Tatsumaki is a popular character from the manga and anime series One Punch Man. As an extremely powerful esper, she wears a distinctive dress-like outfit that has sparked much debate among fans over whether she wears pants underneath or not. In this article, we’ll analyze Tatsumaki’s costume design, statements from the creator, and clues from the show itself to get to the bottom of this question.
Tatsumaki’s Hero Costume
First, let’s look at Tatsumaki’s costume itself. She wears a sleeveless black dress with a high collar and a large metal belt. The dress has two long pieces of fabric in the front and back that resemble coat tails. Underneath the dress, Tatsumaki appears to wear black shorts and thigh-high boots.
The shorts are only visible from certain angles in the anime and manga, leading to speculation about whether they are part of her costume or not. However, the shorts have a definite hem and appear intentional rather than just glimpses of underwear. The thigh-high boots also contribute to the overall dress-like aesthetic of her outfit.
Is it a Dress or a Skirt?
There is some debate around whether Tatsumaki’s costume is a dress or a skirt with a top. However, the official merchandise consistently refers to it as a dress. For example, a 1/6 scale figure of Tatsumaki produced by Apex Toys calls it a “Sleeveless Dress.”
The costume is drawn in a very dress-like manner as well. While anime characters sometimes wear very short miniskirts, Tatsumaki’s outfit hangs around her body in the way a dress typically would. The long coat tails in the back also suggest a dress silhouette.
The Shorts
The shorts that are visible under Tatsumaki’s dress appear to be part of the costume design. They match the black color scheme and have finished hems rather than looking makeshift or accidental. The shorts are likely meant to preserve some modesty for her character design while still showing off her legs.
Statements from ONE and Murata
ONE and Yusuke Murata are the writer and artist, respectively, behind One Punch Man. Their statements help provide definitive insight into Tatsumaki’s costume design.
ONE’s Early Drawing
ONE, the writer, reportedly made an early sketch of Tatsumaki wearing only panties under her dress. This suggests that he may have originally intended for Tatsumaki to go without pants under her costume. However, this sketch has not been officially released.
Murata’s Comments
In an interview question about Tatsumaki’s costume, Yusuke Murata stated: “Tatsumaki wears gym shorts underneath her dress. I believe she chooses to show some skin to distract and provoke her opponents.”
This provides confirmation that as the character designer for the manga, Murata intends for Tatsumaki to wear shorts rather than underwear or going pantless.
Evidence from the Anime and Manga
Looking directly at how Tatsumaki is portrayed in the One Punch Man anime and manga provides further evidence to support that she wears shorts as part of her costume:
Conservative Camera Angles
The anime’s camera angles tend to be very conservative around Tatsumaki, avoiding any revealing or salacious views up her dress. This suggests the animators are working with the understanding that she has shorts on under her dress and are avoiding showing anything more revealing.
Athletic Poses
Tatsumaki is frequently depicted in action poses like flying kicks where a skirt would easily flip up. But there are no wardrobe malfunctions, indicating she has shorts on underneath to preserve her modesty during athletic movements.
Evasive Maneuvers
When Tatsumaki evades attacks or gets knocked back from explosions, there are no revealing glimpses of underwear. Instead, the shorts she wears under her dress prevent embarrassing reveals.
| Evidence Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Costume design | Shorts visible under dress in consistent manner |
| Creator statements | Murata confirmed she wears shorts |
| Camera angles | Avoid revealing views up her dress |
| Action poses | No wardrobe malfunctions during kicks |
| Evasive moves | No underwear glimpses when dodging attacks |
Counterarguments
There are some arguments that Tatsumaki does not wear anything underneath her dress besides underwear:
ONE’s Early Sketch
The rumored early sketch by ONE showing Tatsumaki naked under her dress implies he may have initially designed the costume to be revealing. However, this sketch has not been released publicly.
Some Ambiguous Angles
There are a couple of ambiguous panels in the manga where it is unclear if Tatsumaki is wearing shorts under her dress or not when viewed from certain angles. However, these are rare exceptions to how she is generally portrayed.
Sexualized Aspects of Design
Some fans argue that other sexualized elements of Tatsumaki’s design like her thigh-high boots support the theory she does not wear pants. However, these aspects can exist even if the shorts preserve some modesty.
Not Shown in Video Games
In some One Punch Man video games, Tatsumaki is not modeled wearing noticeable shorts under her dress. However, adaptations like games sometimes take liberties with character designs.
Conclusion
After looking at all the available evidence, the strongest conclusion is that Tatsumaki does wear shorts underneath her dress as part of her hero costume design. Key points supporting this include:
- Shorts are clearly visible in many manga and anime scenes
- Murata confirming Tatsumaki wears shorts as the character designer
- Conservative camera angles to avoid revealing views
- No wardrobe malfunctions during action sequences
While some counterarguments suggest otherwise, these are limited to rare exceptions or speculation. The more consistent and definitive evidence confirms that Tatsumaki wears gym shorts under her dress in most depictions. This allows her costume to have a revealing look while preserving some modesty and functionality for an action series.
So in summary, while Tatsumaki’s dress appears quite short, she does opt to wear shorts underneath in her hero outfit. This practical choice allows her to maintain her modesty and evade wardrobe malfunctions during the intense physical combat seen in One Punch Man.