My Adventures with Superman

[kryptonianheart]

Around three years ago, My Adventures with Superman premiered and at the time I remember it received raving reviews from critics and audiences alike. I was definitely extremely intrigued by the anime-esque take on the quintessential American hero Superman, but I just never got around to watching it. I'd seen some of Smallville and Supergirl, I watched the original Superman films as a kid, and I'd seen a handful of episodes from the cartoon, but I wasn't a Superman fan, so the show was an intruging concept but not something I felt that I had to see. But, well, now I am in my DC and Supergirl era and I heard that there is a unique and interesting adaptation of Kara in this show that shows up at the end of season 1 ... so here I am ...finally watching My Adventures with Superman and to keep it brief—the show is utterly fantastic.

I really love the blending of American and Japanese animation and writing style. There's something really beautiful to me about the fact that Japanese anime got it start with Japanese artists being inspired by American animation, specifically Disney, and now we are full circle with numerous American animation projects taking inspiration from Japan. I really like that cultural and artistic diffusion and I think it's really interesting to see it applied to Superman.

As a kid, I watched way more anime than western cartoons, so I have to say that I am feeling positively giddy watching this show. It's captured that sense of excitement and wonder that I felt as a kid watching anime that a lot of modern projects haven't quite managed too. I can't really put my specific finger onto the "why," but I just know that this show feels like a breath of fresh air to me and I find myself grinning with every episode thus far.

Now, here's just some rambling thoughts that I so far have about the show. Keep in mind that I only just finished episode 3.

• The main trio of Clark, Lois, and Jimmy are absolutely great. They're such delightful characters and they have a great dynamic that brings both humor and heart to the show.
• Lois in particularly is really stand-out to me. Her stubbornness, insistence, and the way she just bulldozes forward reminds me of a great many classic female shounen protagonists. The dynamic between her and Clark actually sort of reminds of of Gohan and Videl from Dragon Ball Z. It has been years since I watched that show, so I'm not sure how accurate that comparison is but it's where my mind immediately went.
• Jimmy being a conspiracy nut is just great. I have read a few comics with Jimmy in them. Not enough to fully know who he is as a character, but I am enjoying this interpretation with him in the "crazy" but kind of right otaku role.
• And Clark Kent/Superman! So much to say there. Jack Quaid was a great choice for the role. He is able to perfectly capture that soft, anxious, and nerdy energy while also evoking the gentle strength that comes out in Clark's sincerity.
• And the animation???Amazing! These characters would not be as endearing without the incredible work of the animators. Bravo to them all.
• I'm also so intrigued where this thing with Clark's parents and the mystery of his origin will go. Obviously, we all know this origin, but we don't know what this show's take on it will be. Well, people who watched the show when it first came out know ... I don't. Though I have received some minor spoilers that are helping me put the pieces to this puzzle a little faster than I think I would otherwise.
• There's definitely this sinister feeling when it comes to the ship that Clark arrived in and Jor-El's daunting, untranslated message. Again, I'm not a Superman buff or anything, but this is probably the first time a piece of Superman media has, for me, demonstrated the sheer anxiety and terror that Clark would feel from not knowing who or what he is. And that makes his decision to help others all the more important and central. He doesn't know who he is or why he has these powers, but he wants to use them to help others.
• Oh! Which brings me to the suit! I had mixed feelings when the whole magical girl transformation on the ship happened. On one hand—it's so fucking anime and I love it, but on the other hand I like it when the suit is one that Ma Kent makes. But the show quickly rectifies this by having Ma Kent make some alterations by adding the most important addiction—the trunks! I do very much like that.
• Oh, before I forget, the flashbacks! Or visions! Or whatever they are. That I am really intrigued by. The fact that Clark is getting all these flashes and how they're connected to, what I assume is, Kryptonian technology is really interesting to me. It really centralizes the story to be about Clark discovering who he is ... and it seems like there is some darkness there. And not just the "survivor of a dead planet" darkness ... which considering what happened in Gunn's Superman is interesting. I don't know enough about Superman lore to know where they are pulling these elements from, but it is intriguing that two recent adaptations of Superman seem to be doing similar things with the character.
• I also really like how Clark is acquiring a new ability or power-up one at a time. He got heat vision last episode. I can't wait for him to get the rest of his arsenal of incredibly abilities.
• And one final note! I got incredbly excited at the beginning of episode 3 when I thought they were going to do a classic anime opening ... imagine my disappointment when it ended so fast. It was great! Really, I loved it, but give me a minute and a half to two minutes of music and animation that creates the feeling of the show. Thirty seconds is too short for me lol.

And with that, I end my post here. I'm going to watch a few more episodes before I retire for the day and I hope I can catch up before season 3 premieres.