In April 2020, Colombia Pictures announced a live-action movie adaptation of the famous mangaOne Punch Man.However,there areconcerns about how well theOne Punch Manlive-action moviewill approach the source material, asmanyanime adaptations often fail to capture the spirit of the originals. Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, who previously worked on theJumanjifilms andVenom, originally signed on as writers, with Marvel Studios’ founder Avi Arad set to produce. In 2022, Justin Lin, most notably known for his work inThe Fast and Furiousfranchise, was revealed as theOne Punch Manmovie’sdirector.
However, a recentOne Punch Manmovie update reported that Dan Harmon(Community,Rick and Morty) had been hired to rewrite the script, alongside Heather Anne Campbell. Not much is currently known about theOne Punch Manmovie, but its current rewrites suggest a new approach to the film’s original premise. Furthermore, while there are many fancasts, thecast for theOne Punch Manlive-action moviehas not yet been revealed. With so much left to speculation, it is understandable thatfans are anxious to see if the movie will truly embrace the tone ofOne Punch Man’sbizarre anime.
One Punch Man Live-Action Movie Must Embrace How Silly The Anime Is
Saitama’s Reactions Provide A Lot Of Comedy
It appears likely thatOne Punch Man’slive-action movie will follow other superhero parody showsin recent years by leaning into the anime’s comedic tone. Set in a supercontinent version of Earth,One Punch Mandepicts the extremely overpowered superhero Saitama as a hilariously unbothered character.Saitama’s deadpan reactions and unenthusiastic demeanor due to his lack of physical challenge are paramount to the show’s comedy,and it is a really important thing for the live-action movie to embrace. But this goes beyond just Saitama himself, as there are plenty of silly elements inOne Punch Man.
The anime contains many personalities that are often bizarre, but thecharacter designs inOne Punch Manalso allow for a lot of physical comedy. Heroes such as Pineapple and Puri-Puri Prisoner have fantastically outlandish looks which contrast with the plain attire of others like Mumen Rider. There is a concern about howOne Punch Man’svisuals will translate into live-action, as many anime adaptations struggle with portraying physics-defying outfits and movements. Regardless,theOne Punch Manlive-action movie must try to keep its bizarre comedy and silly moments, as it is one of the basic features of the anime.
One Punch Man Must Still Take Itself Seriously (Despite How Silly It Looks)
One Punch Man Shouldn’t Be A Parody
Although the anime’s premise is bizarre, theOne Punch Manlive-action movie should still aim to take the story seriously.One Punch Man is one of the strongest anime characters, and the series does somewhat make fun of the superhero genre with things like Saitama declaring his move of “consecutive normal punches,” but the movie shouldn’t aim to be a parody. By treating the anime’s storyline seriously,it would be great to see theOne Punch Manmovie having fun with the source material, not making fun of it or questioning its logic, the way that some other adaptations have done.
large-scale action scenes will provide the opportunity for Saitama to deliver his usual comedic viewpoints
Saitama is an incredibly powerful character and the anime centers around the action-packed life of being a superhero, sotheOne Punch Manlive-action movie should lean into its large-scale action sequencesand treat them with the same seriousness shown in the anime. As stated by the anime series creator ONE, the onething that sets Saitama apart inOne Punch Manisn’t his strength, it is his personality and perspective. Therefore, the large-scale action scenes will provide the opportunity for Saitama to deliver his usual comedic viewpoints and reactions as he deals with the villain in his own way.
Few Live-Action Anime Adaptations Have Managed To Embrace Their Source Material
One Piece Shows Live-Action Anime Can Be Done
One of the biggest concerns about theOne Punch Manmovie is thatfewlive-action anime adaptations haveremained faithful to their source material. Whether as a result of Westernization or physical limitations, live-action anime adaptations have fallen short. OriginalOne Punch Manwriter, Jeff Pinkner’s 2021 live-actionCowboy Beboptelevision series was an example of this, as it was criticized on everything but its cast. With Dan Harmon rewriting the script,there is hope thatOne Punch Manwill maintain its original tone, as Harmon is experienced with the bizarre comedy ofRick and Morty.
10 Worst Live-Action Anime Adaptations Of All Time, Ranked
It’s difficult to make the transition from anime to live-action, but some adaptations do such a poor job that the results are inexcusable.
No one wantsOne Punch Man’slive-action movie to be worse thanDragonball Evolution, which was a commercial and critical failure.However, CGI has come a long way and anime’s popularity has risen in recent years, meaning live-action can match anime physics and there is more passion for the medium. For example,One Piecehad a surprisingly successful Hollywood adaptation, with season 1 scoring an 86% Tomatometer and 95% Popcornmeteron Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, the main risk withOne Punch Man’slive-action movie is in a good position to live up to the source material if done right.
One-Punch Man
Cast
Saitama, a superhero from City Z, faces an existential crisis as he can defeat any opponent with a single punch, leading to a lack of challenge and sheer boredom. His quest for a worthy opponent leads him to meet new friends and enemies and join the Hero Association to gain official recognition while accidentally (and secretly) solving all of the world’s problems with a single punch.
