‘Creed III’ And Its Anime Influences

For anime lovers, Creed III is a love letter for anime fans to the shonen and sports anime genres. Directed by the film’s star Michael B. Jordan, a self-proclaimed anime fan, it’s no wonder the film delved so much into certain aspects of the medium (Comicbook).

It didn’t take a lot of time or effort to spot the arguably shot-for-shot recreations of some of anime’s most iconic battles, especially Dragon Ball Z. Check out this post a fan made:

According to Comicbook, in addition to Goku and Vegeta’s battle, the film also took influence from Hajime no Ippo during a scene where Adonis (Jordan) is seen evading successive punches.

Despite the themes and the references to anime, the film does not come off as fan service and remains true to its Rocky roots. If anything, Creed III can demonstrate anime’s art and value as a medium and how filmmakers, especially perhaps filmmakers in the West, should not look down on it for its supposed “geeky” or “childish” connotations.

Creed III is currently airing in theaters and distributed under Warner Brothers Pictures. The film has been praised by fans and critics alike.

Nathalia Barajas: Nathalia is an English graduate student at Cal Poly Pomona. She enjoys going to antique stores and taking pictures.
Related Post
Leave a Comment