One Punch Man Artist Yusuke Murata Used His Bodybuilder Son as Reference for New Chapter Cover
The beloved artist of the One Punch Man manga, Yusuke Murata, turned to a highly personal source of inspiration for the latest chapter cover. In a post on his social media account, the famous manga artist revealed that he used his own son as a reference for the muscular physique in the latest chapter's cover illustration. This candid confession by Murata, who stated that he drew by directly observing the physique of his son—who is into bodybuilding—quickly became a hot topic among fans.
On August 21, 2025, Murata made a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account regarding the cover visual of Chapter 206, published on the Tonari no Young Jump platform. In his post, he stated that while drawing the exaggerated muscular structure of the character on the cover, he used his son's body as a reference by photographing it, and that his son was quite pleased with this situation. Murata also humorously added that his son regularly lifts weights and has recently gained noticeable muscle mass. This statement was interpreted as yet another proof of Murata's attention to anatomical detail and how meticulously he works to achieve realism.
Although this detail may sound surprising, it is not much of a surprise for those who closely follow Yusuke Murata. Murata is known in the manga world for his incredibly detailed and dynamic drawings. Especially the anatomical knowledge, fluid action scenes, and almost photo-realistic muscle details he displayed in the remake version of One Punch Man have made him one of the most talented artists in the industry. He is also known to have perfected his drawings by using figures, his own poses, and various real-life references. In fact, he has often explained in his publications how he collects references and examines his own muscles in the mirror to understand the movement of muscles.
Written by ONE and first started as a webcomic in 2009, One Punch Man has been republished since 2012 with Murata's illustrations in Shueisha's Tonari no Young Jump magazine. The absurd yet equally epic story, built around Saitama defeating every enemy with a single punch, has become one of the world's most popular manga and anime over the years. While it is said that the manga is currently nearing the end of the Ninja Village arc and progressing toward the final saga, Murata's ability to elevate his drawing quality to the next level with each chapter is highly appreciated by fans.
Fans consider Murata's use of his son as a reference to be both adorable and professional. On social media, many users reacted humorously with comments such as "Talent is genetic in the Murata family" and "The best reference was at home all along." On the other hand, this incident once again demonstrated how dedicated manga artists are to their work. It is eagerly awaited how Murata will present more impressive fight scenes and character designs with these realistic references in the upcoming chapters. No exact date has been announced yet for the series' next chapter, but it is expected to be published in a two-week period according to the Tonari no Young Jump schedule.
