10 Second Anime - One-Punch Man - Episode 4

Saitama protects his bald image, gains a new rival and decides to get recognition for his exploits.

Episode 4 - "The Modern Ninja"

Heh.

Why is it skinheads in dark suits are always spouting off about rich people and income redistribution? Oh yeah. History.

We saw one of Saitama's dreams in the first episode, where he finally found a strong opponent to fight, but apparently that kind of dream is the exception.

Who has nightmares about playing rock, paper, scissors with someone who has a booger on his finger? I mean, what kind of person would worry about that? It's moments like these that reveal Saitama's serious and fastidious character.

I thought Saitama only cared about saving money and fighting a strong opponent, but it appears he's developing another motivation: recognition.

Bald guys causing havoc? That's his shtick! Well, causing havoc against bad guys... and accidentally destroying whole cities by defeating giants, but still.

Meanwhile, loser heroes like we saw in the first episode get the credit, along with this guy here.

Mumen Rider (from 無免許, mumenkyo "unlicensed, without a driver's license") is a pun on Kamen Rider which means Masked Rider. Having an unlicensed hero ride a bicycle just compounds the uselessness of these registered heroes.

In a short span of time Saitama has picked up an apprentice and a rival. 

Both times, accidentally, of course.

This Sonic the ninja appears to be a kindred spirt of Saitama's in looking for a strong opponent. I liked Saitama's positive description of his creepy smile as "innocent," but I think it's closer to its other definition of "simple-minded." That smile is neither, but Saitama is innocent and simple-minded in his own way.

The introduction of the Hero Association and its website explains a lot about the weird looks Saitama had been getting. Registered heroes get the credit while other people in costumes are "weirdos." If someone like Mumen Rider can pass their tests, it must not be that serious an organization. At least on the surface. Mwahahahaha! I'm hoping.

Hmm.

I always love it when social justice activists get skewered in anime. I gather a lot of the ambivalence from Western viewers of this episode come from seeing a skinhead mob dressed in black uniforms spewing their particular political beliefs portrayed as villains who just don't want to work and would like to get free stuff from people who do want to work by "sharing." We know from history it takes hundreds of millions of deaths to convince those who want to work to actually "share" their stuff with their socialist governments.

Saitama mused that he could understand their views, because who really wants to work so hard for so little? Well, I'll just respond that Greed may be one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but so is Envy. There's a reason most of the deep religions of the world with a mystic and contemplative traditions admonish adherents that true happiness comes from accepting the World as it is instead of how you wish it to be. For three years, Saitama accepted harsh training (or whatever) to achieve his power, but now he needs to accept his reality.

He kept gauging his strength against strong villains, but that doesn't work anymore. Maybe joining this Hero Association or having a healthy rivalry with another hero like Sonic is the new motivation he needs. At the very least, we'll see new kinds of people underestimating our bald hero before he breaks out his one punch.