Sean Wang Week 10 - THE HERO !!
Sean Wang Week 10 - THE HERO !!
That was a quote from Saitama, the infamous One Punch Man from the anime of the same name. Now don’t get me wrong: contrary to popular belief, I generally don’t like anime. But the concept of One Punch Man has always intrigued me, mostly because of how transparent the whole plot line is. We’re all familiar with the stereotypical main character and their seemingly unlimited ability to grow in power (through a strenuous training arc, of course). However, the writers of One Punch Man took this one step further. In a stroke of satirical genius, they created Saitama, the crown jewel of overpowered main characters. Capable of defeating anything and everything with just one punch, Saitama is the answer to the question found in every hero’s journey: “Just how powerful can a main character get?”
Ironically, Saitama’s greatest weakness is — get this — boredom. Yes, boredom. Plagued with a lack of “things to do” and an indifference to all things material, he carries out his mundane task of shutting down monsters and other villains. Unparalleled and unfazed by anything that comes his way, Saitama’s superhuman strength is a curse as much as it is a blessing. Without a challenge, he finds his role as a hero as more of a chore than the adrenaline-pumping duty to humanity that we viewers envision.
This plot has been mirrored in other popular shows too. For example, in the hit Netflix series Squid Game, it is revealed that the games were developed in order to combat the sense of boredom that the creators, who were practically rolling in money, felt. While we rarely contemplate it, could it be that “too much power” is a burden to those that experience it?
As counterintuitive as it is, I would say so. I hate to bring up math in a situation like this, but in calculus, we learned that a function’s maximum/minimum is determined by the behavior its surroundings exhibit; a function cannot have a maximum if it never dips down. Life is structured the same way: the euphoric feeling we feel after achieving something worthwhile would not be the same if we constantly experienced it. The bad things in life make the good things so much more meaningful (unfortunately, this applies for the opposite as well).
Cliché as it is, the journey is what makes the destination so rewarding. So be thankful that you always have something to improve about yourself — unless you want to wake up next morning with a white cape, a yellow Spandex suit, and a dashing absence of hair.
(Shoutout to Leslie. You’re going places, buddy.)
Photo Credit: One Punch Man
One Punch Man was one of those anime that I couldn’t bear to watch because of its art style though I can appreciate its humor once in a while. But even this occasional bout of laughter I got from the clips didn’t bring me into watching the show and that’s because the first three episodes already felt empty. I think the premise of the show artfully summarizes how I feel about power—there’s no point unless you have a greater motive or a use for it. If there is no constant struggle or an aspiration that hasn’t been fulfilled then there is no incentive to maintain that power. I wonder what would happen if the people in power didn’t have a threat outwardly or inwardly, would they really want to maintain that life of boredom with no challenge at all? I have a pretty naive worldview but again if you could become god, would you?
ReplyDeleteHi Sean,
ReplyDeleteOh my god, you've done it. You've weaved anime into this quarter's blogging assignment.
One Punch Man is one of my favorite anime of all time! To be honest, when my friend Ayush first told me about the plot in an effort to try to get me to watch the show, I thought it'd be quite boring. However, two seasons later, I have become an avid viewer and eagerly await the third season.
I agree with your blog post that there is a such thing as "too much" power which beyond that point, makes life interesting. I believe that struggles and victories are what make life life, and I cannot imagine an enjoyable world where there is no struggle.
Sincerely,
Krish
(P.S. I copied that ending from you :P)
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI don't watch anime, so I couldn't really relate to One Punch Man. However, the point you brought up is really interesting and got me thinking. I think power, like everything else in this world, is a burden to those who experience it. This relates to the idea that people like the chase more than the destination. Generally, people that have so much power that it has become a burden do not have strict boundaries or lines where their power can be taken away. The fact that it is in such easy access to them is what I think causes this "burden."
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI don't actually watch anime, but reading your blog was super interesting to me. Having too much power can be a burden because then you won't really know what to do with all of it. Like what you said about Saitama's weakness, a your weakness will become boredom itself, and that is a burden in itself.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Sean, I'm not a huge fan of anime, but I can definitely see how One Punch Man has the familiar trope of the main character with ever growing power. I agree; the ups and downs of life are what make it enjoyable. If everything was perfect all the time, we wouldn't appreciate life as much. There is so much power in the way we see things, and that can change our lives for the better or worse. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI agree that One Punch Man is definitely unique in its plot and the concept it represents. After achieving absolute power, Saitama regrets having gotten it and advises others against doing the same. Nice job tying in Calculus! I agree that contrast is what makes life meaningful. A life of endless ease and bliss is regretful since it is often the struggle that makes the challenge appealing and satisfying.
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hey Sean,
ReplyDeleteAs a local anime connoisseur, I find it quite interesting that you would talk about One Punch Man in terms of power. In my opinion, Saitama seems to have actually no power at all. His lack of struggles makes him feel more powerless than powerful. I think the power is more of a personal construct. It only feels like you are powerful once you worked towards it and are now able to accomplish things you weren't able to before. For that reason, I recommend Mob Psycho 100 as it has all the humor and crisp animation as OPM but its story hits much harder.
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteAs a person who had watched One Punch Man with my family and having been taught about the origins of the manga by my brother, I always found that the main idea of the show was very interesting. From the fact that Saitama doesn't have a huge ego from being basically the most powerful being on Earth as well as the universe I believe if I remember correctly. To relate this to my first blog of this semester, this shows how much mental capacity Saitama has. Because of his large amount of strength and ability to beat literally anybody to the ground, he chooses to use it for good rather than revenge or to climb the social ladder. Usually people with that much power in stories and TV shows end up being the villains, but Saitama is content with his life, which is the difference between him and villains.
Hey Sean!
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch anime but there was one part about your blog that piqued my interest: boredom. You say that the characters greatest weakness is boredom and to some extent I think it is mine to. I hate feeling bored because having nothing to do makes me feel useless and unproductive. It also leads to me overthinking, which is my greatest pitfall. I always tend to keep myself busy and on the move so I do not have time to overthink things. I hope they use that as a source of help for the character in the anime at some point!