Astro Boy (created 1952)
Superman (created 1938)
See, Japan has always been interested in Hollywood movies on some level, and the recent spate of popular superhero flicks like X-Men, Iron Man, and the Christian Bale Batman movies have clearly done a lot to build up interest in those franchises in Japan.
But that's just one piece of the puzzle. A trailer for the new Stan Lee-branded anime series Heroman, which starts this April, has launched, and it looks pretty good-- sort of a fusion between mech and superhero in theme. It'll be very interesting to see how the series performs, given that its design is very heavy in Americana (particularly the mech itself, which is decked out like the American flag, as though Stephen Colbert's TV persona was involved somehow).
And then, of course, there's the upcoming Iron Man anime due out this season, one of five projects that Marvel and Madhouse are working on (including Wolverine, Blade, and the X-Men, as well as a direct-to-DVD Hulk anime).
Quite a few of you came here from superhero-lovin' sister site Comic Vine. How do you feel about Japan's growing interest? And how interested are you in all these superhero projects?
So are they using English lyrics for the Japanese version? or was that an english trailer?
no, not really same feeling here
anyone still remember ultimo?
oh and ultimo have a prototype manga, it's called Jumbor
I like collaboration... for entretainment purposes!
It's awesome!
I think reason why Comics book heros from the west are starting to get foot hold in Japan in the western comic books are get more adult themes in the Comic Book movies live action, cartoon, comic books themselfs.
Japan Manga with though that Tranformation back the late 1960's and early 1970's. Let hope they are more crossover works that keep happing between Manga/Comic books so that way in the end we all win.
Ironman looks pretty decent. I really enjoyed the Batman: Gotham Knight animated shorts, which had two of the short films done by Madhouse.
why? some would fit , like that ironman
I don't like western comics (if I see something good, I could like it, but I generally don't like anything) and I'm scared that in the future that might mix even more with the japanese culture.
well this is more like trying anyway, it wouldn't mix that much, i think we would still get the ordinary anime besides the mixed production one
I really like what there doing with Iron Man, but if anyone has seen the Wolverine anime trailer, it looks bad. Real bad. I hope most of the American super hero animes they come out with turn out like the Gotham Kight shorts. Those were greate.
Also, I think nobody cared for western comics because they were made with children in mind. Thats one of the main reasons I started watching anime, I got older and noticed that it was really all about selling toys and games and not about the story at all. Few of the western superhero shows had actual character development like Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, and Justice League. Thats Capitalism for you.