Further word on DC and Warner Bros. Discovery’s My Adventures with Superman had been rather mum for a while, leading some fans to suspect that it was lost in the shuffle of shakeups at the company. Thankfully, news of its move to Adult Swim has assuaged some of these concerns, as did the first footage of the show. This footage looks quite a bit like an anime, and that makes perfect sense.
The idea of a superhero anime is incredibly timely, with two shonen anime/manga franchises being some of the biggest names in the anime industry. Likewise, basing the latest Superman cartoon on them in some small way can only help the Man of Steel’s reputation, which is still far from what it should be among younger audiences. Here’s how styling Superman on shonen and slice-of-life anime might allow him to reach a new audience of fans.
My Adventures with Superman Looks Like Today’s Biggest Shonen Anime
From the art style to the general vibe, the teaser trailer for My Adventures with Superman showcases how the series more than resembles the typical anime. Examples include its bombastic and energetic action (from what little is seen), not to mention the zany mannerisms of the series’ tomboyish-looking Lois Lane. Combining superheroes with anime isn’t out of the ordinary, especially for DC Comics. The early 2000s saw the original Teen Titans series release, and it wore its anime influences on its sleeve. Likewise, the 2010s saw the rise of My Hero Academia and One-Punch Man, which became some of the biggest anime and manga both in Japan and around the world. They also both had main characters that were built in the Superman mold.
Needless to say, using anime to inspire such an experimental take on Superman is a no-brainer from a marketing perspective. Sales of manga have absolutely eclipsed Western comic books, meaning that both the overpowered Saitama and the similarly superheroic All-Might are just as well-known, if not more, to anime fans than the Last Son of Krypton. In many ways, the teacher has become the student, with Superman emulating the general feel of these anime (and perhaps even Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Invincible) in his newest show.
A Slice-of-Life Series Is the Best Way to Make Superman Relatable
Beyond its action elements, My Adventures with Superman will feature several comedic slice-of-life sequences, hence the title. The synopsis speaks to this, with a young Clark Kent coming to Metropolis and building his identity as Superman while falling for Lois Lane. That sounds like a plot right out of a romantic comedy anime, which will likely only help the series make Superman more palatable. Despite many anime characters being even tougher, many still accuse Superman of being overpowered and unrelatable. Focusing on his more human elements, such as his relationship with Lois Lane, will only engender those who dislike the character to see how fun he can be.
It also isn’t that much of a stretch, as Superman’s love for Lois has been central to his character since 1938. Likewise, Superman’s broader supporting cast is one of the best in comics, second only to Batman and Spider-Man. Again, the fact that it has a veneer of anime only strengthens these possibilities, and it shows that DC isn’t afraid to “update” Superman’s character to match different audiences. His supposedly being unrelatable also sees him deemed as outdated, so using the coolest anime to slightly reconfigure him can hopefully start chipping away at this. Add in how epic and exciting the fight scenes should be, and the first Superman series in years may be able to compete with franchises seen in Shonen Jump.
My Adventures with Superman premieres in Summer 2023.
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