One-Punch Man (2015)

One-Punch Man has moments that hit harder than any film I've seen this year. The Deep Sea King completely wrecked me. ONE has an understanding of grief, hope and the human condition that is genuinely exceptional.

One-Punch Man has some filler episodes that slow the pacing. Get past them. The story arcs surrounding The Ultimate Master are worth every minute of slower content. The best parts are genuinely great.

One-Punch Man isn't perfect. The pacing sags occasionally and some characters are underwritten. But when it fires on all cylinders — as in The Deep Sea King — it reaches heights that few shows ever achieve. The flaws are forgiven.

One-Punch Man was the first anime I watched and it set an impossibly high standard. The story of Speed-o-Sound Sonic explores strength and purpose with a maturity I didn't expect. I've watched dozens of anime since and this remains the peak.

One-Punch Man uses its genre conventions to explore heroism without recognition in genuinely surprising ways. ONE's work rewards careful attention. There are layers here that only reveal themselves on rewatch.