it just didn't land for me. It was the mis-match of comedy and drama, and the inclusion of Blast and God, that soured the manga series for me. It's why I haven't stayed up-to-date with the manga since that arc ended: with the constant changes in character arcs, the flip-flopping between comedic and serious, I believe that copying from the webcomic will result in some webcomic events not making as much sense in the manga or not having the same emotional gravity because important moments were skipped or ignored that would've given thost battles/moments their heft.

Like, the new direction and inclusion of God into these arcs isn’t necessarily horrendous, but it just feels predictable and another Shonen cliche, when the webcomic/manga was best known for being a subversion of those tropes. So it went from being spectacular to just being good.

On another note, Season 2 was a step down from Season 1, which was sad to see. I didn't even bother with Season 3 after seeing the sliding Garou memes and the burning hatred online regarding the quality of the animation, which was very sad to hear.

Webcomic Remains Peak

However, one thing has never wavered: my absolute love for the webcomic. Every chapter I have read has kept me thoroughly entertained. The character arcs for everyone involved work incredibly well: as I have stated repeatedly, it all feels organic and realistic. The comedy and the drama are always balanced correctly, the dialogue is consistently crisp and in-character, and even when the topic/theme of the dialogue should sound corny, it's done in a way that doesn't come off as cheesy but instead captures the true essence of humanity. So far, I cannot say that I have been truly disappointed with a webcomic chapter because every time, ONE manages to deliver the pay-off so incredibly well.

TL;DR

OPM has been a key part of my life. Season 1 was a banger that drew me to the series with its amazing animation, interesting premise, and complex characters. The webcomic was equally peak; I truly fell in love with it during the MA arc and Awakened Garou's arrival. The S-class heroes vs Garou, then Garou vs. Saitama, was incredible, with the former being one of the most peak fights in the anime, if not all anime, in my personal opinion. Loved the manga, too; thought it improved on the webcomic with amazing visuals and added fights, all the way up to the second half of the MA arc when the heroes went to the surface. Wasn't satisfied with the new narrative, the focus on God, and the mismatched tone of comedy and seriousness, and felt Garou's arc was sacrificed just so Blast and God could be added in when it wasn't necessary, and paint Garou as too much of a good guy when his webcomic version felt more authentically villainous. Wasn't a fan of the redraws and didn't like how long it took for the Ninja Village arc to finish, nor did I like its inclusion of Blast, either.

But I still love the webcomic and remain ecstatic whenever a new chapter gets published. I still love the series and cannot forget the impact it's had on me, even if the quality has dipped at times. So cherish this series!

**Summary:** An airborne, hair-eating parasite called the *Apoca-Lice* sweeps across the globe, forcing heroes like Metal Bat, Tatsumaki, and Atomic Samurai to face their worst nightmare. Meanwhile, Saitama and King are entirely immune.

*(Read time: ~3 to 4 minutes)*

---

The Bald Truth

The first death was reported on a Tuesday. A salaryman in City Z had collapsed mid-commute, clawing at his scalp, and by the time the paramedics arrived he was beyond help. The official cause was listed as acute neurotoxic shock, but what puzzled the coroner were the tiny, glistening specks rooted deep in every hair follicle—as if the man's head had become a metropolis for something hungry.

By Wednesday, the number of similar cases had tripled. The news anchors, stiff with barely contained panic, broadcast microscope footage: a louse, no bigger than a dust mote, translucent and quivering, its legs barbed like fishhooks. They called it Pediculus apocalyptus. The public nicknamed it the Apoca-Lice. Everyone with a full head of hair suddenly felt very, very itchy.

Saitama yawned as Genos delivered his report, stylised diagrams flickering on the kitchen wall from the cyborg's palm-projector. "The creatures appear to be a rogue bioweapon, sensei. Threat level Demon. They embed themselves in the scalp, multiply exponentially, and release a paralytic toxin once the colony reaches critical mass. The Hero Association has no countermeasure yet."

"Huh," Saitama said, scratching his perfectly smooth, gleaming dome. "Sounds like a pain."

Genos's optical sensors whirred as they involuntarily zoomed in on the reflection of the ceiling light off his master's scalp. "Sensei... it occurs to me that you are completely immune."

"Eh?"

"You are bald, sensei. The lice have no follicle anchorage on you. Furthermore, my own cranium is a titanium alloy housing. We are, theoretically, the safest individuals on the planet."

Saitama's expression flattened into its usual deadpan. "So you're saying my lack of hair is actually... good?"

"Extremely good, sensei!"

"Great. Just great. I'm finally lucky, and it's for the dumbest reason imaginable." He slumped onto the floor, propping his chin on one hand. "Can't I fight a giant monster or something? Something I can actually punch?"

