One-Punch Man, Vol. 9

ワンパンマン [One Punch Man] #9

by ONE, Yusuke Murata (Illustrator), John Werry (Translator)

What happens when a superhero can beat the snot out of every villain with just one punch? Can he find an opponent to give his life meaning, or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on!

Garo, a man who admires monsters, attacks the Hero Association! But after pulverizing the heroes there, he just leaves. What the heck does this guy want?! Meanwhile, Class-B, Rank-1 Miss Blizzard visits Saitama at his apartment. Since he’s just a low-ranking hero, she thinks she can make him one of her subordinates, but as always, Saitama has other plans!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Comics Manga

216 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

Manga creator ONE first created One-Punch Man as a web comic, where it quickly went viral, garnering over 10,000,000 hits! Along with One-Punch Man, ONE also writes and draws another series called Mob Psycho 100.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hero Organisation's attempt get all the super villains on board backfires spectacularly as the emergent seemingly psychotic villain Garo uses it as his launch pad to not only target all the other villains but all the heroes too. Suddenly this series has a deeply dangerous and thus very entertaining antagonist!

This series is really now a fully functioning ongoing serial with sub-plots, character journeys and as core overriding story of a planet-level threat foretold, and it all works for me. I am still on the fence about the 'comedy' although I feel it (and the series in general) is targeted at young reads, so is thus fitting. Another 7 out of 12, Three Star read for me.

2023 read

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s finally a villain that seems to be stretching over the course of multiple volumes. It’s only a matter of time before the villain reaches Saitama, so I’m really hopeful that that fight will be unique (and less repetitive than Saitama’s previous fights).

I enjoyed getting to see Sonic return for this volume. He’s a really cool minor villain and it would be fun to see him switch sides to team up with Saitama and Genos at some point. I feel like there’s a lot of potential for character development with Sonic, so I hope that future volumes explore his character more.

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a man who wants to become a superhero because it is his interest/hobby.

Then, there also is a man who wants to become a supervillain because being a villain and world domination is ways cooler than being some stupid superhero.

What will happen when these two cross paths?

The volume 9 of One-Punch Man continues to keep me entertained, I am glad this time female characters get more roles to play in the story, I also like how the author express his views on the traditional superhero drama cliches (I like his question: why must the supervillain always be the loser?) I can't wait to read the next volume.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garo happens to be one of my favorite villains. Of many mangas, even. I love to root for him just the way that he loves and roots for the monsters. I mean, seriously, anti-heroes are a dime a dozen, right? Someone who actively WANTS to be a monster because heroes are such freaking lousy people just makes GOOD SENSE, right?

Right! So let's all become monsters!

Wait. He's also kind of a dick. Ah, well, at least he's fun to read. :)

[L. McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were to ask why I’m a fan of superhero comics, I would show you One Punch Man as an example!

What’s it about?
There’s a man who is tired of villains losing no matter what so he tries to be a villain who will triumph over everyone. Also: an arrogant class B, rank 1 hero tries to recruit Saitama as a member of her faction.

Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is fun, interesting and building. It looks like Saitama might be starting a pretty awesome team!
The art is still fantastic. The blend of art styles fits this series perfectly!
The cast of characters is great and the interactions are very good.
The action scenes are very exciting and fun.
The humor in this series is so good! This volume is no exception, I laughed several times while reading this.
This series has more twists than you’d expect.
There’s some positive messages in this. Superhero comics are kinda known for nice messages but I have yet to read one that pulls it off as well as One Punch Man!

Warning:
I know some readers mind this one thing that is fairly common in both manga and superhero comics so I figured I should warn about it. This volume introduces a character who is a very attractive female hero and there is some fan service involving her. I personally didn’t mind because it didn’t feel to gratuitous and it was one of the few cases I would say it’s done tastefully (not to mention the character is hot) but it’s certainly there in a few panels which is surprising considering I don’t remember much (if any) in the previous 8 volumes.

Overall:
This is another great volume of what I would consider to be one of the greatest superhero comics of all time. If you are at all into superhero comics and not reading this, I have no idea what the hell you’re doing. Seriously, I can’t recommend this enough!

5/5

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's One Punch Man, what's not to love?

