The latest chapter of One Punch Man focuses on the long-awaited rematch between Genos and Saitama and shows how much Genos has grown.
Saitama And Genos From The Anime One-Punch Man
The following contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 184, “Turning Point” by One, Yusuke Murata, John Werry, and James Gaubatz, available in English via Viz Media.After the previous tease, the latest chapter of One-Punch Man showed the long-awaited rematch between Saitama and Genos. Taking place in the same desert wasteland that set the stage for their first training match in manga chapter 17 and anime season 1, this rematch potentially set up another of the series’ brilliant action sequences.
However, this training match is short-lived, and rather than spectacular displays of strength, the latest chapter of One-Punch Man has focused more on Genos, a character who has been sidelined for some time. One-Punch Man 184 gives the reader a much-needed update on one of the manga’s central characters and how he might view the future, from his relationship with Saitama to his current emotional state as a character to his exact power level. What’s most interesting is how this chapter shows how far Genos has come compared to Saitama, and the ways in which One and Murata choose to demonstrate that growth.
Saitama and Genos Finally Have Their Rematch
At Genos’ request, Saitama takes the cyborg into an open space so the two can battle. Deciding to launch his first attack, Genos powers up and charges straight at Saitama at full speed, but stops before his punch even connects, noticing that instead of reacting to the incoming attack, Saitama is merely shielding his eyes from the brightness. When Saitama asks why, Genos replies that fighting would be pointless and collapses in a mild state of despair.
While Saitama does his best (and fails) to try and comfort Genos as his master, Genos only becomes more and more disheartened by his apparent lack of progress, even feeling like he wasn’t there for Saitama from the beginning nothing). The two then discuss their current feelings about working with heroes and the newly formed group Neo Heroes. Genos reveals that he was recruited by the rebel group and that he can find more power among them so he can be ready to win when he finds the villain responsible for destroying his home, a rampaging cyborg. Genos also asks Saitama if he is interested in joining the Neo Heroes, as he believes that this new group would value his powers more than the Hero Association. However, when Saitama simply tells Genos that it wouldn’t be worth his time, Genos point blank states that he’s decided not to either, demonstrating that whatever his feelings are, he still remains attached to Saitama’s hip for now.
Genos’ Physical And Emotional Growth
While the serious tone of this chapter is undermined by its abrupt and comedic ending, Genos’ growth and current disillusionment is still taken seriously and shows his growth. Genos not only realizes the power gap between himself and where he wants to go, but also shows the first signs of disconnection from the Master he has devoted himself to. Genos shows a clear uneasiness with his position and a rekindled motivation to seek power, no matter the cost. He stops himself from continuing the unnecessary battle, thinking that Saitama doesn’t care about him, and even considers a complete change of scenery. In contrast, Saitama remains the same character he’s always been: unbothered, lazy, and inept as a teacher.
While Genos recommits to his Master at the end of the chapter, the seeds have been planted for a growing rift between the two, and Genos begins to take his goals more seriously.Despite Genos feeling stagnant in his power, this chapter still shows not only how much he’s changed character-wise since his first introduction, but also the fact that his power has actually grown tremendously. Saitama and Genose’s first fight is one of the audience’s first glimpses of Saitama’s true power, in which Saitama blows a hole into a mountain out of thin air simply by parrying a punch.
This moment mirrors Genos in this chapter, with Genos’ punch stopping just short of Saitama’s face and causing a massive cloud of dust and dirt to rise up behind him. This visual representation of Genos’ power shows that despite his own feelings, he has actually made great strides over the course of One-Punch Man, being able to exert the same level of power as Saitama during their initial encounters. While Saitama is naturally infinitely ahead of Genos in power, Genos has clearly evolved in both strength and state of mind since his early days as Saitama’s disciple.
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