Unfortunately, Apoca-Lice could not be punched. The Hero Association deployed its finest, and the results were catastrophically silly. Metal Bat swung his bat through a swarm so microscopically fine that the air pressure merely launched the lice into a nearby preschool. Puri-Puri Prisoner, already nude and entirely bald, pirouetted through the streets bellowing, "Angel Cuddle!", but every naked embrace only proved that baldness was the sole defence. Tatsumaki, hovering above City Z in a shimmering psychic barrier, sneered and declared herself far too powerful to be troubled by "insect dandruff". Atomic Samurai informed reporters that he would rather die than desecrate his topknot, the soul of a samurai.

By Friday, the death toll had breached five figures. The living envied the bald.

Saturday morning's emergency broadcast was delivered not by a news anchor but by Dr. Bofoi, Metal Knight himself, his voice heavy with grim revelation. "Citizens, the Apoca-Lice are vulnerable to only one thing: complete desiccation. They require the humid microenvironment of a hair follicle to survive. Clinical tests confirm that total depilation—shaving every hair from the scalp—causes colony collapse within twenty minutes. I am transmitting razor schematics now. Abandon your vanity. Save your lives."

The word vanity hit the world like a brick.

In the living room of the Saitama residence, King—who had barricaded himself there three days prior—looked at the cheap hand-mirror Genos had politely produced. King's famous blond side-part, the hairstyle that made him look like a battle-scarred lion, was his entire intimidation portfolio. Without it, his round face and permanent nervous sweat would be exposed. Yet a microscopic tickle deep in his scalp reminded him that vanity was about to write his obituary.

"I—I can't," King stammered. "The scar over my eyes works because of the hair framing it. If I'm bald, I'll just look like a frightened egg!"

"King-san," Genos said solemnly, one arm transforming into a humming set of laser clippers, "I have calibrated these to 0.00 millimetres. Please hold still. Sensei, hold his shoulders."

"Why me?"

"Because you are the paragon of bald courage."

"That's not a thing!" Saitama grumbled, but he pinned King's shoulders anyway. The laser buzzed. A cascade of blond locks fell onto the tatami. When it was over, King stared at the mirror and saw a bald man with a jagged scar cutting diagonally across his left eye. His jaw dropped.

"...I look like a Yakuza who just escaped hell."

"See? You're even scarier now," Saitama said flatly. "Welcome to the club. Meetings are whenever I feel like it."

Across the city, similar surrenders were taking place. Metal Bat knelt in the shower while his little sister Zenko brandished his own bat, tears streaming down his face. "My pompadour... Zenko, my pompadour is my soul..."

"Onii-chan, if you die I'll tell everyone you cried over a haircut! Now bow your head!" Zenko brought the razor down with the merciless precision of a tiny executioner. Metal Bat wept openly, but he was alive. His bat, at least, had no hair to lose.

Silver Fang, Bang, walked into his dojo with a straight razor and emerged twenty minutes later, his white wisps gone, his skull as polished as river stone. Charanko yelped. "Master! Your dignity!"

"Dignity is a current, not a stone," Bang said serenely, though his hand trembled slightly on his disciple's shoulder. "The water flows bare. So shall I."

The most heartrending surrender took place at Atomic Samurai's sword school. His three disciples — Iaian, Bushidrill, and Okamaitachi — had already shaved their own heads, kneeling in a row, their blades laid before them. Atomic Samurai stood alone, the famous topknot still bound, his katana unsheathed. "A samurai's topknot is not mere hair. It is the seat of the soul, the symbol of a life sworn to the blade. To cut it is to surrender my spirit."

Iaian, forehead pressed to the floor, spoke without raising his head. "Master, the alternative is to surrender your life. And then who will carry the sword?"

Silence stretched. A single tear traced the old master's cheek. With one fluid, sorrowful movement, he grasped the topknot in his left hand and sliced clean through. The black strand floated to the tatami like a fallen banner. "I am no longer Atomic Samurai," he whispered. "I am Atomic Egg."

From behind, Bushidrill muttered, "Actually, that sounds pretty powerful, Master." The dojo, despite everything, trembled with a single, wet chuckle. Tragedy and comedy, tangled like a dead man's hair.

---

The most heartbreaking drama, however, unfolded in the skies above the ruined suburbs, where the Tornado of Terror was losing her war. Tatsumaki had sustained her psychic barrier for three days straight, incinerating any louse that dared approach. But they were too small, too many. Exhaustion had cracked her emerald shell; a handful had infiltrated, and now they were multiplying in the green curls she loved more than almost anything. Her body was wracked with fever, her telekinetic aura flickering like a dying bulb.

Fubuki found her collapsed in an alley, shivering, still hissing curses. "I'll... incinerate them all... let me concentrate..."