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many subplots to follow in this volume's One-Punch Man. You have the hero factions, this monster Garo, you have Bang, the Tank-Top guys and of course the seer's prediction of a world abomination. Yet the Bald Cape manga delivers another solid and fun issue.

Aside from badass moments, One-Punch Man has a bunch of funny scenes and I found my personal funniest: it is one of the the serious killer series move by Saitama! That was pure gold.

The "Saitama Squad" is now growing, last chapter with King, and now with a newly introduced female hero (and yes with another subplot). Sonic and Genos had their action scenes here too. Mumen and Charanko have filled some pages too.

Garo as the villain in the next arc is an interesting one. He is basically Saitama on a bad day, with an almost identically shallow motivation as Saitama's hero for fun as his reason for defeating heroes. I wonder how strong he compares against the One-Punch Man.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how we barely even see Saitama in this volume, yet it is one of the most addictive and captivating volume containing so many different sub-plots! The introduction of Garou (referring to the famous loup-garou) and the exploration of villains, or should I say, the love for villains. Fubuki was also a sight for sore eyes and a nice exploration of inter-familial conflict and the pursuit of solidarity. But Saitama's latest super move was too hilarious here. That alone merits all the stars in the world!

Are you still wondering if the artwork is good? Don't worry! It simply never stops getting better!

I love this manga!

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com

[✡Weed Dragon✡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8 🐉

[Maja Kantorosinska · Rating 4 out of 5]

kiedyś jakoś bardziej mnie cieszyły te mangi
ale może to kwestia akurat tego tomu
grafika blizzard>>
nie podoba mi się, że człowiek zwalcza bohaterów CO TO MA BYĆ

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

GENOS vs. SONIC. My faves! Such a well-choreographed, beautiful fight. Masterfully done. 👏🏼 HYPE.
I like Garo’s character design. He looks like Boku no Hero Academia’s Kirishima and Hunter x Hunter’s Hisoka’s lovechild. And with his personality he actually makes a pretty interesting antagonist, I approve.

[RG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this after an extended break..really enjoyed it so much more this time!!! Some amazing fight scenes with perfect comedic moments.

[Kesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best cover of the series.
Watch out for Hellish Blizzard! Her charisma is radiating whereas it's her first appearance.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garo is insane.

I really can't say anything bad about Saitama because he just seems to be a perfect character that I really love!!!

Sonic is just so annoying. So annoying character.

LOLLLL.. Saitama's serious face is so hilarious. I can't help it. LOL..

See that Sonic! Saitama has extreme afterimages than you! HA!!

WTH, They named Saitama "BALD CAPE" What a fucking lame name!!! LOL.


Words of WIsdom:
"Master does not join anyone. He does not compare himself to anyone or worry about ranks. But he attracts strong people."
-Genos, One Punch Man

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well told story. Our hero needed more than one punch. Lots of story development. Lots of other heroes. I'm uncomfortable with the over sexulization of the new female character. But at least she is not 14. Making for 4.5 stars.

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

February 2024
Kindle edition
Manga

The highlight of this one was Saitama with hair. King felt like a Hercule type character and a new place for the gang to crash. I did like that Saitama can't beat King in games. Time for the Blizzard squad and what feels like story progress. Garo made me smile knowing what's coming up. It's funny how only Sonic on the villain's side knows how strong Saitama is.

[BookishBenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get that the manga has made a right hand sharp turn into a new arc but this volume hasn’t covered much for me to get excited about.

Hoping that volume 10 provides some traction to the story but I am still really enjoying it overall.

[Juwita · Rating 3 out of 5]

To much word and to little fight

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good showcase for several secondary characters in this universe. I have to admit that I wanted more Saitama, but it’s impressive that they’re building a cast of hundreds in this series and keeping it interesting. Garo is a guy who wants to be a villain and a monster even though he’s human. Saitama wears a wig and is annoyed at being named The Bald Cape. Metal Bat shows his mettle. It’s all good.

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful depth to Saitama. While he may seem bored with his powers there is a sense of enlightenment in how he carries himself and his actions. Very simple and efficient movements. He understands what is happening around him to the fullest degree.

[Apple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course he'd win considering he plays video games all day...

[Renata Silveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Blizzard. It was time to add more female participation.

[Aaronpenaguzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give “One Punch Man” by One and Yusuke Murata, 4 out of 5 stars because it kept me entertained throughout the whole read. I feel this way because of the fun characters in the story. For example one of the characters who appears multiple times in this volume is King. He is ranked as one of the most powerful heroes in the hero association, even being referred to as “The Strongest Man on Earth.” When reality he is a weak, socially anxious geek who spends his time playing video games. The reason people think he is strong is that he just repeatedly happens to be in the right place at the right time. These are just one of the quirky characters that appear in this volume. King is personally my favorite character, so I always love to see him get some time in the spotlight. The interactions between all these loveable characters make you want to continue to see how they’ll develop. Primarily this volume focuses on Hellish Blizzard, otherwise known as Fubuki, and Garou the Hero Hunter. The latter is particularly powerful, and will most likely become a major threat later. Of course one of the best qualities of this series is the masterful art of Yusuke Murata. The art is extremely detailed and flows from panel to panel, in a way that sucks you into the story. Even though it isn’t a particularly dense book, dialogue-wise, I was surprised how far I got into the book after only 20 minutes of reading. The art can vary from elaborate monster designs that sprawl across the page, to cartoonish reactions that really sell how the characters are feeling. This series has to have some of the best illustrations I’ve seen in a manga and is part of the reason I picked it up. I really enjoyed both the humor and art of this volume. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One-Punch has grown to become one of the few series I'm eager to read the next book. I initially thought this would be a one note concept that would be completed by now. My friend had been watching the Tv show and was singing high praise to the comedy, but I soon discovered there was a book which is my binge preference. This book continues the storyline that was from the previous book and it swings into high gear for the entire duration. I'm assuming One-Punch might have a challenge within the next few books but he definitely won't be alone. The characters are beginning to bond and a team is being forged even if One-Punch isn't that interested. The characters are the key and the creators haven't forgotten that.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally. FINALLY. FINALLY!

7-freaking-chapters. Not only that but Volume 9 introduces new characters (and shows their motivations for being a hero), foreshadows future events, and reveals Garo’s intentions and potential power. The humor was cut down considerably but it helped free the story to go where it needed to go. And did I mention the 7 chapters of story? With only one bonus *coughFILLERcough* chapter at the end? Sincerely hope this format continues because I will read to the end of the series if that’s the case. But I must knock the series for this: the translation. There are STILL inconsistencies where words are missing, or dialogue is translated in a confusing fashion. It’s been 9 volumes and no one on the localization team proof reads? Come on!

[Flopi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fubuki quedó shockeada de ver a los amigos de Saitama, y me dio mucha gracia que Sonic sigue queriendo enfrentársele en velocidad. Me gusta el hecho de que quiera perfeccionarse, al igual que Genos. Al fin y al cabo, Saitama es una fuente de inspiración aunque ni él lo crea.

Garou vuelve a aparecer en este número y, si su aparición fue genial, creo que fue más genial lo que hizo en este tomo. Sin dudas, es alguien que da miedo, y me genera mucha intriga.

Que genial que Bang haya tenido que pedirle ayuda a su hermano para enfrentar a Garou. Creo que voy a presenciar una pelea legendaria(?)

[Hana Bilqisthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won't survive. You don't get what hero means. There's a lot of incredibly strong bad guys in the world. Those who oppose them are called heroes. Even if they are alone. You, who gathers weaker subordinates to feel strong, won't make it. At this rate, you are gonna cry sooner or later. When a monster stronger than you shows up, none of your subordinates will save you. Factions? Newbie crushing? Keeping your ranks? They have nothing to do with anything! Do not look down on heroes, you moron!"

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Felt slow. We get introduced to Garo, a man who loves being a villain and feels they are neglected.

Satima gets harassed by the leader of A heroes who wants to control their way to number one. Still loving this series.

[Sophia Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

garou. you are so fucking cool man. "oh he's a monster" SORRY HE HAS SYMPATHY FOR THE UNDER REPRESENTED. HES A GOOD MAN. AND I WONT TAKE THIS SLANDER ANY LONGER. i guess blizzard is here as well... which is cool. but damn. garou. i will be your number one fan king.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So silly. I've missed you, wanpanman