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‘One Punch Man’ Season 2 Rumors, Possible Release Date

By Robert Bellach
Published on: 06:49 PST, Aug 17, 2016

One Punch Man Season 2 may be premiering in Japan this fall, according to Movie News Guide, and an American dub is likely to follow after. The popular action/comedy anime series has been met with praise by both Japanese and American audiences. Movie News Guide says the team behind the show is aiming for an October release date in Japan, so “fans can keep their fingers crossed.”

One Punch Man Season 2 might build a story on the growing mythology around the Hero Registry, a bureaucratic organization tracking and ranking the world’s crime fighters. Season 1 found Saitama, the title character, struggling to be accepted by other top-ranking heroes in the Registry.

One Punch Man began as a webcomic in 2009, was adapted into a printed manga in 2012, and became an anime series in 2015. Adult Swim’s Toonami anime programming block began airing an English-dubbed version of the show in July of 2016.

The premise of One Punch Man is that Saitama, a man who trained to become “a hero for fun,” unwittingly became the strongest man on Earth and possibly the galaxy. True to the title of the show, he can defeat any challenger with a single punch. As a result, he ends up having to combat an enemy he never expected — boredom. Saitama takes on Genos, a cyborg, as his roommate and overeager disciple. Genos introduces Saitama to the Hero Registry and the possibility of public recognition of his deeds. The second half of Season 1 of One Punch Man focuses on Saitama coming to terms with public scrutiny and rejection. Most simply refuse to believe any evidence that he is actually that strong.

One Punch Man Season 2 may bring the internal politics of the Hero Registry to the forefront. Gamenguide reports rumors that Amai Mask, a top-ranked hero in the Registry, may perceive the collateral damage created in Saitama’s battles to be a threat to his reputation. He may take Saitama head on to stop him. Also rumored to return is Lord Boros, a high-powered alien who came the closest to providing a real challenge to Saitama’s unimaginable strength. Boros, who was defeated in the Season 1 finale, will certainly want a rematch.

The program has been popular in America, especially online, trending on TV forums, subreddits, and Tumblr. One Punch Man has received positive critical reviews as well. Vice Victus, writing for Birth Movies Death, comments on the well-balanced nature of the show.

“One Punch Man handles its comedy and drama with an even hand, but where it really stands out is in its spectacular animated action sequences. This seems paradoxical, given a hero who can win in an instant has no need for protracted battles. Even so, there is always at least one action centerpiece in every episode that is organic to the ongoing story and which yields a meaningful outcome. And compared to other anime stories packed with filler episodes, the conflicts are straight and to the point, almost always being completed in a single episode. Best of all, there is always a sense of pure fun to all the action, even when the consequences are most dire. In a beautiful manifestation of mission statement and metaphor, the final blow and the punchline are one in the same.”

If One Punch Man Season 2 does end up meeting the October premiere date in Japan, then it is likely the second season in dubbed form will return to Toonami. It took about 10 months for the first season to make it to American television, so it is likely Season 2 would air in summer of 2017.

The first season of One Punch Man is currently available in subtitled form on Hulu and in dubbed form on Adult Swim. The dubbed episodes air on Adult Swim every Saturday night at midnight Eastern time.

[Image via Viz Media/Hulu]

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