One-Punch Man Illustrator Yusuke Murata Debuts New One-Shot

Yusuke Murata, the illustrator behind series such as Eyeshield 21 and One-Punch Man's manga, is [...]

Yusuke Murata, the illustrator behind series such as Eyeshield 21 and One-Punch Man's manga, is one of the most popular artists among manga fans for his character designs and depictions of action within the panels. That means that each new project he takes on gets a lot of eyes on it, and one of the more intriguing releases lately is a new one-shot released in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.

The new one-shot, Science vs. Magic, is written by Inukorosuke (Ultimate Rock-Paper-Scissors) and is illustrated by Murata. You can find it through Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump releases here.

Science vs Magic Yusuke Murata
(Photo: Viz Media)

Science vs. Magic runs for 63 pages and introduces a world split between magic and science regions. The two kingdoms had animosity between the two of them in the past, but now they peacefully coexist as two separate developing nations. Every three years, the two kingdoms get together and choose representatives to show off the martial arts skills of either side.

The one-shot sees the magic kingdom representative, Reita, who uses both fire and water magical abilities prepare for a fight against Onigoro, who has enhanced his body with scientific advancements. Though one-shots appear in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump all the time without getting the chance to become a full series, fans are hoping this one eventually gets picked up so they can get more doses of Murata's illustrations.

But until then, fans can currently check out his work with monthly chapter releases in Viz Media's Shonen Jump digital library or the anime series itself. One-Punch Man Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu, and on Crunchyroll outside of the United States. The season is directed by Chikara Sakurai (Naruto Shippuden episode director), for new production studio J.C. Staff. Yoshikazu Iwanami serves as sound director, and Chikashi Kubota contributes new character designs.

The second season ran for 12 episodes, and Viz Media has licensed the season for an English release. Viz Media describes One-Punch Man Season 2 as such, "Saitama is a hero who only became a hero for fun. After three years of "special training," he's become so strong that he's practically invincible. In fact, he's too strong—even his mightiest opponents are taken out with a single punch. Now, the great seer Madame Shibabawa's prediction about the Earth being doomed seems to be coming true as the frequency of monster incidents escalates. Alongside Genos, his faithful disciple, Saitama begins his official hero duties as a member of the Hero Association, while Garou, a man utterly fascinated by monsters, makes his appearance."

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