One Punch Man Season 2 - Episode 8 [Review]

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One Punch Man Season 2 - Episode 8 [Review]

After several weeks of structural chaos, One Punch Man actually delivered a reasonably paced episode with a solid beginning, middle, and end this week. There are a couple diversions to remind us that Garou is playing with a dog and Mumen Rider is defending his friends in the hospital, but aside from that, we focus entirely on the monster assault in the wake of the tournament's end. Most surprising of all, Suiryu steps in as the protagonist now that Saitama has been thrown out of the stadium for his illegal wig. One Punch Man is a weird story, so it's not unprecedented to have an entire episode that (mostly) ignores Saitama, but this honestly felt like a breath of fresh air. In a sense, it's unfortunate to have to resort to plot contrivances that remove the main character in order to craft a story with stakes and tension, but I'm not going to complain.

After moseying towards the stadium for what felt like two weeks (because it was), the Monster Association's secret weapon finally crashes through the gate and reveals himself to be none other than Goketsu, the presumed-dead first champion of the tournament. I didn't expect the story to directly link the monster invasion and tournament arcs at all, so this came as a pleasant surprise, even if it's not the most novel twist. Goketsu reveals another arm of the monsters' master plan, which is to convert normal people into monsters to add to their ranks. The fighters are thus presented with the moral quandary of becoming a monster and working for the enemy versus staying human and dying. This is what I expected Suiryu's conflict to be this week, but he also manages to pleasantly surprise me.

In the wake of his defeat at the hands of Saitama, I expected Suiryu to have more of a cognitive breakdown, but he quickly picks his pieces back up and shoves those uncomfortable thoughts back down where they can fester unseen for a while. I like seeing this new facet of his insecurities, because it humanizes his bravado. He has enough swagger to shamelessly flirt while he preemptively claims victory over the monsters, and he's just arrogant enough to be entertaining. Suiryu also turns out to possess a stronger moral code than I gave him credit for, because at no point does he consider betraying his fellow fighters and turning into a monster. One thing I hope OPM goes into down the line (probably through Garou's story) is that being or becoming a monster isn't an inherently evil act. But in this current situation, Suiryu's refusal demarcates the line between what he's willing to do for strength and what he isn't willing to compromise.

Unfortunately, many other contestants think differently and start chowing down on that monster goo almost immediately. It's especially funny how Choze, Mr. Genetically Pure And Superior In Every Way, exhibits zero hesitation when the opportunity presents itself. It's an understated but pointed observation that guys like him only care about the power to subjugate others, and they have no intellectual or ethical framework outside of that, regardless of their many excuses. Thankfully, Suiryu is all too eager to step up to the challenge and put Choze in his place. As far as fight scenes in the second season of One Punch Man, this episode doesn't do too badly with its intelligible and competently animated brawls. There are still some headache-inducing shots of motion-blurred stills moving on top of each other and plenty of awkward close-ups, but there are several good punches and kicks buried in there too. I have to take what I can get.

Suiryu just barely beats Choze, but the crux of the episode is his gradual realization that he's hopelessly outmatched. Goketsu proves to be every bit the monster he's been hyped up as, swatting Suiryu's body around like a gnat. Bakuzan also emerges as a monster of his own making, similarly giving into the lust for power that tempted everyone else. While he gives his all, Suiryu simply doesn't have enough strength to contend with these titans. The shell-shocked Suiryu is even more flabbergasted once the licensed heroes put their already bruised bodies in between him and Goketsu to help him escape. It's a futile effort and they all know it, but their willingness to try despite impossible odds is exactly the kind of the fist-clenching heroism that makes this kind of story compelling.

I really like how the episode handles Suiryu's experience with palpable fear. This is a guy with the swagger of someone who's never had to struggle with anything, so there's definitely some schadenfreude to his sudden brush with death, but there's also more than just desserts going around. Suiryu begging for help could easily be seen as evidence of weakness—and the monsters even taunt him about this—but it's contextualized as a moment of strength for him. The acknowledgement that he's not all-powerful is an important point of growth. Knowing when to ask for help is a lot harder than most people think, and it's as much a sign of maturity as asserting one's independence. Lucky for him, Suiryu has a bald guardian angel listening to his pleas.

Built around the highs and lows of Suiryu's character arc and culminating in a classic feat of heroic salvation, this is one of the most straightforward and strongest episodes of this arc. I still find it funny that the narrative doesn't really know what to do with Saitama right now, but this is proof that the show can be pretty good in spite of that. After all, Mumen Rider's parts in the first season were some of the most memorable and emotionally resonant. ONE can be excellent at finding the heart in absurd situations, and I hope we see more of that quality as the season progresses.

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Isekai Quartet - Episode 8 [Review]

The prospect of a field trip to the beach, a staple event in any high school anime, is just too big to contain within a single episode of Isekai Quartet, especially given the students involved. As this episode proves, setting up the trip easily warrants a full episode alone.

Spinning off from last episode, Emilia quickly proves to be the ideal choice for Class Rep; she can even soothe Aqua without resorting to intimidation, and that's no mean feat. The activities chosen are all field trip standards, including a Test of Courage, which as Subaru points out, becomes more interestingly twisted when a bunch of monsters are already among the student body. I can't wait to see what Roswaal comes up for this test, especially what might scare Ains and his crew; I dearly hope either giant frogs or alligators are involved for the KONOSUBA crew.(1) The end result could only be a disaster, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Also, there's a nice catch on Puck's reference to the time, which is a deep cut for Re:Zero fans.(2)

Shopping for swimsuits is also a core part of field trip preparations, although it takes on more involved gags for this crowd. The spit-take moment is Albedo and Shalltear's ruminations on possible swimsuits for Ains, with Shalltear crowing about one suit fully showing off his pelvic bone (it's best not to think about that one too much), although Tanya also brings up a point that's only slightly addressed in her series: Visha, her right-hand woman, is the only (other?) female in a battalion that's otherwise all-male. Normally this isn't an issue because the uniform and combat gear mute gender differences, but it won't be possible to conceal Visha's figure in even a conservative swimsuit. Of course, word has probably gotten around to Tanya's underlings that Visha is not to be messed with(3), but I still foresee all sorts of shenanigans coming from this change in appearance.

That brings us to the episode's funniest sequence at the end, where Kazuma and Aqua encounter Albedo and Shalltear. Kazuma finally realizes that Albedo is indeed a succubus(4), but the big joke is that both Albedo and Shalltear have been hiding mortifying secrets. Albedo is actually a virgin despite being a succubus(5), and Shalltear pads her bra. Naturally, the KONOSUBA crew unwittingly walks in on both reveals. (Also watch for a cameo of a random adventurer from KONOSUBA at the end.)

In general, the series is back to maintaining its meticulous balance between the four crossover series, and it's still not missing a single opportunity to make deep references or take advantage of the weirdness that spins out of this group trying to do normal things. The fun continues unabated!

Aqua was once terrorized by alligators, and multiple members of the group have been swallowed by giant toads.

Puck has to go to sleep at sunset.

Visha proved in the epilogue of one episode that she has a mean right hook in her sleep.

This is more significant because Kazuma has some previous experience with a succubi-run bordello.

There's a funny scene in Overlord III, where Albedo isn't able to ride a demonic horse because she isn't impure.

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