On October 28, the artist “Atserc” trended after sharing a special animated video depicting the fight between Saitama Mr ExplosionHero number one within the Hero Association, from the franchise One Punch Man. Anime fans were impressed with the work done on the animation, especially when a user pointed out that it took him three months to make it himself, with comments such as:
«What the fuck! That was amazing!»; «I mean, I don’t even expect a commissioned Japanese studio to be able to emulate this.»; «This can’t be out of the blue, this is a masterpiece!»; «This short video is better animated than the entire second season»; «It’s so creatively done it makes my head explode. This is what I want to see in a true anime adaptation»; «I have no words to describe what I just saw, did you do this yourself? If yes, then you are a talented person. If this is something you like to do, go ahead because you have fantastic animation skills».
But it wasn’t just that, the fact that the user did it himself in three months came to the ears of the director Shuuhei Yabutacurrently in charge of the anime adaptation Vinland Saga. The director used the anger he felt while watching the video launch a scathing critique of the anime industry in Japan, apparently “stuck in the same ideas and techniques for over thirty years”.
His full text was written by:
- That’s the level of “satisfaction” that fans are looking for (I don’t mean the drawing). Our job is to create new experiences in the final product and increase satisfaction. We have been doing the same thing for 30 or 40 years, not because it is right, but as a result of a wrong model of work and individualism. Just in case you freak out, I must add that I’m not just talking about “One Punch Man,” but about the Japanese animation industry as a whole.
- The content is that the Japanese animation industry is not at all creative at the moment, and that it is necessary to raise awareness and strive to create an environment in which new challenges can be accepted in order to generally develop the ability to win in the market. An animated production is a circus, not a competition of individual artists. If you can’t share a vision and aim for high quality, you should go it alone, without using a title.
- I’m sick of the old guys who just complain and won’t budge, and the brats who are blinded by the feeling that I don’t want to let them down, so I want to try a few things when the current business is settled.
One Punch Man anime synopsis
Seemingly ordinary and unremarkable, Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to realize his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years and lost all his hair in the process. Now Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy can defeat him in battle. He is so powerful that he only needs to take one hit to defeat his enemies, because of this he can no longer enjoy the thrill of battle and has become quite boring.
All that changes with the arrival of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg who wants to be Saitama’s student after seeing what he is capable of. Genos suggests that the two join the Hero Association to become certified heroes who will be recognized for their positive contributions to society, and Saitama, surprised that no one knows who he is, quickly agrees. And so begins the story of One Punch Man, an action comedy that follows an eccentric individual who yearns to fight strong enemies who can hopefully give him the thrill he once felt and maybe become popular in the process.
Source: Official Twitter account
© ONE, Yusuke Murata / Shueisha, Hero Association headquarters