Reasons to love OPM & little tidbits #9

Small characterizations details that are easy to miss ep9:

Saitama is far better in martial arts than it appears.

Saitama from the very beginning has actually been interested in how the human body works, even when he was a mere 12-year old kid, he rather studied human health and physical education than interact with his peers. (Chapter 8.5: "200 yen)

It's honestly painfully profound and human as Saitama struggles with his own identity and self-concept.

You really understand when ONE says that “a normal life is hard,” especially when you're not particularly privileged from the start. And your constant struggle to fit into the world becomes uphill. Which makes you sympathize more with Garou's vision.

Watching OPM you realize that Saitama is particularly talented, and although he doesn't see it, he absorbs more knowledge than he realizes. He could be on par with geniuses like Garou, -whose mind is focused on technique and refinement- if he had the motivation to do so. For his level of commitment and discipline drove him to be so strong in the first place.

It is painfully human that our ability to grow is very much tied to our perception. Whether we see ourselves as capable or we see ourselves as failures. But Saitama's constant discouragement in believing that “Being strong is all there was in him, all that gave him meaning.” But when he became absurdly powerful, he believes he reached his limit as an individual.

Your focus is on the result. If the result is the same, then there is no improvement, right?

It is paradoxical, because Saitama is someone who motivates others not to focus on defeats but to move forward.

He genuinely needs to stop seeing his strength as the only thing that exists in himself, and perhaps open up more to all that he can achieve. After all, supreme strength doesn't always guarantee you to be the most efficient hero and save everyone, we learned that the hard way, didn't we?

Honestly, Saitama's perception and self-concept is painfully human and one that more than one can relate to, if you remember that many of us don't feel capable of achieving some goal just because we think we are incapable, or we think we have reached a plateau and we are nothing more than that.

Call Him Janus-ide, The Way He's Two-Faced

With the kind permissions of Rayadraws and theOmnicode. Bless your sharp eyes.

Genos better have a birthday in January. January, Janus's month, is typically portrayed as a two-faced man, representing the month's position as the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. Janus is the god of thresholds, places of transition -- inside to out, holy to profane, beginnings to endings. Beyond that, this is the god of duality, seemingly opposed items that nevertheless form part of a whole.

Characters in OPM start really simple but as ONE keeps layering on them, they become more than initially meets the eye. However, when it comes to duality, Genos has to be the most dual-natured character there.

How? Well, let's count the ways.

1. What's in a name?

Let's start with the low-hanging fruit, his name. While he generally goes by Genos, his name is really Genocide. Yes, as in the systematic elimination of a group of people identified by their religion, ethnicity, or just by happening to encumber some valuable land without the benefit of sufficiently heavy weaponry. It's just about possible to pretend not to see it when it's written out on his clothing; however, when Kuseno makes Genos a virtual practice tool called The Virtual Genocide System, what kind of sick fucker does this is all one can say.

Extra credit: if you want another horrifying duality, look up 'ketsugo'.

It gets a little more interesting when we look at how his name is written in Japanese, for that's where the duality emerges. On the one hand, the kanji means 'great slaughter', so far, so unsurprising. On the other hand, it also means 'to fight fiercely to the end', and the image of undaunted resistance in the face of impossible odds is just as fitting to this character as is his surviving a massacre -- and warning of yet another to come.

2. Fire Worship

Of necessity, Genos is forged in fire. The metal that makes up much of his body must be grubbed up as ore, melted out of it, refined, alloyed, smelted, and worked to produce something useful, all of which requires fire. The parts that are plastic are drawn out of the Earth as crude oil, distilled (more fire), admixed, reacted, processed. And the parts that are ceramic, well, nothing loves fire as much as a ceramic. And yet, that's not all Genos is. He is a cyborg, which means that he is also human, someone living, fragile, and yet resilient. We see many cyborgs in One-Punch Man, but someone like Genos, who is very comfortable owning his humanity *and* having a mostly mechanical body, is rare. The cyborgs we meet tend to either hide the fact or double down on being inhuman.

Being happy being both man and machine, no matter how weird it looks to anyone.

