We all know ONE is not his real name and to date, it is still a mystery to most as he continues to write under his pseudonym. He brought two staple names of manga, One-Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100. With such a mystery to who he really is, let's break down everything about the manga creator, ONE.
Who is the Manga Creator Behind One-Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100?
It is ONE who brought to life one of the best-known comedic heroes to date, Saitama, in One-Punch Man, in a world where powerful monsters and villains exist, all those Saitama could put down in just a single blow off his fists, hence the title. Saitama is so strong; he gets bored because of it. He throws comedic lines as well making him a meme-worthy character.
ONE made Mob Psycho 100 about Mobu, also known as Mob, who is a middle-school boy with a lack of sense of presence despite being an immensely powerful psychic. He usually loses control of his powers, unable to control it making him hold himself in an emotional shackle just wanting to live a normal life. This made his powers potentially break his limits as he continues to suppress his emotions.
The creations of ONE usually involve a character with a power so strong and a personality that is usually involving an internal struggle. He puts it in a creative manner that mixes well with a storyline working for either character and he manages to put it in a way that makes it a comedic one. The lines are so witty, you would have it ingrained in your mind.
What is ONE's Real Name?
Although he has revealed his face through a number of interviews, his name has yet to be revealed to the public and he still goes by his pseudonym, ONE. There is a little information out in the open about his personal life and his real identity but not enough to fully identify what his real name is.
Born in Niigata on October 29, 1986, ONE is currently 34-years-old. He had his childhood in Kōnosu, Saitama, possibly influencing the name of his character, Saitama. When he became an adult, he transferred to Okinawa and became a citizen there. In a few mentions about his childhood, he shared that he used to play tennis casually and his real interest is in drawing manga.
ONE shared in his interview on the Nico Nico Live show what piqued his interest and inspired him to draw. In this interview, his face was fully revealed. He said that he spent his childhood reading Crayon Shin-chan which inspired him to go for drawing comics. He also stated that he enjoyed the multi-panel format and comedy making him mix it together in his works.
He did not reveal this interest to his family as he did not want to disappoint them. He felt ashamed for drawing some gag manga which could get him scolded by his parents. He likened himself to the character in his comics, Mob, as he was not an expressive person, mostly reserved. It was in his freshman year in college when he started publishing his works through a webcomic through NEETsha.
NEET means "Not in Education, Employment, or Training," a term usually considered as degrading for some. It is in NEETsha where ONE found an avenue to publish his works like Sui Ishida of Tokyo Ghoul. He had a lot of struggles in this career but made it through Shonen Jump. He then became successful with One-Punch Man bagging the Sugoi Japan award under the manga category in 2016, and with Mob Psycho 100 scoring the Shogakukan Manga Award under the shonen category in 2017.
He did not undergo any formal training, yet he managed to make it through the industry being self-taught. He now has a personal website where he publishes the updates on One-Punch Man including merchandise of the character.
It has to be clarified, though, that the Shonen Jump published One-Punch Man is not the drawings of ONE but of Yusuke Murata. Such is published by Viz Media in English.
It could be said that ONE is both Mob and Saitama in a way. Even with the success of his manga, ONE still chooses to leave his name in the shadows, possibly in the separation of his successful life as a manga creator and private life as an individual, just like how his characters are: powerful yet wanting to live just normal life.
Many have asked when will One-Punch Man Season 3 release date be announced. So far, Summer 2022 is the estimated release by industry experts, but no date has been confirmed by a studio.