Salaryman Masculinity in One-Punch Man's Kynical Narrative - Joe Yang

Aug 22, 2026

Upload by Finn

This article examines the world of One-Punch Man, focusing on the tension between individual superhero agency and a system that measures and rewards heroes. It argues that the series evaluates heroes by productivity, embedding them in a broader ideology of “Japan, Inc.” that turns would-be agents into worker-like figures. The discussion frames these dynamics specifically through salaryman masculinity and its cultural logic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Episode 9 and the Deep Sea King arc

One-Punch Man and superheroes in Japan

Origins, publication, and adaptations

The Hero's Association and rank structure

Salaryman Masculinity in One-Punch Man's Kynical Narrative Joe Yang Abstract This article examines the world of One-Punch Man, a popular manga and anime series by ONE and Murata Yusuke. It focuses on the friction between the role of the individual superhero versus the system that values their efforts. I argue that One-Punch Man evaluates its heroes based upon their productivity. Thus, One-Punch Man’s heroes fall prey to a broader ideology of “Japan, Inc.” In One-Punch Man, this ideology shapes its heroes into workers rather than agents. More specifically, One-Punch Man envisions its heroes through the lens of salaryman masculinity. Keywords: ideology, salaryman masculinity, Japan, manga, anime Introduction In episode 9 of One-Punch Man, a Japanese animated feature (anime), the main character, Saitama, stands alone against the Deep Sea King. The arc spans two episodes. The Deep Sea King is a massive, muscled, and chitinous monster. He is leading a vast army to invade and take over the land. Heroes attempt to stop him but all are unsuccessful. Citizens of the city hole up in a giant domed bunker and it does not take long before the Deep Sea King penetrates the walls. Mumen Rider, a low-ranked hero, attempts to stop him. Unsurprisingly, he fails. Before the Deep Sea King can slaughter the civilians, Saitama arrives. In one punch, he defeats the Deep Sea King. The citizens of the city are grateful, shocked, and confused. They are grateful because they were spared; shocked that the Deep Sea King died so easily; and confused because such a minor hero is the one who defeated the villain. One citizen theorizes that the other heroes are frauds; if a no-named individual such as Saitama could so easily defeat the Deep Sea King, what is the point of supporting heroes at all? Saitama, sensing the growing unrest, lies to the crowd,“Today's my lucky day! I barely did anything and now I get all the credit!”1 The crowd turns on him. The denouement of the Deep Sea King arc mirrors a testy negotiation between a subject anda structure. By witnessing Saitama’s immense strength, the crowd questions the role of the Hero’s Association, an organization that evaluates, compensates, and legally defends superheroes. By presenting himself as a slimy opportunist, Saitama does two things. One, he stresses the necessity of the Hero’s Association. The crowd cannot question the organization’s role. As such, Saitama makes himself a type of martyr. Second, the crowd’s questioning unveils an assemblage of logics. The conversation revolves around the supposed uselessness of the hero’s hierarchy. Regardless of the hero’s rank, they all fall before the Deep Sea King. It is Saitama, a C-rank hero, who defeated the Deep Sea King. Yet the sequence is only briefly jovial. By sacrificing his reputation, Saitama upholds the ideology of the hero's association. Such an ideology extends beyond the story of OnePunch Man. This ideology is one of masculinity, in particular, referring to salaryman masculinity. One-Punch Man, as a cynical take on superheroes, reveals how pervasive such an ideology is in contemporary Japan. One-Punch Man and Superheroes in Japan One-Punch Man refers to various media properties. It began as a webcomic by ONE. It then became a collaboration between ONE and Murata Yusuke for Weekly Shonen Jump. It was then adapted into an anime by Studio Madhouse. ONE intended for the comic to test out how to draw comics.2 ONE’s intentions were to publish these comics on Nitosha, a free publishing platform for comics. Since the comic began as an experiment, One-Punch Man’s initial art style was crude and simplistic. ONE rendered characters in full black and white with thick lines. The resolutions were small and the designs were simple. One-Punch Man exploded in popularity when manga artist Murata Yusuke (Eyeshield 21) came across the webcomic. According to ONE in a Weekly Shonen Jump interview,“Murata Sensei just happened to find my website and be

FAQs

How does the Deep Sea King arc challenge the purpose of hero support?

The crowd questions the hero hierarchy after Saitama, a minor C-rank hero, defeats the Deep Sea King with ease. This raises doubts about whether the system of supporting heroes is worthwhile.

What is the article’s main argument about how One-Punch Man evaluates heroes?

The article argues that One-Punch Man evaluates heroes based on productivity, tying their roles to a workplace ideology often described as “Japan, Inc.”

What does salaryman masculinity mean in this context?

In the article’s framing, salaryman masculinity explains how One-Punch Man portrays heroes through worker-like expectations rather than as independent agents.

Aug 22, 2026

Upload by Finn