Speaking of fire, Genos's choice of weapon is just as dual-natured as his name. In the first instance, he burns things. It's little wonder that fire used to be regarded (gotta love those Greeks) as one of the four essential elements: its ability to transform is fundamental to humanity. Its ability to transform the merely edible to the cooked literally enabled human development by freeing up more calories than are normally available in food. Fire warms; fire razes; fire drives away darkness; fire propels; fire impedes; fire cauterizes; fire burns; fire refines; fire smelts; fire consumes. Wherever you find humanity, something is burning. One hopes in a controlled way.

As Genos uses it as a weapon, it's very much the destructive aspect of fire we see him use. The Hero Association calls him Demon Cyborg because they hope he keeps turning those flames onto enemies of humanity, thankyouverymuch.

Like the fire of Hell striking the sinful and consuming them utterly, Genos showing the utter destruction that got him his hero name.

Of course, we have long since moved beyond burning dry sticks and lumps of coal to make what we call fire. Which takes us quite naturally to the third thing.

3. Core matters

Want to divide a crowd of well-educated people? Just ask them their opinion on 'nuclear energy.' Whether it's energy liberated by splitting or fusing atoms, do we like it for its ability to create an eye-watering amount of energy from incredibly little material, live in awe of its ability to destroy enemies, dread its capacity to maim and mutate with the ionizing radiation that comes as part of the package deal, or fear its eon-long tail of contamination? To say 'views differ' is to understate the heat of the debate.

There may have been a time when Genos's core was battery-powered, but since his energy demands have gone from extreme to extortionate, this baby is nuclear. With all the hazards inherent.

Heroes are just built different: instead of running away, they're like 'keep it together, man.'

So far, so obvious. However, the visual references of the core are even more interesting. Via Rayadraws, the reference of the core is the guidance system of intercontinental ballistic missiles. Entirely mechanical (and thus not able to be interfered with remotely), it ensures that the ICBM, once launched, will absolutely hit its target without fail. A very fitting device for the heart of a character hell-bent on finding and destroying his sworn enemy, whatever the cost.

Doesn't that look ominously familiar? Mutually-assured destruction.

However (I use this word a lot, don't I?), that's not the only way to see the core. When Saitama brought back Genos's core from the future and the latter plugged it in, the core is seen from a different angle, and it's another powerful symbol: a vajra (h/t Omnicode). In Buddhism, it's a ritual weapon symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).

A much more positive image: one of power, wisdom, and enlightenment. The more positive version of what he's seeking.

Probably the most interesting thing about the school of Buddhism this comes from is that it's about transmuting vices into virtues. Again, incredibly fitting.

4. So, Where is ONE going with this?

Here we have it. Nominatively, Genos names both the most hideous crime against humanity and the strength of character to resist such crime. Physically, Genos stands at the nexus of man and machine, happily occupying the liminal space between them. The power Genos has sought can be incredibly destructive to both friend and foe... and we've seen him use it to do great good. We've seen how harsh and cold he can be, but we've seen, too, that when he cares to temper his strict pursuit of justice with empathy, something wonderful comes to light.

But most of all, this is a character whose fate rests on a knife edge of apparently small decisions. No matter what, Genos is not going to be dissuaded from finding and destroying the rampaging cyborg and anyone who may have supported him. The question is: will that quest bring great destruction, or is there a way to bring something positive out of it? Either is equally possible with this guy.

We just have to wait and see.

PS: Yes, there are other dualities I could name. I'm hoping y'all come up with them. :D

The woman with the cutest thinking pose in the world 🤔🩷

YES!! 💗

I can't wait for Saitama to be forced to take some dance lessons for amai mask's ball and needing a partner to dance and Genos ofc volunteers and then Genos leads and dips him in front of every other class member and Saitama is finally illuminated to the fact that Genos is super horny for his body. Then Saitama proceeds to have "gay panic tm"- moment.

Legit the only reason Genos hasn't already jumped Saitama is because Genos is so respectful towards Saitama. 😂

Maybe if Amai was smarter he would tell Saitama that by winning a dance contest he will have a lifetime endowment of super premium meat for life (and be one step closer to being the perfect Hero/idol) I'm sure that's the motivation Saitama needs lol.

