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Okay, I've recently heard something that really upset me and I feel like this is the perfect place to air my grievance.

This person does a segment on an anime podcast (though he's primarily an American comic book fan) and on his most recent segment he said several things which (forgive my French) pissed me off.

First thing he said was "Japan has no super heroes." I played that part seven times just to make sure I heard right. Yes he said "Japan has no super heroes." He further clarified by saying that Japan does not have a super hero genre the same way America has one. And his "logic" (such as it is) is that Japanese "fictional action characters" (because Japan has no super heroes) have no villains that are trying to take over the world, don't decide to use their powers for good, and their powers are generated from their costumes (this may be true with Kamen Rider and Super Sentai, Ultraman is not wearing "a costume" his powers basically comes from light but that's neither here nor there). And apparently continuous training, ambiguous enemies and suit-powers does not a super hero make.

So what do you guys and girls think? Are there truly no Japanese super heroes? What are franchise characters like Kamen Rider and Ultraman considered? I personally always considered them heroes despite their goals? Am I wrong?

Further grievances include him trying to justify fan service and explaining the "deep story" of Ikki Tousen but again that's neither here nor there.
 
Some kind of Beast mode
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I'm shocked...that's a true american d!ckhead.
 
It's over 8,000!
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So he thinks Ikkitousen's value lies outside its fanservice and he claims that there are no Japanese superheroes?! I don't even know how that's possible.
 
Banned
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Deep story of Titytaousen HAHAHAHAH. That's great. If he is trying to say that anime has a deep story, then you should just ignore anything he says.
 
二番目の翻訳者
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He doesn't know what he's talking about. He's just created a ridiculously overspecific standard for what constitutes a "superhero" -- so specific that not all American Superheroes fit into it -- and clearly hasn't seen much toku.

I mean, you don't count as a superhero if you get your powers from a costume? So, Iron Man: not a Superhero? Your villains need to want to take over the world? So Batman: not a Superhero? I mean, Batman's rogue's gallery is one of the best because they tend to have more interesting and complex motivations than just "world domination."

Anyway, this dude sounds like an ignorant tool. I wouldn't pay him much mind.
 
Peek a Boo!
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If I would compare a Showa Era Kamen Rider to a certain Spidey, here it is:

KR - Got his powers from an outside source -> Use it for good.
Spidey - Got his powers from an outside source -> Use it first for fun -> Use it later for saving others.

I mean, they are similar! Look at Batman, he doesn't have superpowers but he uses tools. Look at Faiz, he doesn't have powers aside that he is an Orphenoch but he uses a camera, a motorcycle handlebar and a cellphone!

Did the guy did his research or something?!
 
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Apparently not. He also said that Shinjuku is the prominent place in Japan to cosplay and that the age of consent in Japan is 13.
 
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Counter Arguement 1: Iron Man. He is highly intelligent yes but he has no real powers so to speak...his powers come from his suit. Booster Gold is quite literally a hero whose powers come from the crap he stole. He literally has no training whatsoever.

Counter Arguement 2: Kamen Rider number 1. His powers arguably come from himself because he's half cyborg, and the organization trying who did that to him is pretty much trying to conquer the world

I can agree that super heroes are different in each country but to say that japan has none of that is like saying Japan doesn't have a hip-hop or rock genre because it's different from the U.S.
 
In Justice, We Trust!
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Meh, the words of some dude on a podcast doesn't really effect me that much. Besides, this guy sounds like he either doesn't know what he's talking about, or is biased towards the Japanese.
 
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You guys want to know what the kicker is? He was originally supposed to be talking about Japanese culture as it relates to anime.
 
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