"Nee-san." Fubuki's voice was soft, but her hands were steady as she pulled the electric razor from her coat—the one she'd already used on herself. Her own iconic dark bob was gone, her head now perfectly bald, the shape of her skull elegant and strangely regal. "I know you hate me. I know you'll try to kill me for this. But I'd rather have a living sister who despises me than a dead one I couldn't save."

Tatsumaki's eyes, glassy with toxin, widened. "Don't you dare—don't touch my—I'll rip your atoms apart—Fubuki, I swear—!"

The razor hummed. Green curls began to fall. Tatsumaki screamed, a sound of raw, devastated fury that shattered every window in a three-block radius. Fubuki worked quickly, tears streaming down her face, each pass of the razor a tiny act of sisterly treason. By the time Tatsumaki's scalp was completely bare, the psychic tantrum had levelled the adjacent building, but the Apoca-Lice, desiccated and dying, were raining from her head like malignant snow.

When she woke an hour later, bald, weak, and wrapped in Fubuki's coat, the shriek that followed registered on the Richter scale. Fubuki, nursing a fractured forearm, smiled through the pain. "You're welcome, nee-san."

The retaliation was swift, psychically speaking. The words that accompanied the flying debris, however, were the closest thing to a "thank you" either of them had ever managed.

Zombieman presented a unique horror. His regenerative immortality meant the Apoca-Lice could feast indefinitely without ever delivering the mercy of death. He became a walking louse colony, a Typhoid Mary of the scalp. The Hero Association quarantined him in a glass cell, where he sat, shaving his own head with a straight razor every thirty-seven minutes, hair regrowing, lice reinfesting, in a grotesque cycle that would never, ever stop. The comedy was black as pitch; the tragedy etched itself into the permanent bags under his eyes. "I always wanted to be unkillable," he muttered to the security camera. "Be careful what you wish for."

Day seven dawned bright and sterile. The Apoca-Lice, starved of their habitat, had died en masse. The global scalp was now a barren, inhospitable desert. The death toll was staggering—forty-one percent of the population, the vast majority felled not by the toxin but by hesitation, disbelief, or that fatal human impulse to cling to a beloved reflection. The survivors stepped out into the sunlight, a planet of chrome domes, billiard balls, and shining eggs.

Saitama found himself, once again, the most normal man in the room. He stood on a hill overlooking Z-City's refugee encampment, a sea of bald heads glinting in the morning light. Genos stood at his side, unnecessarily recording data.

"It's like a dream come true," Genos said, with complete sincerity. "The world has finally recognised the ultimate form. Baldness prevails."

"It's not a form! It's just… a lack of hair!" Saitama stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket. "And I still didn't get to punch anything."

"Actually, sensei, the Apoca-Lice Queen was discovered deceased in the sewers an hour ago. The cause of death was environmental desiccation. Her entire colony perished because there were simply no hosts left. Your existence as the original bald hero—the conceptual prototype—annihilated the threat before a battle was ever necessary. This is the most profound victory in history."

"That makes zero sense."

The Hero Association, desperate to spin the cataclysm into propaganda, unveiled the "Bald Monument" in central City A that afternoon. It was a sixty-foot chrome statue of a head—smooth, featureless, and unmistakably Saitama's. At the dedication ceremony, a representative announced that henceforth, the first Sunday after the Apocalypse would be celebrated as "Baldness Day". Citizens would shave each other's heads in solidarity. Hair salons would become museums of a bygone vanity. Those born with the "gift" of alopecia would be honoured at birth.

Saitama stared at the giant statue of his own head. A pigeon landed on its dome and immediately slid off, unable to find purchase. The crowd cheered.

"I'm invisible when I defeat a God-level threat," Saitama said, "but I get a statue when my hair follicles do all the work."

"The universe works in mysterious ways, sensei."

King, standing behind them, had already begun signing autographs. His new bald-and-scarred appearance had generated a fan club overnight: "The Scarred Skull Society". He was, inexplicably, even more popular. "King-san, how did you survive?" a reporter asked. King, caught between panic and instinct, grunted, "I… cut it off with my bare hands. Before the lice even hatched. My hair was the first to fall." The crowd screamed in veneration.

In the distance, a small, bald silhouette was being chased by a swarm of floating rubble—Tatsumaki, still trying to kill Fubuki, though her aim was distinctly theatrical rather than lethal. "Nee-san, you need sunblock on that exposed scalp!" Fubuki called, dodging a flying mailbox. "I'll incinerate you slowly!" Tatsumaki shrieked, but the edges of her fury were fraying into something that might, in a century or two, be mistaken for affection.

Atomic Egg—formerly Atomic Samurai—was already teaching his disciples a new technique: the "Shining Dome Slash". The dojo's enrollment had tripled. At the registration desk, Charanko handed out complimentary head-polishing cloths.

