One-Punch Man “Martial Arts Tournament” recap: Metal Bat proves he’s not a pushover

The latest episode of One-Punch Man gave Metal Bat a chance to shine. Continue reading for our recap of Season 2, Episode 5 “Martial Arts Tournament” below.

When One-Punch Man fans first learned that Metal Bat was an S-Class hero, it was kind of hard to believe. A guy that swings a baseball bat around doesn’t seem all that intimidating or formidable, to say the least. Of course, when Bad aka Metal Bat engages Garou, we start to see exactly how he earned his rank.

What’s remarkable about Metal Bat is that he only continued to improve during his fight with the so-called monster. He’d just finished slaughtering two centipede-type demons when Garou attacked. The monster’s arrival was unexpected and caught Metal Bat off-guard for a moment. He went down hard but then rose with even stronger attacks. Garou himself was taken aback by the sudden transformation.

After sustaining injuries that would cripple a normal human, damage only seemed to increase Bad’s strength and speed. The ever-improving hero creates a challenge for Garou and makes us question whether or not he’s actually a human after all. Bad seems normal enough but perhaps the S-Class hero possesses some form of enhancement. He’s attributed his abilities to “fighting spirit” but is there a deeper meaning to it? Could it be that Metal Bat has a magical ability tied to his determination to fight?

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Whatever is powering him, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Metal Bat only stopped because his sister triggered a pause in his fury. Had it not been for the young girl’s intervention, he would’ve fought Garou until his last breath. Fortunately, he lives to fight another day and perhaps another chance to showcase the full extent of his abilities.

In another corner of the city, while all the monster attacks are happening, a martial arts tournament was taking place. Saitama used Charanko’s ticket to enter the competition and quickly ran into more fighters who thought themselves better than our favorite bald-headed hero. He attracted their attention for not having a designated fighting style but Saitama surprised everyone when he swatted away his first opponent in the tournament. They’re now well aware of what strength the unassuming hero possesses.

The episode wraps shortly after Saitama’s bout, ending with the tease of more fights to come. Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see how Saitama battles combatants who could potentially outclass him. A few of them hold very infamous reputations which they earned over long-fought battles. That means these combatants could present serious challenges for the man who only needs one punch to end a fight.

What did you think of this latest episode of One-Punch Man? Let us know in the comments section below.

One-Punch Man Season 2 is currently streaming on Hulu. Episodes are uploaded on Tuesday mornings. For more on OPM, follow us on the Hulu Watcher Twitter Account @HuluWatcherFS or on the Hulu Watcher Facebook Page.