I introduced in a previous article that isekai anime (anime where characters are transported to a different world) is currently very popular in Japan, but there are also other types of anime that are favored by Japanese people. One of these is the “hero with unnoticed superpowers” genre.
In the US, it would be something like Spider-Man. In Spider-Man, the protagonist is originally a nerdy high school student who gains superpowers after being bitten by a spider. He lives his life hiding the fact that he is Spider-Man but appears in a flash to defeat evil and save his loved ones or the world when they are in danger.
The gap between his everyday life and his superhero identity and the exhilaration of his victories have captivated many people.
Examples of Japanese anime
In Japan, a typical example of the “hero with unnoticed superpowers” genre is “One-Punch Man”. The world of One-Punch Man is based on the real world but occasionally monsters threaten the human world, and there are heroes with the role of defeating these monsters.
The protagonist of One-Punch Man, Saitama, gained superpowers that allow him to defeat even the strongest monsters with one punch by doing 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day.
His punch is said to be god-like, and he can defeat monsters that even other top heroes struggle with with just one hit.
However, due to becoming too strong, Saitama is unable to find any challenging monsters to fight, and he laments, “I defeated it with just one punch again…”
Despite his overwhelming strength, only a few people know about it. The rest of society and other heroes are unaware of his true abilities and often underestimate him.
Recent example
Recently, an anime called “The Eminence in Shadow” has appeared with a title that reflects the genre. The protagonist of this anime is a reincarnated individual who has a deep appreciation for being a hidden master of the shadows, and he conceals his true power and behaves like an ordinary student.
Another popular anime in this genre is “The Irregular at Magic High School”. The protagonist, Tatsuya Shiba, is a male student at the First High School affiliated with the National Magic University. He is labeled as an underachiever because his genius-level, specialized abilities cannot be measured by the school’s entrance exam evaluation system.
In reality, Tatsuya can instantly analyze and break down any magic formula used by his opponents, create new magic that does not exist in the world, and restore dead allies. He has overwhelming power.
In a surprising twist, Tatsuya’s abilities are sealed by his younger sister Miyuki, and he is subject to significant restrictions. When the country faces a crisis near the end of the anime, Miyuki releases Tatsuya’s seal, and his true power is unleashed. His classmates, who are all magic users, also learn the secret that Tatsuya is a military magician with the rank of special lieutenant.
Tatsuya is one of the few strategic-level magicians in the world, and he launches a counterattack against the enemy country that initiated the war, using magic to destroy the enemy’s military port in Japan. This results in the end of the war.
Why is “hero with unnoticed superpowers” so popular in Japan?
In Japan, the “hero with unnoticed superpowers” genre is popular because of the exhilaration of defeating evil with overwhelming power, combined with the Japanese aesthetic of being humble and kind to others, even with immense strength. Such protagonists are highly relatable to Japanese people, and this is why this genre has maintained its popularity for so long.
