Tokusatsu heroes coming to DC in Final Crisis?

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=146753

Well, just a passing mention of new Japanese heroes there, I'm sure I read him talking about it in more detail somewhere.
IT seems unlikely, but it's possible, right? I mean, Japan has its own culture of superheroes, so if there are metahumans around and amazing technology then surely some will have taken up Kamen Rider-esque mantles? Maybe someone with the power to grow in size mimicing an Ultraman costume, a non-meta equivalent of Batman or Ironman in a toku-style suit, or someone with super strength and agility like Kamen Rider the First. It'd be a great injustice if they did not acknowledge it, and I'm sure there have been some references, homages, parodies and even rip offs in the past, but it doesn't seem fair if all they have is a bunch of superpowered sumo wrestlers and narutards.

Skinwalker said:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=146753

Well, just a passing mention of new Japanese heroes there, I'm sure I read him talking about it in more detail somewhere.
IT seems unlikely, but it's possible, right? I mean, Japan has its own culture of superheroes, so if there are metahumans around and amazing technology then surely some will have taken up Kamen Rider-esque mantles? Maybe someone with the power to grow in size mimicing an Ultraman costume, a non-meta equivalent of Batman or Ironman in a toku-style suit, or someone with super strength and agility like Kamen Rider the First. It'd be a great injustice if they did not acknowledge it, and I'm sure there have been some references, homages, parodies and even rip offs in the past, but it doesn't seem fair if all they have is a bunch of superpowered sumo wrestlers and narutards.

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Oh, trust me, I am burned up at American Superhero Comics' definition of Japanese superheroes. Only what they see in America. Remember when all Asian superheroes had to be almost scantily clad and have a Manchu ponytail? Something like a character from Mortal Kombat. Makes me want to puke.

If their "Japanese Superhero" lineup does not include at least a giant hero (the Ultraman type), henshin hero (the Masked Rider type), or normal hero (like Moonlight Mask, Japan's answer to Batman), I will go all Incredible Hulk on DC. :shakefist

I mean it!

look at the 52 comics and their portrayal of superheroes from China, the great ten where they had a "shaolin robot"..........................:redface2:

I remember the intro to a JLU episode where they are in Tokyo and loads of girls are cheering and dressed up as Supergirl and Stargirl(I think that's her name), says

"Hey, my dads a mecha." :laugh:

MaskedShuuyu said:

I remember the intro to a JLU episode where they are in Tokyo and loads of girls are cheering and dressed up as Supergirl and Stargirl(I think that's her name), says

"Hey, my dads a mecha." :laugh:

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I remember that episode and the girl was like "Mechas are like so last season.":laugh: :laugh:

Good times, good times.

Okay, quick, somebody remind me where Morrison mentioned tokusatsu heroes?

ryuuseipro said:

Oh, trust me, I am burned up at American Superhero Comics' definition of Japanese superheroes. Only what they see in America. Remember when all Asian superheroes had to be almost scantily clad and have a Manchu ponytail? Something like a character from Mortal Kombat. Makes me want to puke.

If their "Japanese Superhero" lineup does not include at least a giant hero (the Ultraman type), henshin hero (the Masked Rider type), or normal hero (like Moonlight Mask, Japan's answer to Batman), I will go all Incredible Hulk on DC. :shakefist

I mean it!

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I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've yet to see a Japanese (or Oriental for that matter) hero portrayed in a decent, non-stereotyped way in US comics. DC is guilty of this but so are others like Marvel. I mean, some of their most famous Japanese 'heroes' include a guy in a Samurai armor called 'the Silver Samurai' and a Japanese guy that harnesses the power of the sun or something like that. And I'm not even talking about villains like 'the Hand' (oh a group of ninja, how original!).

I'm sorry to say, but US comics have a VERY long way to go before they can portray non-American heroes in a credible way and I don't think this DC event will be that day.

MagiRed said:

Okay, quick, somebody remind me where Morrison mentioned tokusatsu heroes?

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He didn't. Morrison just mentioned Japanese superheroes, for one.

For two, Japanese superheroes are not limited to tokusatsu. Anime and manga have depicted them as well, but they're not very well known in America.

Fans are rightfully worried about American/Western companies once again stereotyping Japanese/Asian superheroes. When portraying Japanese "superheroes" in American stories, they only concentrate on what was seen in America. There is a xenophobic discrepancy between two American cultures: American comic-book geeks seem to not only be jealous at anime/manga, but hate Japanese superheroes (ie. "Power Rangers"). American manga/anime fans hate superheroes, because they feel they belong in American comics. They think that manga is a genre (not a medium), focusing on costume-less superpowered adolescents (they think this trait makes manga "special"), in total disregard to the hundreds, even thousands of COSTUMED Japanese superheroes, few of which are famous (Ultraman and Masked Rider come to mind).

That is why some here are worried that Americans will once more miss the opportunity to reference conventional Japanese superheroes (you know, actually be more relevant to Japanese culture!), and use the more politically-correct "sumo wrestlers" and "Narutards." As if Japanese superheroes never wear costumes. Only American ones do.

And that's why I share everyone's dread on Morrison's so-called "Japanese superheroes."

kyo28 said:

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've yet to see a Japanese (or Oriental for that matter) hero portrayed in a decent, non-stereotyped way in US comics. DC is guilty of this but so are others like Marvel. I mean, some of their most famous Japanese 'heroes' include a guy in a Samurai armor called 'the Silver Samurai' and a Japanese guy that harnesses the power of the sun or something like that. And I'm not even talking about villains like 'the Hand' (oh a group of ninja, how original!).

I'm sorry to say, but US comics have a VERY long way to go before they can portray non-American heroes in a credible way and I don't think this DC event will be that day.

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Exactly!

Well... Katana, of DC comics' Outsiders, isn't really stereotypical. She's relatively well liked among readers, and she's had a good story- changing her costume so that she wasn't wearing the Japanese flag any more because the country disowned her, for example.
Marvel... I'm not really familiar with it enough to say, all that comes to mind is that Iron Man is pretty much a very tokusatsu-esque formula. Still, I'd like to think there's at least a chance. I'm sure I've heard of some small references, or cells featuring toku heroes in the background, so maybe some are aware, just hope they do something from it. Maybe do have the stereotypical samurai, ninja, sumo, kendo, but hopefully something like a rider too. The costume would fit in well, it's different and simple enough. So long as there's no disgusting Naruto crap in there I'll only be slightly disapointed. I just find it very illogical if they try to have Japanese heroes in spandex and stuff just like American heroes, etc... And even if Japan's toku heroes aren't known, it's also stereotyped as a very 'hi-tech' society so there's room for some mech suits or something.