This July, Superman returns to movie screens worldwide as the character experiences his latest reboot. And while it’s very exciting to know that the Big, Blue Boy Scout is coming back to once again make us believe that “a man can fly,” what happens when the credits roll? How do you fill the void? As always, the healthiest answer to that is “anime.” There are quite a few anime, and anime characters, that can help you bide your time until the inevitable Superman sequel, and in this list, we’ve chosen 10 of the best of them. My Hero Academia RELATED: My Hero Academia Quiz: Are You a Hero or a Vigilante? Let’s get the clearest comparison out of the way with this heroic shonen anime. Superman is a superhero, and My Hero Academia is about a society where superpowers are extremely common and superheroes are a frequent fixture. From All Might’s booming presence to the comic book font we see in the likes of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Batman approves of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes , probably), this may have been the first anime recommendation you had in mind when searching for new hero stories (we already delved into its Marvel nods , after all). While main character, Izuku Midoriya, may not have been born with a superpower (AKA a Quirk), and Clark Kent was lifting tractors in Smallville from a young age, what both heroes share is unrestrained determination. Both have a belief in not just the power of good, but in how much value hard work has in the pursuit of that good. Superman would probably find Deku to be quite admirable. Dragon Ball Z RELATED: Dragon Ball Quiz: Are You a Dragon Ball Expert? “Who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku?” is the cultural argument of our time. If you want to deliver your best guess in this crossover debate, you should probably watch Dragon Ball Z . In DBZ , you get a whole lot of hard-hitting examples to make your case with, and plenty of comparisons since both come from planets that were destroyed (Krypton and Planet Vegeta, respectively), leading to them growing up among humans and becoming humanity’s greatest heroes. You’re bound to find all sorts of Superman connections with Goku, whether it's the villains they face (like the fearsome Darkseid or Frieza) or how their heroic comrades come together like the Justice League. That said, in my opinion, the most reasonable answer for “Kakarot vs Kal-el” is “Goku keeps pestering Superman and asking for a training fight, but before they can throw the first punch, they have to team up to stop Frieza.” Come on, people. You know how these things go. Skip and Loafer RELATED: You Should Be Watching Skip and Loafer Yeah, I bet you thought this list would be full of Meaty Dudes Hitting Other Meaty Dudes, but like DC Comics itself, Superman contains multitudes. One of the most fun parts of his story is the fact that he grew up in rural Smallville and now tests his mettle (and his patience) in the urban metropolis called, well, “Metropolis.” Skip and Loafer has another good-natured country bumpkin trying to make it in the big city in the form of high school student Mitsumi Iwakura. Though Mitsumi lacks heat vision, she does have a remarkably earnest and kind personality that makes the world around her a better place. And that’s just as important to the Superman character as any of his powers. Love After World Domination RELATED: Enemies to Lovers Anime on Crunchyroll One of the best things about the superhero genre, particularly when it comes to Superman, is the ability to adjust between grave, world-ending stakes and lighthearted escapism. For the latter, check out Love After World Domination . No, the Kryptonian isn’t having meet-cutes with any high-ranking officers of evil groups (his heart belongs to adventurous reporter Lois Lane), but he often shares in Love After World Domination’ s sense of whimsy (especially in recent animated series like My Adventures with Superman ). Even the protectors of the universe deserve some joy from time to time, a valuable lesson both in fiction and real life. The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague Superman might have a lot of supervillains to wrangle and powers (including freezing breath!) to deal with, but he’s also in a bit of a workplace romance with Lois Lane. Now, Himuro of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague doesn’t have a Lex Luthor to fight, but he does match the rest of that description fairly well. And while his office crush, Fuyutsuki, isn’t quite as fiery as Lois Lane, she does have her heart in the right place, meaning that when she learns of Himuro’s “gifts,” she’s pretty accepting. In The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague , as in Superman, love means finding someone willing to embrace your blizzards. Yu-Gi-Oh! RELATED: Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Is Worthy of a Duel One of the key aspects of Lex Luthor is that he isn’t just an evil scientist/billionaire, but he’s an evil scientist/billionaire with a very specific grudge. He takes one look at Superman and thinks, “What’s so great about this guy? The people should be praising ME.” That could apply to a long list of Yu-Gi-Oh! antagonists, starting with the prodigal Seto Kaiba, who is smart and wealthy, but doesn’t quite buy into the whole “heart of the cards” thing (Superman would be ALL ABOUT the heart of the cards). It could also apply to Pegasus, who shares in Luthor’s deranged dreaminess and thrives in manipulating those around him like toys. TO BE HERO X RELATED: Could You Be a Top Hero in TO BE HERO X? The new Superman film shows that superheroism doesn’t just exist in a vacuum. There’s a whole public image and a profound societal impact to be reckoned with. The recently released donghua TO BE HERO X , in which superheroes are created through the public’s “faith” in them, is a cool dive into the idea of heroes as a sort of outlet for mankind’s aspirations. Of course, this means that they’re also entangled in mankind’s foibles and anxieties, and the various hero stories of TO BE HERO X take into account what happens when the heroes fall prey to the pressures of the spotlight. Naruto RELATED: Anime to Watch if You Like Naruto The fact that Superman and Naruto are both orphans trying to come to terms with their various purposes in life means that they’re ripe for all kinds of triumphs and tragedies. Do the complicated circumstances of your birth and the talents that you’ve been blessed with make you an outcast, a “chosen one,” or some mix of the two? Do you fight for good within the constructs of what the system usually allows, or do you branch out on your own? And does your power make you a moral arbiter, or must you hope to teach through example? Superman and Naruto tackle all of this and more! Mob Psycho 100 RELATED: 10 Supernatural Anime That Highlight How Unique the Genre Is One of the most fun aspects of this new Superman film is the willingness to fill it in with all sorts of eccentric characters from the outer margins of the DC Universe. It not only adds personality to the proceedings, but it also means there will be a wider variety of flavors for the action scenes. Similarly, Mob Psycho 100 thrived with its fantastic cast of unique anime characters, and their powers made for some blockbuster battle scenes that constantly upped the ante of what you previously thought the anime was capable of. In the words of Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes rad anime fights.” Precure RELATED: How to Watch the Main Pretty Cure Anime Series in Order Look, I know that when I say Precure , your reaction is likely, “Well, which one?” This long-running franchise about magical superheroes has many installments, and Crunchyroll streams over a dozen of them. But if you’re still in the mood for some beautiful costume changes, charming storytelling, and derring-do, this is a great place to start. Really, just pick the one you vibe with the most, and you’re bound to find some version of Superman that you’re reminded of. For me, it’s always good to begin with the original , as it sets up a lot of what later series will play off of/around with. But if you’re a Superman fan, then it’s not too much of a leap to being a magical girl fan ( just look at My Adventure with Superman ’s Josie Campbell ). Give it a shot! 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