My Adventures with Superman: The Man of Steel with a slice-of-life flavour
My Adventures with Superman is an animated series that provides a fresh take on the Superman mythos, featuring a young Clark Kent who is yet to attain all his powers and works alongside Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen as an intern at the Daily Planet. The series primarily focuses on Clark's romantic relationship with Lois, his friendship with Jimmy, and his internal struggle to figure out who he really is. This show is basically Superman as a slice of life anime. Despite the wholesome tone, there is a sufficient amount of high-stakes action and dramatic moments that add more nuance to the overall narrative.
The biggest strength of My Adventures with Superman lies in its portrayal of interpersonal relationships. The show has one of the best representations of Clark Kent and Lois Lane's relationship to date, with their growing romance seeming very organic and relatable. The romance subplot is the best part of the show and very heartwarming to watch. It does not play around with the "will they/won't they" trope and handles the conflict between Clark's dual identity and his relationship with Lois in a very satisfying way as opposed to how that is written in most classic Superman interpretations.
Clark is a lovable protagonist, and that charm extends to those closest to him. Lois and Jimmy play integral roles in the narrative, each having their own sub-stories, giving them tremendous character depth.
Much like Clark's journey of self-discovery, Lois and Jimmy struggle with their sense of purpose. Lois works hard to make her mark as a reporter while dealing with her complicated relationship with her father. Jimmy wants to be taken seriously instead of feeling like a third wheel to Clark and Lois. The compelling writing and character work will leave a certain effect on viewers, making them feel emotionally attached to the main trio and giving them a sense of optimism and warmth throughout.
The show attempts to put a unique spin on Superman's origin story, and that is most reflected in the antagonists. Most of the villains get their abilities from remnants of technology from Clark's home world. The primary villains, The General and Task Force X see Superman as an alien threat and it ties into Clark's personal identity conflict, as he tries to prove that he is not an invader but rather a hero trying to help.
My Adventures with Superman's animation and art style are very anime-inspired. It might not be incredibly unique or stunning, but the animation excels during dynamic action scenes as well as sombre scenes. The designs of the main characters are rather cute which reflects the show's lighthearted tone. However, I personally think that the villain designs fall a bit short and there are a lot of rehashed locations which make Metropolis feel very small.
The heartwarming storyline, charming and relatable characters, and fun art style make My Adventures with Superman one of the most entertaining new animated shows to come out this year. It is not only a love letter to Superman, but also serves as a perfect starting point for people wanting to get into the character.
Sabil Sadat Zahir is a student at BRAC University.