I would have never expected a bald and mildly depressed superhero to teach me so much about the modern Japanese ethos. Normally, I’d reach for a book or treat a friend to a cigar and coffee if I want to learn about a distant culture, not watch anime. But this time, I fell into it. With the gyms still closed and the weather getting a bit nippier, I finally decided to start a show, One Punch Man.
Netflix knows me better than I know myself, giving me 99% matches to my previous viewing history. The efficiency is beautiful and helps most of the time, but it also feels great to find something that isn’t like everything else I just watched. It feels good to work for something, even if that means just hitting buttons with my thumb. I found a show that Netflix would have never recommended me with a 62% match. And from that show, I learned that the triumph I felt in finding it is similar to the triumph the Japanese youth yearn for in an era of industrial success, technological progress, and effortless solutions.
There are only two ways to watch One Punch Man: the first involves a bong and some crunchy Cheetos, the second is for the story. More of a cigar and tequila guy, I chose to watch…
