One Punch Man: Season 2 (2019) Cre: Yasuke Murata

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The second season of this Yasuke Murata created superhero anime took four years to arrive following the popular release of the show's debut season. I had watched that first season in the time between each release, and had since lost track, meaning that it took me a while to find the show again. Rewatching season one had been wildly entertaining, which encouraged me greatly to watch this follow-up season.

The animation was once again an absolute joy to watch for me. I love the mix of serious anime styling and silly cartoon animation - it really helped some of the visual gags land nicely. The monster and superhero designs continued to impress me - they always seem to unique and creative, even the silly ones.

The humour was just as enjoyable as in the first season, which, of course, I was very pleased about. Part of what makes this show so easy to watch is how lighthearted and endearingly silly it is. It would be easy for the comedy to not quite land as it should, but thankfully it really works for me. It's the kind of anime that can easily be revisited - it's just such a good time.

If there was one thing I'd hoped for after the first season, it was to have a more concrete season long arc. Thankfully, this season had just that. There was still a lot of episodic storytelling and fun subplots, but there was a really interesting main arc which grew throughout the season, and looks to grow further in the upcoming third season, which is due in Autumn 2025.

Once again, I watched this season with the English dubbed audio - it's just easier for me to get through sometimes, especially when I'm tired, for example. Max Mittelman's blasé delivery works so well for his character, and his dry delivery of some lines is so funny. He and his main English co-star Zach Aguilar have a great on-screen rapport going, which is great to see. Greg Chun and Rich Brown were also well worth mentioning for their respective supporting voice acting displays.

Overall, I found this second season to be, if anything, even more enjoyable than the first. It really feels like the show is building to something big now, which only adds to my anticipation for season 3. There aren't many series that have made me laugh as often and earnestly as this one has, and I hope that continues down the line. The only downside is that it takes so long for a new season to arrive.