One-Punch Man has taken the world by storm ever since the first season of the anime aired in 2015. The series stars a bald man named Saitama, who is so strong that he can defeat any foe with merely a single punch. The story follows him as he becomes a superhero in order to find an opponent that is too strong for him to kill in a single blow. The show is known for both its laugh-out-loud comedy moments and its high-intensity action scenes. The manga, which is published digitally on the online magazine Tonari no Young Jump, is illustrated by industry veteran Yusuke Murata, who is known for his incredibly detailed art style.
While many people are familiar with the anime and manga of One-Punch Man, as well as its incredibly talented illustrator, fewer are aware of One-Punch Man's origins as a web manga created by the author of the series, who goes by the pseudonym ONE. ONE initially worked on the One-Punch Man manga alone, but was eventually approached by Murata, who wanted to collaborate on the series with him. Together, they created the version of One-Punch Man that many are familiar with today. However, the original web manga still exists and is available to read for anyone looking for it.
The Original Web Manga
Nowadays, ONE is known for not only being the writer for One-Punch Man, but also the creator of Mob Psycho 100 and its spin-off Reigen. Before that, he was a small-time independent creator who not only wrote and illustrated One-Punch Man, but also self-published it on his own personal website. While the popularity of the new series with Murata would overtake the original, Murata would still update the original web series as late as 2019.
While ONE is quite a capable storyteller and his artistic abilities would improve by the time he started working on Mob Psycho 100, the artstyle of One Punch Man is pretty hard to swallow, especially for those who are used to Murata's artwork. While Murata does use some occasional ONE-style art to portray some characters (such as Saitama or Tornado), there's a real difference in the artwork that can be a barrier for people who want to try reading the original work. The original web series is still ongoing, although it often goes on hiatus.
The New Manga With Yusuke Murata
In 2011, ONE was contacted by veteran artist Yusuke Murata, who by that time had illustrated for several manga already, such as the football manga Eyeshield 21. Murata contacted ONE because he wanted to collaborate on a new version of One-Punch Man that would feature his artwork. Murata was ill at the time and was sincerely worried that he might die. Having been a fan of One-Punch Man, Murata wanted to work on it before his potential passing. Murata would recover, and his connections with the manga industry would allow the two of them to get a deal with the magazine Weekly Young Jump. One-Punch Man would debut in Tonari no Young Jump in 2012, with both author and illustrator collaborating on the work.
Combining ONE's storytelling and Murata's dynamic art style would prove to be extremely successful, as One-Punch Man would quickly rise in popularity. In 2015, an anime series based on Murata's version of the manga would begin airing, propelling One-Punch Man to superstar status. Featuring action-packed superhero battles against grotesque and overwhelming monsters, One-Punch Man remains an incredibly popular series and is still releasing chapters to this day. One-Punch Man has gone on to receive a second anime season as well as a video game, cementing its place as a successful franchise beyond just manga.
Should You Read The Original Web Manga?
The web manga and the remade manga by Murata both follow the same plotlines, with several early chapters being near identical in structure. The major difference between the two is Murata's vastly superior artwork, which not only enhances the action scenes, but is generally much more fun to read than the original work. Since the two works are so similar, there is generally very little reason to actually read the original web manga for most fans.
However, that doesn't mean that there is no reason to read the original version. Since the web manga started several years before the remake in 2009, it is ahead of the Murata version in terms of the storyline. Fans who are not willing to wait for the next chapter of Murata's work could read the web original to see what will happen next. In addition, the web manga version is quite a bit shorter than Murata's version, making it a quicker read for people who want to get caught up on the story. While Murata's version of One-Punch Man is definitely superior, there are still a good number of reasons to check out the original manga.