The Secret Origin of One Punch Man: Meet ONE, Saitama’s Godfather
Countdown to One Punch Man Season 3: Saitama storms back to flatten a fresh wave of monsters, fueling hype for a saga many already rank among anime and manga’s all-time greats.
With One Punch Man season 3 about to drop its first episode, the hype machine is already running on pure Saitama energy. Perfect time for a quick reality check: a lot of people love this series, not a lot of people know the person who actually made it happen.
So, who created One Punch Man?
The brain behind it is a manga artist who goes by ONE (also known as Tomohiro). If the name rings a bell beyond Saitama, it should — ONE also created Mob Psycho 100. His route to the big leagues wasn’t typical, and that’s part of why this story is fun.
From manga-obsessed kid to powerhouse creator
ONE was born on October 29, 1986, in Niigata, in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture. He grew up in Saitama, the largest city in Saitama Prefecture. The hook that pulled him into manga in the first place: his parents bought him Yoshito Usui’s Crayon Shin-chan. That’s the spark that sent him down this path.
The DIY origin story (and why it worked)
Instead of pitching to a publisher and getting filtered through the usual hoops, ONE went rogue and self-published online. He started uploading One Punch Man to his FC2 blog back in 2009. It blew up — especially in Japan — because the concept was sharp, the comedy landed, and the rough edges were part of the charm.
During that early run, he took breaks and worked full-time gigs to pay the bills. Then Yusuke Murata (yes, the Eyeshield 21 artist) spotted OPM, reached out, and the two teamed up. That partnership led to a slick, professional remake and more side projects — and it’s what pushed One Punch Man from cult webcomic to mainstream phenomenon and, eventually, anime.
What he’s made, and when
- 2009: One Punch Man (webcomic) — posted on ONE’s FC2 blog; quickly gained a massive following.
- 2012: Collaborations with Yusuke Murata for Shueisha — Angry Warriors, plus Bullet Angel Fan Club and Makai no Ossan.
- 2012 onward: One Punch Man gets a digital manga remake on Shueisha’s Tonari no Young Jump — the polished, Murata-drawn version most people know.
- 2012–2017: Mob Psycho 100 — ONE’s other flagship series; ran for five years and got a widely praised anime adaptation.
- Post-Mob: More projects pop up — Monster of Earth, Cockroaches Buster, and Reigen.
- Early 2020s: New titles — Versus and Bug Ego.
Bottom line: most of what ONE touches pulls in serious audiences. The guy has range, and people show up for it.
Awards, because yes, there are trophies
One Punch Man won the 2nd Sugoi Japan Award in the manga category. Mob Psycho 100 landed the 62nd Shogakukan Manga Award for shonen. There’s also a claim floating around that Versus nabbed the 49th Kodansha Manga Award for shonen — that one is eyebrow-raising and not something I can confirm, so consider it a maybe at best.
Where to watch, and what’s next
If you want to catch up before season 3 hits: One Punch Man is streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
The series has been running for over a decade now, which naturally sparks the big fan question: when will ONE actually wrap One Punch Man? No clue yet — but with season 3 right around the corner, there’s plenty to chew on until we get that answer.