'One Punch Man' season 2 release date, plot speculations: manga's 'Human Monster' story arc to form basis of next season?

Promotional photo featuring Genos and Saitama from "One Punch Man."Viz Media/ One Punch Man

Fans have been anxiously waiting for the continuation of the anime adaptation of "One Punch Man." Speculations suggest that season 2 will air early next year.

According to iTechPost, previous speculations suggested that "One Punch Man" season 2 will make it as a 2016 release. However, observers believe that even with production in full swing, it is already late for the continuation to be released. It is then expected that season 2 will premiere sometime in early 2017.

Meanwhile, although the original manga adaptation has been sporadic, there is already content that can be laid out for "One Punch Man" season 2. Since the original anime series followed the manga events closely, it is also expected that season 2 will continue with this trend, following the events in the manga as close as possible.

Should this be the case, then it is believed that season 2 will be a prelude to the "Human Monster" arc. In this plot, the Hero Association is being hunted by Garou, the Human Monster. It revealed that Garou has been a disciple of Bang aka Silver Fang, one of the Class A heroes of the Association. In addition, it is also confirmed that Garou is able to fully study and assimilate different skills and techniques from his enemies, thereby making him stronger.

However, it is unclear what events are included in season 2. There are two sets of stories in the original adaptation. The original "One Punch Man" manga is being written by its original creator, One. Meanwhile, there is also a digital remake of the series penned by Yusuke Murata, which has events not included in the original.

Whichever version will be featured in the season 2 anime of "One Punch Man," it is expected that it will still feature some of the most graphically-entertaining fights and sequences. The original anime adaptation from Madhouse has been praised due to its fluid scenes, and the franchise itself has also received comments from fans due to the often-humorous encounters between its main hero, Saitama, and the other characters.