Just because I want to see Saitama and Genos in a complex choreography, where Saitama carries Genos in the air after some pirouettes. Because Genos surely researched the most impressive dance moves in competitions, and they are both athletic enough to do it. Although surely in the process Genos' arm will accidentally fall off because Saitama didn't control his strength or a monster will interrupt and subtract a point from the jury for a lousy score.

But it would be worth it!

Haha it would be worth it, but I'm not too sure about Saitama being able/willing to learn a complex coreography and it would be quite the move to bust out such when everyone else is dancing ballroom dances like Tango. :D But I would definitely pay to see them foxtrot or cha-cha all around the ballroom. Genos would be sure to research and perfect his dance routine, while Saitama just attempts to wing it and steps on Genos' toes, who wont even notice it.

All part of Amai-masks masterplan to introduce the perfect hero to the world.

That's true! Although it is true that Saitama would not learn anything complex like a choreography especially if you enroll him to ballroom dancing classes…. However, if we talk about stimulating Saitama to dance:

If Amai mask discovered that the feeling of "challenge and reward" is highly stimulating for Saitama, to the extent of doing things he would never do otherwise (going to an old man's dojo, not at all, but a prime steak and a game of rock-paper-scissors, being disappointed that a guy can eat a big meal in front of him while he struggles to eat an extra-large plate, or wanting to do an extreme makeover to get more fans). It sure would channel Saitama's inner fire a lot better. Just so Saitama really wants to (and doesn't fall asleep in the middle of explaining the plan to be the perfect Hareo/idol for the masses).

When saitama feels challenged and the reward is to his liking, (perhaps a juicy reward like money and free meat) we have a Saitama very willing to go the extra mile.

I just want to see the face of two fools when Saitama asks Genos to be his dance partner.

Add to this a Genos excited to see his Sensei's spirit burning with motivation, and Genos with a desire to “I must help Saitama sensei, it is the work of the disipulum”. (We know that Genos would also have no interest in learning to dance until he finds out that he will be Saitama's partner, and any refusal on his part will fly off the top of his head).

And we know that Genos will take it so seriously that he won't hesitate to investigate the best way to ensure a win, which is to do a complex dance step (and by complex I mean having contact, because they need to communicate and hold each other). Maybe a few stumbles, and Genos gets accidentally stung more than once, or let's hope they don't get distracted and Saitama inadvertently causes some accidents involving quick repairs during rehearsals :D

I can't wait for Saitama to be forced to take some dance lessons for amai mask's ball and needing a partner to dance and Genos ofc volunteers and then Genos leads and dips him in front of every other class member and Saitama is finally illuminated to the fact that Genos is super horny for his body. Then Saitama proceeds to have "gay panic tm"- moment.

Legit the only reason Genos hasn't already jumped Saitama is because Genos is so respectful towards Saitama. 😂

Maybe if Amai was smarter he would tell Saitama that by winning a dance contest he will have a lifetime endowment of super premium meat for life (and be one step closer to being the perfect Hero/idol) I'm sure that's the motivation Saitama needs lol.

Just because I want to see Saitama and Genos in a complex choreography, where Saitama carries Genos in the air after some pirouettes. Because Genos surely researched the most impressive dance moves in competitions, and they are both athletic enough to do it. Although surely in the process Genos' arm will accidentally fall off because Saitama didn't control his strength or a monster will interrupt and subtract a point from the jury for a lousy score.

But it would be worth it!

How does Genos show he cares? How to write a relatable cyborg character

Warning: Very long post incoming, tl;dr at the bottom

This meta doubles as Genos appreciation post. :D

Ever since his introduction, Genos has shown multiple times his very humane side of caring about Saitama and caring about defeating evil for the betterment of mankind. (Chapter 5: Itch explosion)

The first line he utters to Saitama is to tell him to hide because he does not want this casualty and when he forgets Saitama was there with him, he worries about him having become a casualty to his incinerator. (Chapter 6: Saitama)

Genos has to resort to almost blowing himself and mosquito girl up because he sees no other way to rid the world of such a powerful monster, but fortunately Saitama intervenes. They exchange names and go their merry way but later on, Genos knock on his door as he promised he would. Saitama is very uncertain about this new cyborg buddy of his, but he lets him in regardless and they have a chat.

