One-Punch Man episode 10

What a nicely adapted episode we have here. The beginning of One-Punch Man's best arc (from the source material) and the arc which will determine whether the anime will be amazingly good or decent at best: The Alien Conquerors Arc.

I could state that the action is decent, the animation is well done, the art work in certain scenes look really good, the adaptation for the most part is quite good and more but I do not want to since actual reviewers and other commentators would have already done so. Instead, I would like to highlight three aspects of the episode that left me with a wide grin on my face. The first is Tatsumaki's portrayal in the episode.

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/onepunchman/images/4/4f/Tornado_relaxing.png/revision/latest?cb=20151108235233

A recurring joke surrounding Tatsumaki is the fact that she is the only other character that is illustrated in a deformed manner like Saitama. Thankfully in this episode, she appears in a hilariously deformed 'chibi' style whenever she acts particularly spoiled or childish. Her first deformed appearance got a hearty laugh out of me which is odd since I have already read the manga up to this point so the jokes in the show have only succeeded in netting a chuckle out of me. Here's a fun thing to do: count the number of times Tatsumaki appears deformed in the episode (not as much as one could hope for but more than what you expected). Her spoiled brat personality is well-portrayed here due to the voice actor hitting the right notes in her performance. As a result, Tatsumaki, as a whole, feels well adapted for the anime in these parts which is a good thing since it does indicate decent adaptation in the next episodes.

The second is the appearance of Garou. While I am aware that Garou is mentioned in the part adapted from the manga as well, I did not expect an actual illustration of him in the anime since the anime is coming to an end. So imagine my delighted surprise when he did make a full appearance here albeit without a voice. Garou is a character from the manga who becomes one of the biggest threats to the heroes of the series and that is all I will say. Having him appear for a cameo was a real treat for a manga reader like myself and seems to hint that Madhouse may consider season 2 for One-Punch Man which to be honest, I am glad that they are considering a season 2. Garou is only prominent in the later parts of the series so a full cameo here could mean that Madhouse will make season 2 once Murata finishes Garou's arc in the re-drawn manga. ONE readers on the other hand may have to wait longer for the inevitable clash being animated.

The third was the appearance of nearly all the S-Rank heroes with their varying personalities and traits. While this also took place in the manga, it was rather nice to see them fully voiced and even going into action while seeing their differing personalities along with some of their thoughts. Special focus should be on King and the King Engine which was pretty well portrayed even if the latter was rather underwhelming for now. The show bringing in their strongest heroes together for the arc does showcase the extreme threat posed by the arc's antagonists and Atomic Samurai's failure to defeat what appears to be the vanguard of the alien forces prove that these S-Rank heroes have a lot of work to do. As for Saitama, he acts like the level 99 player looking for the hidden super-boss that we do see near the end of the episode.

Overall, I quite liked the episode as a point of escalation where the stakes are being raised and the actual action is ready to start even if it ended on a frustrating cliff-hanger. I can give this arc a strong recommendation for viewers already following the show and a somewhat cautioned recommendation for new-comers. If the reader did not like One-Punch Man before, this arc will produce two results: the reader either winds up liking One-Punch Man (to a varying degree) or their opinion will not change. This arc is one of One-Punch Man's best arcs in the manga and I hope Madhouse does not drop in entertainment quality since the drop will be noticeable from such a decent episode.

[Extra thoughts: I do not think I will be hyped up for triple-A games next year. The quality of triple-A games have been declining to a large extent resulting in fewer gems like Witcher 3, Bloodborne, the parts in Metal Gear Solid 5 untainted by the scum that is Konami (your behavior at the VGAs was just plain disgusting), Splatoon, and Pillars of Eternity (which may not count as triple-A). Games like Fallout 4, Batman: Arkham Knight and others have either become disappointments or are plain terrible (the reader can decide where these games lie. I also think that I should keep an eye on indie games more often since the number of gems like Undertale and Rocket League are rising steadily. Despite these thoughts though, I doubt I will follow through. I do need to revise after all.]