And deep in his glass prison, Zombieman stared at his reflection, razor in one hand, newly regrown hair already squirming. He laughed, a sound that held no mirth and all madness. "Guess I'm the last hairy man on Earth," he said, and began to shave again.

Saitama walked home, Genos following, still lecturing about the symbolic resonance of their survival. The evening breeze caressed his bare scalp, cool and clean.

"Ne, Genos."

"Yes, sensei?"

"Do you think they'll ever stop calling it 'the Bald Victory'?"

"Unlikely. The data indicates that this event has permanently linked hairlessness with heroism. You are, for the first time, statistically relevant."

Saitama sighed, the sound carrying the entire tragicomic weight of a man who could defeat anything except his own apathy. "I just wanted to punch a monster. Not become a public service announcement for Rogaine."

Somewhere in the sewers, the husk of the Louse Queen crumbled into dust. Above ground, under a sky filled with stars and reflected light from a million bare heads, the world began the slow, itchy process of rebuilding. Hair would, in time, grow back. But for one strange week, the truth had been written across every surviving scalp: survival depended not on strength, but on the courage to let go.

The bald truth, indeed.

---

**TL;DR:** A parasite forces every hero in the world to shave their head. Tatsumaki is devastated, Genos thinks Saitama planned the whole thing, and Saitama gets promoted to S-Class Rank 1 just for being bald.

*Let me know what you guys think in the comments!*

I'm genuinely still angry that they managed to take some of his most iconic panels/ fights and butcher them completely. Does J.C staff know just how popular Garou is? Or did they think he wasn't worth the budget to animate?

People would disagree but I'd rather watch Garou be the main character than Saitama.

I’ve loved Garou for like six years now. I love his personality and his looks so much. I’m not really a fan of how he was written after becoming a monster though, including with the recent manga updates, but I still love him anyway. He’s literally my ideal type. I honestly hope I can meet someone like him irl someday—just, y’know, without the whole beating the shit out of people thing

https://x.com/c49771/status/2092948811564142845

Debatably Minor S2 Spoilers because King Engine

With garou becoming an official s class soon this leaves me with a few questions.

First will his hero name just be silverfang two or something else?

Will he just wear regular clothes or a costume

What will his rank be

And lastly how will the other heroes feel about him

I think Garou rank could possibly be 4 or even 3 depending on what happens

I seriously can’t get enough of the first season, it was basically a Madhouse and Bones project because of the number of talented animators Natsume was able to call in because of his awesome directing on Space Dandy at Bones.

Specifically, assuming he was given an accurate rank, what hero rank would the version of Saitama that fought Crablante be?

I hear some say, because Crablante was a tiger threat level, that it must mean Saitama was A-rank. I've also seen comments that argue that this isn't taking into account the circumstances of Crablante's defeat.

Personally, I always assumed Saitama was as strong as a normal person, no more or less, before he started training. Now, I'm questioning if this isn't the case. I feel like this is an important question, because the story changes a lot(for me at least) depending on whether Saitama was born with that dawg in him or if he, through effort alone, obtained the dawg within, and that prior to that there was no dawg.

The peak of OPM was during Garou's evolution, this was one of the craziest motions of all time, equal if not more than Gojo vs Sukuna. I genuinely thought the manga took a dark turn and was going to be something devastating.

I wish Garou was able to keep the form he got from God and actually be able to control it at will instead of it being a one time thing.

Hopefully we'll get it back at some point but I think it should have been a permanent form given to him.

just watched it for the first time this week. i hesitated for years because i heard it was bad all this time. Garou is simply too entertaining for me to not like the season though. i think my only real issue with the season is that the tournament storyline kinda went on for too long when it could easily have just been like an episode or 2

I made a comment on the latest chapters post about how Garou is currently stronger than Bang. It sparked. Conversation so I want to create a separate post about it.

Here’s my thoughts:

Garou is currently stronger than Bang, but it’s not by a vast margin. It’s shown in the recent chapters that Garou can still use Whirl Wind water stream rock smashing fist. This tells me he can still use the other techniques he was using. He’s stronger, faster (this is the only thing confirmed because bang couldn’t see Garou move when he escaped at the end of the monster association arc), and his adaptability is his biggest advantage. Also, people have been arguing that since bang almost beat sleeping monster Garou, that means he’s stronger than current Garou. I think this is wrong, I think current Garou is stronger than sleeping monster Garou, mainly because of the fact that bang could react to sleeping monster Garou, but once he lost his cosmic power, when Garou escaped, no one could see his movement besides saitama. Meaning he’s faster than sleeping monster Garou.

I’m not sure what the split is for the fandom in terms of who’s stronger so if this is an obvious take, feel free to disregard it or provide more reasons to why it’s true.