I only hope that our mechanical cinnamon roll is more aware that he can also be cared for, is precious, and that his life can go on despite how hard it was in the past. I hope that in the future he will remember that when things are really tough

Never seen Genos referred as mechanic cinnamon roll before cuz he's quite the tough cookie haha. :D But I agree, Genos needs some more appreciation, so he's not taken for granted.

Ohh, I have no doubt that Genos is a tough, strong, analytical, precise young man with nerves of steel and very, very, very passionate. After all, Genos can look death in the eye and not blink in the process (Literally)

But he is also a noble and sensitive soul, who always wants to protect the people he cares about, as well as being somewhat naive. We know that Genos is a “man”, but there is still a bit of that child in the soul.

Although I know he is someone who is strong and capable of taking care of himself, he also deserves to be taken care of. Because to be honest, we know he carries a lot of traumas. And in OPM he lets us know that the strongest people often need to be taken care of as well.

Very much agreed.

Imo, Genos unfortunately does not take care of himself too well, so his own depressing thoughts are taking over like during the second "spar" vs Saitama.

Saitama needs to learn how to properly care for his cyborg companion. I see Saitama healing up from his traumas bit by bit but Genos still needs a lot of care so he does not succumb to his own demons.

True, although Saitama also has some trouble knowing what actions to take to care because he has trouble expressing himself and choosing the right words. It is easier for him to care through his actions and not through words. It's funny, because Saitama often has the best words for Genos or other people, but he does it in a natural and instigative way. Or even, he seems to forget or belittle his own impact because he has low self-esteem.

But when he is in a specific moment he sometimes feels he has no idea what to say and do (Sai also has a lot of traumas to deal with) and improvises because he is cornered (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't) Genos is brilliant, but it's not the best time to say it Lol.

I know that Saitama wants to take good care of Genos, but I feel a little sorry for him because he often feels lost himself. And so… After Garou Cosmico, we know how serious it can get.

Honestly, Genos takes care of others so much that he forgets to take care of himself. I'm glad that by meeting Saitama his heroic instinct has been getting stronger enough to appreciate the lives of others more and more, to realize that “living” is always a better option and not just blinding himself to the idea of self-destruction. He puts his revenge and his goals as the way he defines his own value, and feels that his life loses meaning if he is not “strong” enough to finish off enemies immediately. And it makes him downplay his whole growth as a person (and hero).

Perhaps, breaking down this biased idea of strength and power, and recognizing their weaknesses can open up their perspective more deeply. And, both need to get better at expressing themselves and recognizing their needs. (they should give each other a hug)

Honestly, supreme power is definitely not a guarantee that the people you love will be unharmed (learned the hard way that in the past arc).

How does Genos show he cares? How to write a relatable cyborg character

Warning: Very long post incoming, tl;dr at the bottom

This meta doubles as Genos appreciation post. :D

Ever since his introduction, Genos has shown multiple times his very humane side of caring about Saitama and caring about defeating evil for the betterment of mankind. (Chapter 5: Itch explosion)

The first line he utters to Saitama is to tell him to hide because he does not want this casualty and when he forgets Saitama was there with him, he worries about him having become a casualty to his incinerator. (Chapter 6: Saitama)

Genos has to resort to almost blowing himself and mosquito girl up because he sees no other way to rid the world of such a powerful monster, but fortunately Saitama intervenes. They exchange names and go their merry way but later on, Genos knock on his door as he promised he would. Saitama is very uncertain about this new cyborg buddy of his, but he lets him in regardless and they have a chat.

I only hope that our mechanical cinnamon roll is more aware that he can also be cared for, is precious, and that his life can go on despite how hard it was in the past. I hope that in the future he will remember that when things are really tough

Never seen Genos referred as mechanic cinnamon roll before cuz he's quite the tough cookie haha. :D But I agree, Genos needs some more appreciation, so he's not taken for granted.

