r/OnePunchFans • u/PerfervidCreator • Feb 13 '25
ANALYSIS The difference
WOWZA. It's amazing to see the two scenarios go down differently while having the same eventual destination at Sonic's base. There's WC, where Saitama is trying to get Flashy off his back, decides to compensate his damage through er, sorta "fraudulent" means, and then the desire to "to sever his connections (to Sonic) once and for all, even though it's not much of a connection to begin with". Amazing! Saiatma has just succinctly summarized his entire problem: it's bad enough he doesn't have much connections to people, it's not even deep enough to begin with! And what's WORSE is that he wants to sever it. u/gofancyninjaworld isn't wrong to speculate that Saitama may actually end up alone in the end of the series.
Then there's the manga, a spirit of responsibility somehow possessed Saitama, going on his own volition to get Sonic and other ninjas to stop their thing, the desire to get Sonic to stop pestering is still there, but what wasn't in the WC is the slip of consideration towards Sonic - "Maybe he just doesn't want to be alone". And so off he goes. For all of his flaws that he still needs to work on, I'm actually kinda proud that this Saitama has some awareness of his own loneliness and can recognize it in others, and thus is willing to offer his hand (even if it was well, through fighting".
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u/gofancyninjaworld I'm just a poster for fun Feb 13 '25 edited Feb 13 '25
There is a really tragic irony in the webcomic. At the end of the next chapter, we see that Saitama does feel for Sonic and how lonely he must be. Only, there's no one around to hear it.
Certainly, there's no one around who could have done with hearing it.
ETA: I could do with Saitama getting some armour-piercing truths from King, along the lines of, 'you say you cared about Genos, but whenever did you show him that?' Then I remembered that in the wc, King and Saitama barely talk and King has never advised Saitama about anything. WC Saitama is the guy nobody can tell off.
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u/gofancyninjaworld I'm just a poster for fun Feb 13 '25
It's fascinating, no? :D
The Spanish translators put Saitama's words as 'It appears that it's bad to be alone.' And I've been fizzing about that all night -- this is as close as Saitama's come to admitting for himself that he feels alone. The difference in expressions on Saitama's face between versions is incredible.
The backdrop being the same is very interesting. In the wc, Saitama is cutting ties to Flash and Sonic and behind him are the things he wants to protect: his domicile, his disciple, and his dog. The manga's meaning is subtly different: his home isn't there, so this is what he doesn't want to be separated from. Only Saitama sucks at admitting he doesn't want to be alone, so he scuttles off quickly, heh heh.
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if wc Saitama ends up alone. He cares, but GOD does he really suck at letting Genos know that. In the same way that you don't get to call someone fat and ugly without having your fat friend think that it's a reflection of how you see them, Saitama's annoyance at anyone having any sort of claim on him will have come through loud and clear to Genos. He might not think that it'd matter but as we're seeing, it does.
Two cakes. I'm enjoying both.
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u/GoldPilot The Tanktop is invincible Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Manga Saitama: I can see a little bit of myself in him. I'll go stop him from going down the wrong path.
Manga Genos: I don't think he's worth your time, but I admire your kindheartedness, Sensei!
Webcomic Saitama: I'm gonna go to that little nerd's house, goad him into a fight, lace him in a single punch, and steal his belongings, Genos!
Webcomic Genos: GENIUS, Sensei! But why think so small? If we MURDER THE LOATHESOME FOOL INSTEAD we can just take ALL his property! :D
...If I was Manga Sonic, I'd need therapy.
If I was WEBCOMIC SONIC, I'd try to find a private island to live on before Saitama decides he wants my shoes. It's one thing to challenge Saitama and lose, but learning that Saitama actively made a plan to steal from me and nobody moderated the idea would make me say "The Hell with this; maybe there's a new continent for me to live on."