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Hero Orgins
- Thread starter Hott S
- Start date
MoparMaxivan
New member
American Series *NEVER* start with the orgin story even though there is one. American Series ALWAYS go back and retell it at some point via flash backs.
The only exception to this rule that comes to mind is Superman TAS. That did, in fact, start with Superman's shuttle crushing to Earth. Justice League could be another exception.
Some examples:Batman TAS: we jump RIGHT into the story.The Batman: again, we jump right into the story.Spider-man (90's version): We get an origin story sometime in the first season as a flash back.X-Men (90's version): We kind of get an origin story as we see the X-Men recruit Jubalee, but we never see the formation of the original X-Men.The Spectacular Spider-man: Again, flasrabroadack in first season. The only time media has ever protrayed the origin of Spiderman from the start was through the first movie.Wolverine and the X-Men: We start off with a big boom and a scrarable to reserable the X-Men 1 year later. No origin story yet. The series assumes we know the origin.Let's contrast this to any of the major Japanese Animation: Bleach, Naruto, DB, DBZ, Gundam (Any series). They all START the series with the origin story.
The US major series never seem to be able to start the series with the origin story. With US series, it almost always HAS to be a flash back.
Why is that ?
The only exception to this rule that comes to mind is Superman TAS. That did, in fact, start with Superman's shuttle crushing to Earth. Justice League could be another exception.
Some examples:Batman TAS: we jump RIGHT into the story.The Batman: again, we jump right into the story.Spider-man (90's version): We get an origin story sometime in the first season as a flash back.X-Men (90's version): We kind of get an origin story as we see the X-Men recruit Jubalee, but we never see the formation of the original X-Men.The Spectacular Spider-man: Again, flasrabroadack in first season. The only time media has ever protrayed the origin of Spiderman from the start was through the first movie.Wolverine and the X-Men: We start off with a big boom and a scrarable to reserable the X-Men 1 year later. No origin story yet. The series assumes we know the origin.Let's contrast this to any of the major Japanese Animation: Bleach, Naruto, DB, DBZ, Gundam (Any series). They all START the series with the origin story.
The US major series never seem to be able to start the series with the origin story. With US series, it almost always HAS to be a flash back.
Why is that ?
Tradition? Take Batman for example, his first story in Detective Comics wasn't an origin story. Further, popular characters that have been around for decades and are ingrained into popular culture are already familiar to the audience. Unless the creative team behind the show wants to do something unique and different with an established character's origin (SupermanTAS's integration of Brainiac into Superman's origin) or they want to distance themselves from the previous take on the character (Batman Begins), they may not feel what has already been done ten times before neeRAB an eleventh attempt.
Of course series focusing on original characters or lesser known ones are far more likely, but not guaranteed, to start with the origin.
The lion
Of course series focusing on original characters or lesser known ones are far more likely, but not guaranteed, to start with the origin.
The lion
Thomas Suffocate
New member
Using the word 'never' sort of sets yourself up for defeat.
Just to name a few recent ones: Ben 10, W.I.T.C.H., Avatar, Static Shock, Jackie Chan Adventures, Xiaolin Showdown, and quite a few other shows have the 'origin' episode as the first episode of the show. X-Men Evolution also did, from what I recall. You could say TMNT 2K3 did since it starts at the beginning of them first venturing up to the surface world (even if we don't see them get covered in ooze as baby turtles until later)
In the case of DC/Marvel stuff, I'd say it's because 1) most of them have loose continuity, so story isn't important to them, and 2) everyone and their mother knows how Batman/Spider-Man came to be considering how many time's we've seen it in books, movies, comics, shows, and so forth.
Just to name a few recent ones: Ben 10, W.I.T.C.H., Avatar, Static Shock, Jackie Chan Adventures, Xiaolin Showdown, and quite a few other shows have the 'origin' episode as the first episode of the show. X-Men Evolution also did, from what I recall. You could say TMNT 2K3 did since it starts at the beginning of them first venturing up to the surface world (even if we don't see them get covered in ooze as baby turtles until later)
In the case of DC/Marvel stuff, I'd say it's because 1) most of them have loose continuity, so story isn't important to them, and 2) everyone and their mother knows how Batman/Spider-Man came to be considering how many time's we've seen it in books, movies, comics, shows, and so forth.
soccer princess♥
New member
Define "origin story." When we first meet Goku, we know he's a crazy-strong kid with a monkey tail, but we don't know WHY. Toriyama doesn't [strike]retcon[/strike] reveal his origin as [strike]the last son of Krypton[/strike] one of the few survivors of Planet Vegeta and the memory loss and all that until much later.
IIRC, the Full Metal Alchemist anime started pretty in media res as well-- you don't get the full story of Ed and Al and their mom and all that until a few episodes in.
Ditto Berserk, where in both the anime and the manga, Guts' backstory is told as an extended flasrabroadack several episodes/volumes into the story.
IIRC, the Full Metal Alchemist anime started pretty in media res as well-- you don't get the full story of Ed and Al and their mom and all that until a few episodes in.
Ditto Berserk, where in both the anime and the manga, Guts' backstory is told as an extended flasrabroadack several episodes/volumes into the story.
I think theres a fine line between backstory and origin.
As Mr. Obsession pointed out, it may very well be tradition.
When you look at a lot of the American grown series, they just kind of start in the fray half expecting you to know the back story from what series have done.
It almost feels like they don't think the series will be successful unless a lot of action on the first episode drawls you in.
Series like Bleach and Gundam Wing strongly demonstrate the first episode can be action packed and firmly explain the start of the story.
As Mr. Obsession pointed out, it may very well be tradition.
When you look at a lot of the American grown series, they just kind of start in the fray half expecting you to know the back story from what series have done.
It almost feels like they don't think the series will be successful unless a lot of action on the first episode drawls you in.
Series like Bleach and Gundam Wing strongly demonstrate the first episode can be action packed and firmly explain the start of the story.
koryjones90
New member
You're limiting yourself to cartoons again aren't you?
A good chunk of American comics start at the begining, they've just been going on so long, and have been rewritten and re-imagined so much that it's hard to tell wtf is going on most of the time.
Anyway, starting in the middle can add a lot of emotional impact if it's done well.
In Trigun Maximum , we didn't get much of anything about Vash's past untill well into the series - he was just a silly, freakishly skilled gunman for quite a while. And those flasrabroadacks were pretty gut wrenching after seeing how Vash normally is.
Although Gintama started at the begining of the "Yorozuya Era" (if you want to call it that) Gintoki has a dark past that has only been touched on a few times - we don't know his origins, or why he can do what he does. And I suspect we won't get a Gintoki Gaiden until Sorachi is ready to end the manga.
A good chunk of American comics start at the begining, they've just been going on so long, and have been rewritten and re-imagined so much that it's hard to tell wtf is going on most of the time.
Anyway, starting in the middle can add a lot of emotional impact if it's done well.
In Trigun Maximum , we didn't get much of anything about Vash's past untill well into the series - he was just a silly, freakishly skilled gunman for quite a while. And those flasrabroadacks were pretty gut wrenching after seeing how Vash normally is.
Although Gintama started at the begining of the "Yorozuya Era" (if you want to call it that) Gintoki has a dark past that has only been touched on a few times - we don't know his origins, or why he can do what he does. And I suspect we won't get a Gintoki Gaiden until Sorachi is ready to end the manga.