The following contains spoilers for the first season of My Adventures with Superman, now streaming on Max.
My Adventures with Superman stands out amid other adaptations with its open embrace of anime. That extends beyond the visual look to many of the characters and themes as well. It's proven a very successful fit: bringing a new vibe to the venerable superhero while staying true to the characters' essence. It also explains many of the show's more radical re-imaginings of stalwart figures (especially villains).
Below is a list of 10 prominent uses of anime tropes in the new series, along with a brief discussion of their history. They touch on every corner of My Adventures with Superman, from the supporting characters to the central plot arcs.
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10 The Chosen One: Clark Kent/Superman
The Chosen One trope is prevalent through all manner of storytelling, but anime relies on it frequently. A Chosen One is deemed worthy of receiving some gift or power, usually as a part of fulfilling a prophecy or destroying an existential threat. In anime, Chosen One protagonists tend to be innocent, charming, and inspirational just by being themselves. Sailor Moon and Yu-Gi-Oh! both feature prominent examples of the trope.
My Adventures with Superman leans into The Chosen One trope by putting Clark at the very early stages of his career. He's naïve and optimistic, which rapidly endears him to his friends, and he has a way of being inspiring just by adhering to a code of ethics. And as The Last son of Krypton, he automatically fits The Chosen One's savior motif.
9 The Bishounen: Slade Wilson/Deathstroke and Kyle Nimbus/The Mist
Bishounen translates as "beautiful boy," with the similar term -- biseinen -- referring to a beautiful man. They're usually slim and androgynous, with large eyes and no facial hair. Bishounen often engender big fan bases among anime fans, and their ranks include the likes of Hanabusa Aido in Vampire Knight and Tamaki Suoh in Ouran high School Host Club.
Slade Wilson's extreme makeover in My Adventures with Superman is well in keeping with the tradition, with his normally hypermasculine exterior replaced by a delicate-but-deadly physical form. The Mist follows a similar pattern, though he's played as younger and less experienced than Wilson. Technically, that makes him a bishounen and Deathstroke a biseinen.
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8 The Bijo: Vicki Vale
Similarly, "bishoujo" translates as "beautiful girl," who pack the anime genre to the gills. Less frequent but still notable are "bijo," or "beautiful woman." They're depicted as attractive, stylish and successful. Riza Hawkeye, a prominent supporting figure in Fullmetal Alchemist, is a prime example.
Vicki Vale serves as My Adventures with Superman's bijo: glamorous, successful, and very clearly an experienced reporter with years of work under her belt. The show contrasts her with Lois, who is far younger and less experienced. It also adds dramatic weight to their burgeoning rivalry.
7 Gender Fluidity: Leslie Willis/Livewire
Anime tends to embrace gender fluidity more readily than Western animation, which includes a number of lesbian characters with traditionally masculine traits. They're typically very self-confident and decisive, and sport short hair and work-a-day clothing. Sailor Uranus is a mild example of the trope, as is the villainous Zorin Blitz from Hellsing.
Though her sexuality hasn't been confirmed as of this writing, Livewire closely matches the physical trope in My Adventures with Superman. That includes a close-cropped mullet, a no-nonsense turtleneck-and-jacket ensemble, and decisive attitude that leads to fast, permanent decisions.
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6 The Found Family: Lois, Clark, and Jimmy
The Found Family goes well beyond anime, and appears in most major pop culture franchises in some form or another (including Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel and DC). It entails a diverse group of unrelated characters who come together and bond as a unit. Anime often emphasizes found families in its dialogue and action. One Piece's Straw Hat Pirates practically define the trope, as do the stylish misfits in Cowboy Bebop.
Lois, Clark and Jimmy come together very early to form a de facto family. As interns, they're often in conflict with the paper's better-established reporters, and face numerous dangers on their own in their quest to get the scoop. Over time, they bond as a trio -- both Lois and Jimmy know Clark's secret within a few episodes -- and the season finale finds all three enjoying Thanksgiving together at the Kent farm.
5 The Clumsy, Socially Awkward Protagonist: Clark Kent
Anime protagonists tend to lean heavily into audience surrogate territory: sympathetic, likable, and often endearingly awkward. Usagi Tsukino -- the titular heroine in Sailor Moon -- is clumsy, sensitive, and frequently misunderstood despite her fantastic abilities, which helps put viewers soundly in her corner.
Similarly, Clark is presented as an inexperienced superhero still learning to control his abilities. He often mangles door handles, for instance, and destroys his alarm clock trying to turn it off. He also struggles in social situations and spends much of his time in a panic. That helps humanize him and lets viewers connect with him more easily. It's no mistake that he's voiced by Jack Quaid, an actor known for sympathetic straight men and stumblebums.
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4 The Otaku Best Friend: Jimmy Olsen
Otaku means "obsessive fan," and anime typically plays them as comic relief. They possess a relentless fascination with a particular topic, blending excess enthusiasm with a disturbingly comprehensive grasp of minutia. The anime Otaku Elf uses the notion as its centerpiece, with protagonist Elda Ilma Fanomenel -- an immortal sylvan goddess -- fixating on video games.
My Adventures with Superman's version of Jimmy Olsen is an avid conspiracy nut, which he reports on his blog Flamebird. The joke is that all of his theories are actually reality in the DC Universe, and the biggest of them all -- an orphaned alien from Krypton -- is his best friend. He sells the blog to The Daily Planet in the season finale, but his obsession with weird phenomena hasn't abated.
3 Anxious Romance: Lois and Clark
Romance is a common theme in anime -- as it is almost everywhere else -- but the path is rarely easy for its young protagonists. Anime lovers are often anxious and shy around the object of their affections, particularly introverted characters who try too hard. It's often played for comic effect, and couples usually find a way around their own anxieties. Strong examples include Naruto and Hinata in the Naruto series, and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask (who hate each other in their civilian identities).
Lois and Clark share sparks from their first meeting, but neither of them can elegantly respect their feelings. Clark's secret identity becomes an impediment early on as well, and even after they clear the air, they're both anxious about screwing things up. It culminates in Season 1, Episode 7, "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal," where their fastidiously planned first date runs straight into a multi-dimensional crisis.
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2 The Mischievous Youkai: Mr. Mxyzptlk
Youkai are mischievous spirits in Japanese folklore: sometimes malevolent, but often more troublesome than dangerous. Hayazo Miyazaki's classic film Spirited Away consists largely of Youkai characters, whom its protagonist meets during her extended journey to the supernatural world.
Mister Mxyzptlk has been DC's resident mischief-maker for decades, and -- like Deathstroke -- he gets a deliberate anime-style makeover for My Adventures with Superman. He appears as a small blue man with long-white hair, clad in vaguely religious robes and claiming at first to be one of the good guys. He fools Clark into helping him break into a protected vault, which brings chaos and disaster in its wake.
1 Giant Robots & Mecha: MAWS
Mecha and giant robots have been a staple of anime for decades, notably in the Gundam and Macross franchises. Robotech and Voltron -- which introduced anime to a generation of Western audiences in the 1980s -- are both heavily mecha-centric as well.
My Adventures with Superman leaves the robots to the villains, most prominently in the MAWS robots that have a way of going rogue. The show's version of Parasite has shades of mecha to him as well, with a suit formed of alien technology housing its inventor in the center.
The first season of My Adventures with Superman is now streaming on Max.
