There is a funny anime series called “One Punch Man”. And surprisingly, it has great lessons for mastering Python.

The story takes place in a world slightly more modern than our own, where the heroes defend the modern urban landscape from monsters that regularly invade. Imagine a parade of mini-Godzilla or Mothra-like creatures, but more diverse, colorful and intelligent, and varying widely in size and threat level.

This continues to the point where a formal league of heroes is formed, with ranks for different perceived abilities. Enter the protagonist, named Saitama.

He is not as flashy as the other heroes.

In any case, at first glance it seems harmless.

But it turns out that he is so effective as a martial artist, so unmatched in his skill, that he is capable of knocking out huge, powerful beasts with a single blow, every time. Hence the name.

This show is a comedy, full of hilarious situations created by the hero management institutions that fail to recognize his great talent over and over again. I’m leaving a lot here – it’s worth digging up and looking.

But the show has a powerful lesson for us pythonists.

Because the source of Saitama’s domain is revealed in the first season. Every day, without fail, he did

• 100 push-ups.
• 100 sit-ups.
• 100 squats.
• And then he ran ten kilometers.

Notice how SIMPLE this is.

You’re training these foundational exercises with relentless consistency. And somehow, she manages to unlock superhuman abilities.

That reminds me of what happens when you thoroughly master the basics of Python programming.

OOP, for example. Because OOP is the critical foundation on which ALL complex software is built. A little knowledge of object-oriented programming goes a long way… but further understanding unlocks WHOLE NEW UNIVERSES of software for you.

Or automated tests, like unit tests. When you master writing them, you can suddenly create amazingly powerful software systems that non-test writers can’t touch. Writing exams is a legit superpower.

Another interesting point: when you master both, you find that they increase the power of the other. OOP amplifying what you can do with tests, and vice versa, exponentially that suddenly makes the kind of programming you did before seem primitive and simple.

And then you have scalability patterns that take advantage of Python’s memory model… Or the higher-level function abstractions that form the basis of a dozen famous Python libraries you use every day… and so on.

Each of these are like the push-ups or squats that Saitama does religiously.

And all of that is just a lesson we can learn from our friend Saitama. There are many others: like how it always goes straight to the monster’s weak spot (I know you can see a parallel with complex software “beasts”)… Or how it’s constantly looking for a bigger challenge to prove itself and grow. ..and many more lessons.

So research this show or read the manga it’s based on. And look for other lessons you can build on to improve your coding craft.