Yeah if they ever do the Japanese hero team again, better to have it actually referencing a specific source of Japanese stories instead of the very general "what Westerners think Japanese culture is."
I'm reminded how back when they did the Marvel Mangaverse the Fantastic Four was conceptually the most interesting cause it was at least riffing on Neon Genesis Evangelion, which at least is a specific thing to be based on instead of the general host of Japanese stereotypes and cliches that dominated the rest of the line.
They're not going to use Big Hero Six in Marvel Comics ever again, Disney took that and made it one of their movie franchises.
6160 is getting a Japanese superhero team, but it's just their version of the X-Men. Based on the most recent solicit, the roster is Armor, Maystorm, Surge (they released concept art for her), Nico Minoru (named in the solicit and concept art released), and Rogue (at least I think that's supposed to be her on the bottom right of the cover for #4). Which you'll notice is all girls - like Sailor Moon's sailor senshi and the various teams from the Precure franchise.
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Oh, yeah.
If Marvel ever tries the Mangaverse again, it would be better served getting actual Japanese (or at least Japanese-descended) creatives, like Peach Momoko, to spearhead it so it doesn't once again turn into that utter s***storm of stereotypes and cliches based on what Americans/Westerners think anime/manga is. Of course, in light of the explosion in popularity anime and manga have had in the last couple of decades since the Mangaverse came and went, and how much contemporary superhero manga/anime like My Hero Academia, One-Punch Man, and Tiger & Bunny take inspiration from while riffing on American superhero comics . . . I could see a second bite at the apple going much better.
For example, an X-Men manga could specifically take on My Hero Academia, especially given MHA's core notion that a superhuman-dominated society would still have its own problems with discrimination and alienation not so different from what's dogged the X-Men for years. An Avengers manga could be somewhat inspired by One-Punch Man's concept of a professional employment network for superheroes, as per the Hero Association, or even Tiger & Bunny's corporate TV network-sponsored superhero organization, with a bit tying back to X-Men in the sense that rebranding superhumans as TV stars would be a viable strategy to reduce public mistrust, fear, and hatred of them. Hell, the "superheroes as TV stars" concept could be used to bring in the New Warriors, with the Taylor Foundation sponsoring them as the owner(s) of a TV studio/network.
The spider is always on the hunt.
The mangaverse, early 2000's "Japanimation" vibes, woof. I honestly think that The Hulk could be a riff on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Where the Hulk is essentially Bruce's Stand, Immortal Hulk played up the supernatural elements of the character, so it would be sort of the same.
It's fun theorizing who the new characters are but i rather get more Japanese/East Asian mutants spotlight than having Rogue and Cyclops be racebent.
It's a better way to use the setting to me.
Last edited by the illustrious mr. kenway; 03-25-2024 at 07:52 AM.