Ohh, I have no doubt that Genos is a tough, strong, analytical, precise young man with nerves of steel and very, very, very passionate. After all, Genos can look death in the eye and not blink in the process (Literally)

But he is also a noble and sensitive soul, who always wants to protect the people he cares about, as well as being somewhat naive. We know that Genos is a “man”, but there is still a bit of that child in the soul.

Although I know he is someone who is strong and capable of taking care of himself, he also deserves to be taken care of. Because to be honest, we know he carries a lot of traumas. And in OPM he lets us know that the strongest people often need to be taken care of as well.

Perception bias, round 2 Director's cut, Saigenos edition!

(or basically, how my brain jumps into another topic only loosely related to the original ask)

Thank you @itsmaferart For the wonderful ask again. :)

Warning: Long post ahead

-*-

Perception bias also serves another more...sinister purpose for Saitama. Psychological conditioning. There is potential evidence for deprivation of basic needs, conditioning for violence for protection and subliminal messages for suggestion, among other things.

Being deprived of all these needs is akin to mental torture. But so is facing all of the underlying issues at once via hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy if the patient is sufficiently dysfunctional in a societal setting like Saitama happens to be. Especially if the therapies are performed...poorly.

In short, in order to heal mentally, Saitama may need to face mental torture because he has such strong willpower and such strong mental barriers shielding his vulnerabilities on a basic primal need. There only needs to be a sufficient trigger.

ONE sent Saitama home to restore his energy levels...because he's going to sorely need them for the upcoming confrontation.

Empty Void's ability to genjutsu people casually and cause parallel shifts in the reality and using these to abuse emotional dependencies is like a loaded Chekov's gun on Saitama's forehead. Because Saitama has been roleplaying to re-learn his emphatic skillset after he had suffered too much mental trauma.

That's why early Saitama did not even bat an eye when Beefcake killed his own brother but now he's empathizing with Hamukichi. That's what I call character progression.

I find it especially interesting if Saitama, in the perhaps not too distant future, is subjected to emotional stress or even mental torture. Keeping in mind that in One Punch Man, where strength is based on the quest to break the limitations imposed on each individual by nature itself (GOD). Taking Saitama to Garou have faced extreme physical conditions that put them on the brink of death, but their will - driven by some purpose - allows them to overcome this kind of “death” and move on, even at the cost of almost destroying themselves in the process.

Gyoro Gyoro mentions that individuals must go through "personal hells" under very specific conditions to strengthen and evolve without being consumed by their own desires to the point of becoming mere monsters.

However, what about the emotional hell?

Both Garou and Saitama have managed to break or eliminate their respective “limiters” in pursuit of fulfilling their motivations: to be a hero and to be a kaijin, respectively. Through their actions, they wish to change people and find their place in a world that has often turned its back on them. However, they have experienced a profound demotivation when they realize that what they pursued so fervently has led to significant losses of the people they wished to protect. Because at the end of the day, “adsolute evil” and “adsolute power” were to protect others because no one was there to protect them when the world was too hard on them. When For Garou, it is the loss of Tareo; for Saitama, it is the loss of Genos.

When Garou lost Tareo and Saitama lost Genos, things lost their significance.

It is curious that many can see badly that there has been a time travel that “seems to fix everything”, when clearly things are showing many seams that were only briefly mended, so that in the future we can see in greater depth the consequences of these same.

After his confrontation with Garou, deep and evident emotional cracks are revealed in Saitama. However, these memories are confused in his mind, preventing him from confronting the situation. In an unconscious way, he seems to establish certain limits with Genos, perhaps out of fear of becoming too dependent on him.

Saitama's problems are not rooted solely in his desire to “be strong,” which he has more than fulfilled. Rather, they are deeply rooted in a complex childhood that has skewed his perception and hindered his ability to socialize and form bonds. Saitama wants to connect emotionally with others, protect them and have a positive impact on their lives. Despite everything, her first heroic instinct was to save a child instead of running away and ignoring the situation. He desires to live a normal human experience, something he has been deprived of in various ways. This has led him to cling to emotions associated with adrenaline, euphoria and fear, sensations that are pleasurable but also addictive, and which often leave him more dissatisfied than the beginning, and the constant feeling that he has forgotten “something” (a purpose) - one other than finding the thrill of battle.

