Saitama, one of the most powerful characters in the anime world, is the protagonist of the famous manga and anime series One Punch Man. He is renowned for winning battles against the formidable antagonists of the series with just a single punch, as the series’ name suggests.
His strength is so great that it leads some anime fans to question whether he could defeat Goku (considered the strongest anime character of all time). With Saitama’s invulnerable abilities, the One Punch Man manga has gathered numerous fans since its launch.
However, despite being such a famous and beloved series among many anime fans, One Punch Man draws inspiration from some unexpected sources. In a 2012 interview, the creator of One Punch Man has revealed his unlikely inspiration for the series.
Crayon Shin-chan Fueled One Punch Man Creator’s Journey
In a 2012 interview (from One Punch Man Fandom), the creator Tomohiro, also known as ONE, was asked about the inspiration that led him to start drawing a webcomic and how long he had wanted to be a manga artist. He shared a surprising source of inspiration for One Punch Man. He said:
“I had decided I wanted to be a gag manga artist from the time I was in grade school. I was a fan of Crayon Shin-chan, and at the time I wanted to draw that sort of manga. For me, it wasn’t a case of simply trying to be a manga artist and testing the waters to see if it was worth a shot. Rather, my thought process was to decide right off the bat that I was going to be one, so the rest was just a matter of effort. I guess that’s how I decided my whole future while still just a kid.”
The creator shared that his childhood love for Crayon Shin-chan inspired him to become a mangaka and create the One Punch Man series. He had a clear determination from the start and didn’t just test the waters. He decided he would be a manga artist and put in the effort to make it happen.
One Punch Man Creator’s High School Journey Toward Mangaka Dream
Further in the same interview, the creator of One Punch Man also recalled his high school days when he began his journey to become a mangaka. When asked about what kind of student he was in high school, he said:
“Well, I liked to draw manga, obviously. In middle school and high school I enjoyed using my notebook paper to draw manga full of funny lines of dialogue and character interactions, rather than cool faces or cute girls or anything like that. I guess what I found interesting about it was being able to turn my own wild ideas into pictures and create stories.”
Tomohiro further explained that throughout his student life, he never showed his manga to anyone or even mentioned that he was drawing manga. He filled about 50 notebooks with manga, and what hurt him the most wasn’t getting in trouble for goofing off but rather having something he loved to do rejected by others.
Also Read: Upsetting News For American Anime Fans as Reports on One Punch Man Season 3 Comes Out
Source: One Punch Man Fandom
