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So, if you haven't seen this yet, put down the eSim and just go watch it.
It's on Hulu. It's on Netflix. There's no excuse.
Why are you still reading this?
Okay, I guess you'll need some convincing, then.
A very common nerdfight argument that's come up, many years ago at this point is 'Who would win in a fight; Superman or Goku?'
The answer is One Punch Man.
This is a series that examines the idea of Superhero's and, specifically, extremely over-powered Superheros. One Punch Man takes the concept to it's furthest extreme by doing exactly as the name implies. Saitama kills everything in a single punch. This sounds boring and it is, but not for the audience. It's boring for Saitama and it's his boredom with everything he encounters that makes this among the best comedy anime ever. While the big bad is monologuing his way to his final form, Saitama is troubled by the realization that he forgot what day of the week it is before casually destroying whatever that thing was and hurrying to the market.
It's an incredible inversion of Dragonball and the million anime that have aped that formula.
The thing that makes this all so brilliant, however, is that it's not all about the comedy. In fact, the comedy stems almost entirely from its juxtaposition with the, very real, drama and tension, built into those around him. Most often, this is from the perspective of Saitama's sidekick, Genos. In any normal anime, Genos would have been the protag, being self-serious and focused, but here he discovers that his otherwise incredible abilities and powers are dwarfed by Saitama and so becomes his student.
Genos is the only one who truly understands the extent of Saitama's power and diligently studies under him, while Saitama does his best to bulls*** through a Student/Master relationship he kind of just bumbled into. Even after the two join a hero's guild, Saitama goes mostly unrecognized through a mixture of circumstance, bureaucracy and the basic inability of people to believe what they just witnessed; all in a way that is entirely too believable. The farcical nature of the guild becomes more and more apparent as in-fighting, bickering and popularity contests seem to drive many heros more than the Earth-shattering disasters they face on a day to day basis.
I'm going to say I recommend the subtitles on this one. The dub isn't bad, but it doesn't much standout as being particularly good either and, in my opinion, Saitama's voice sounds too much like a normal hero trying to sound bored. The dialogue isn't so dense as to be distracting from the amazing action, either so you won't be frustrated trying to decide what to pay attention to if you read a bit slow (like me ^_^).
One thing I should talk about that is absolutely outstanding is the opening.
Go to the top and click my banner.
It's just so f***ing hype.
SO. F***ING. HYPE.
Every time I listen, I just want to go out and find the thing I can punch that will solve all the world's problems.
It's just overwhelming in it's absolute commitment to it's 80's metal aesthetic and takes it to 11, then takes it over 9000.
Nothing I said can possibly do the show justice and you should have just gone and watched it, when I told you to.
Even if you don't like anime, but you like Superhero culture, you should check this out.
It's really that brilliant.
Season 2 is probably going to (FINALLY) get a release date in August? Maybe? Hopefully? Anyway, you should catch up now. This series is based on a manga and before that a webcomic that is still ongoing and very popular, so I'm hopeful we'll have laughs and goosebumps for years to come.
If anime is like the weather, One Punch Man is the f***ing KT extinction event.
Love,
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About the game:
USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!
In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.
Work for the good of your country and see it rise to an empire.
Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.
In E-Sim, international wars are nothing out of the ordinary.
Become an influential politician.
The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.
You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.
The international war.
The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).
At the auction you can sell or buy your dream inventory.
E-Sim is a unique browser game. It's creators ensured realistic representation of the mechanisms present in the real world and gave all power to the players who shape the image of the virtual Earth according to their own. So come and join them and help your country achieve its full potential.
Invest, produce and sell - be an entrepreneur in E-Sim.
Take part in numerous events for the E-Sim community.