It may be a bit premature to draw conclusions based on the progress of the webcomic, considering that there is still a lot left to cover in the manga and we still don't have a conclusion to the Empty Void arc. However, I sense that Saitama will begin to experience small doses of emotionally shocking situations, until eventually detonating into something bigger. And that will serve to glimpse his own conflict, and break that armor that prevents him from accessing his emotions. Let's hope he can at least recover Genos, or at least not see him die in the process and cause planetary destruction.

Thus, I wonder: what kind of reaction could Saitama have if, in a hypothetical scenario, God presents himself before him in the form of Genos? What desires would God use to manipulate him?

I'll be extremely disappointed in ONE if there won't be any kind of juicy mental torture for Blast and Saitama from Empty void, because he has that kind of ability.

I do kinda thing that Gyoro is pretty close, but that personal hell would encompass also spiritual hell and not just physical ability. We're talking about Saitama who defies even physics, like moving around portals and multiplying himself.

Thank you for this reblog reply. :D

Hypothethically, Saitama is so dependent on Genos that any kind of future happening where Genos would emotionally abandon him is probably on his top 3 fear list. So manipulate Saitama in a way that would save him from his own emotional loneliness (say, being stuck in pitch black dimension ala Kagome in inu-yasha) and take the form of Genos as his saviour away from the pitch black emptyness of the universe. Even if Saitama notices it's god...if he can't get out of the darkness surrounding him on his own, he'd be forced to take God's hand anyway, a lose-lose situation for him.

Or make it even worse, with a fear of drowning. He doesn't even need to breathe in space, yet he always holds his nose when underwater and even has floaties, so I can relate to that a lot. He might be a poor swimmer in general because he was prolly self-taught if anything. But he'd essentially need to lose his powers for that to happen...I do have a juicy scenario in mind for that too...it involves Blast meddling with what should not be meddled with and playing space police.

Considering that this Arc of Empty Void ONE and Murata has raised the stakes so high, I want to believe that all this waiting is because they are preparing to write something truly amazing.

I want to believe that Empty Void, perhaps similar to Orochi, will be an antagonist that helps expand and establish the lore regarding GOD. (I really hope there isn’t an anticlimactic ending like in WC, as it wouldn’t make sense in this context, given that many elements have changed and too many interesting things have been established).

I feel it is highly probable that if Empty Void has this connection with Garou’s power, an avatar of GOD, and the getjunsus, it is because at some point in his battle with Blast, we will gain deeper insight into the character.

The question is: how does Saitama fit into the equation?

Saitama being alongside Flashy, Monako, and Blast, witnessing how the monsters are subjected to brutal torture to undo their monstrosity, suggests that the secret lies in will and heart. Not to mention that Void made Sonic and Flashy—especially Flashy—face a reality of "their mutual emotional dependence."

Additionally, this arc might help establish a deeper connection between Saitama and Blast. So far, Saitama seems to see Blast as "a good guy," without really questioning much about him. Meanwhile, Blast appears to have a very sharp intuition and seems to view Saitama as a threat.

It would be interesting if this arc could establish and deepen this idea, or conversely, if this image might be slightly shattered. Perhaps if Saitama learns more about Blast, he could understand him and even sympathize more with him? Or would he directly see that this guy is dealing with more issues, and not in the most ethical or correct way? Moreover, could Blast come to realize that Saitama is someone noble and good who should not be seen as a threat? Or could he start to worry that Saitama might become a future target of GOD? (Which he is).

I’m not sure whether to expect that Empty Void will mentally subjugate Saitama at this point, or if that will be something exclusive that GOD will do at his moment. But I hope we at least get to see his abilities against Blast and get a prelude to what will happen later.

Saitama’s Mental Trap

In fact, the mention of Inuyasha and Kagome is interesting to me because it reminds me of the priestess Midoriko, whose soul is trapped in an endless cycle of battle. I feel that GOD can play with Saitama’s mind, emotions, and spirit for whatever purpose he has for him. He could trap him in a dimension where he fights eternally; even if Saitama destroys his enemies with punches, he would just be caught in a cycle of weariness where his own power condemns him. Knowing how frustrating it is for Saitama to see his actions repeat over and over without changing the outcome... or, as you said, to feel trapped in an infinite and torturous solitude.

On a personal note, my mind has also fantasized about Saitama being trapped in a kind of pleasurable dream, because even for him, it would be harder to escape that reality. Perhaps a fantasy similar to the dream in the first chapter when he believes he finally got what he wished for and ends up trapped in his own vicious cycle of pleasurable emotions.

I so believe in Murata-sensei and ONE-senpai that they've cooked up something amazing for this arc which will again shake the entire internet like chapter 166 did. I have really high hopes. :D

Empty void brings with him the parallel dimensions and emotional manipulation and I believe they have big plans for his character alright.

As Sitch points out, their psychological state is the key to undo monsterization, which would mean they need to gain back their human hearts (like what Bang did to Garou) and the desire to demonsterize and then some kind of catalyst to force the change back (Like Saitama punching Garou).

I really hope that this arc will also establish some connection with Sai and Blast, but I don't think it's in a good way...if wc is to be believed. Saitama sees Blast as a good guy, for now, but I wonder how long that will last.

It would be extra juicy if we got to explore Saitama's ptsd and ONE basically telling us that "yeah ive not forgotten that time travel fiasco, here's a reminder."

You bring up more interesting points about Saitama's mental trap being both endless without a cycle and tortuous and then another completely different where he finds he cannot escape from that fantasy either because it directly attacks his hedonistic side. It could be the opposite of Mob's mental trap where Mob was trapped in that awful dimension for long enough for him to crack. Oh and because OPM is seinen manga, they can skirt around a lot of stuff for internet publishing. Just gotta look at psykos who was censored quite a lot for physical publishing.

Either way it goes, I'd be massively disappointed if Empty Void gets to do nothing with Saitama and it's all a red herring, Blast will deal with Empty Void after a fight and we go on our merry way. That would be so blegh anti-climax when he's built up so much. Guy literally shits parallel timelines out of his ass with every jutsu.

Totally, I believe in ONE and Murata's ability to go further, even if we don't see the result right away. The good stories are well made to wait and that's because Empty Void has too many connections with the arc of MA and Cosmic Garou, intertwining the characters and the concepts.

Following the manga's line of events, it's not just a narrative excuse the absence of Saitama and Flashy during the association, and the appearance of Blast (well, yes a little, but that's not the point). The monstrification, the interdimentional portals, and the silhouettes of Blast's allies in his long fight against God, and although the time travel puzzled many, I'm sure that far from “fixing things”, it was a way to prepare us for what's next.

I wouldn't be surprised if as the showdown picks up, Blast has a vision with Blue (Which would connect to the intoduction to the Neo Heroes arc in the future). or if things get out of hand, Empty Void starts leaving some pretty big collateral damage. I suppose the damage could be so great to the point that again Saitama decides to go. It would be curious a Sonic, Flashy Saitama and Blast adventure between dimensions.

Clearly Empty Void doesn't seem to be “just one guy”, when there are too many things involved and surely Saitama doesn't come out of it entirely unscathed, after all.

How does Genos show he cares? How to write a relatable cyborg character

Warning: Very long post incoming, tl;dr at the bottom

This meta doubles as Genos appreciation post. :D

Ever since his introduction, Genos has shown multiple times his very humane side of caring about Saitama and caring about defeating evil for the betterment of mankind. (Chapter 5: Itch explosion)

The first line he utters to Saitama is to tell him to hide because he does not want this casualty and when he forgets Saitama was there with him, he worries about him having become a casualty to his incinerator. (Chapter 6: Saitama)

Genos has to resort to almost blowing himself and mosquito girl up because he sees no other way to rid the world of such a powerful monster, but fortunately Saitama intervenes. They exchange names and go their merry way but later on, Genos knock on his door as he promised he would. Saitama is very uncertain about this new cyborg buddy of his, but he lets him in regardless and they have a chat.

I only hope that our mechanical cinnamon roll is more aware that he can also be cared for, is precious, and that his life can go on despite how hard it was in the past. I hope that in the future he will remember that when things are really tough

Anya wanted to cosplay «Over the Garden Wall»🍂