''Super Crooks'' is a Japanese-American
superhero anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air a ...
series based on the
comic book series of the same name by writer
Mark Millar and artist
Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu (born 1977) is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions.
Career
Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning the '' Wizard''s Drawing Board Contest, his first ...
. The series was written by
Dai Satō
is a Japanese screenwriter and musician.
Having begun scriptwriting at a young age and writing scripts for various companies, Satō later focused his attention on writing for anime series. The first major series he worked on was the groundbrea ...
from Millar's story, and it was directed by Motonobu Hori in his solo directorial debut. The 13-episode series premiered on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
worldwide on November 25, 2021. It serves as a
spin-off to ''
Jupiter's Legacy''. In June 2021, a live-action ''Super Crooks'' series and second spin-off from the simultaneously-
cancelled ''Jupiter's Legacy'' was announced to be in active development.
Premise
Small-time crook Johnny Bolt recruits a team of eight super-villains to perform a super-powered heist.
Characters
;
:
:Johnny Bolt is the main protagonist and a two-bit crook looking to pull off the ultimate heist. He originally wanted to be a hero, but after accidentally causing a chain reaction of deaths after scaring patrons at a pool when he fell in and electrocuted those in it, he switched to petty larceny to get by.
;
:
:Johnny's girlfriend. She has power to implant illusions in people's minds; akin to the power of suggestion. Despite Johnny's bad habit of never listening to her, they have a strong and genuine romance.
; /
:
:A famous criminal from the 1970s during his youth. Unlike the rest of the crooks, he has no powers; instead using flamethrower gear like
Heat Wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
. He taught Kasey that pulling off one great heist instead making a living from them was the better move; Heat only ever showed up once a decade to refresh the terror of villainy when things got too dull.
;
:
; /
:
:A sophisticated criminal with the power to phase through solid objects.
;
:
:A small time thief with the power of telekinesis.
;
:
:The younger of the Diesel brothers. He has the power of regeneration, allowing him to instantly heal from any injury, regrow lost body parts, and even survive being dismembered.
;
:
:The elder of the Diesel brothers. He shares his younger brother's power of regeneration.
;
:
:A small time crook with the power to manipulate the weather.
;
:
:A brutal anti-hero and the secondary antagonist. He randomly gets powers every day which lasts for only 24 hours.
;
:
:Matts' right-hand man and successor as head of The Network.
;
:
:A longtime crime boss in charge of The Network, akin to the
Kingpin and the main antagonist. His name comes from his style of revenge; exploding the heads of loved ones of whoever crosses him, no matter how small the offenses.
Episodes
Production
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
first announced that the series was in production with
Studio Bones in March 2019,
and the series was ready for its world premiere at the
Annecy International Animation Film Festival
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...
in June 2021.
At its premiere, director Motonobu Hori explained that because the series takes place, in part, before the comic book series,
Mark Millar provided additional back story for
Dai Satō
is a Japanese screenwriter and musician.
Having begun scriptwriting at a young age and writing scripts for various companies, Satō later focused his attention on writing for anime series. The first major series he worked on was the groundbrea ...
to adapt, and
Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu (born 1977) is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions.
Career
Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning the '' Wizard''s Drawing Board Contest, his first ...
provided younger character designs for Takashi Mitani to translate into animation.
Towa Tei
is a Japanese artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the US label Elektra Records in 1990 and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart". He made his s ...
composed the music for the series.
The first nine episodes of the series serve as a prequel to the comics and then overlap with the comic storyline for the last four episodes, which serves as a straightforward adaptation, with the series also set in the same
fictional universe as the live-action series
''Jupiter's Legacy''.
In June 2021, a live-action ''Supercrooks'' series and direct spin-off continuation of the simultaneously-
cancelled ''Jupiter's Legacy'' was announced to be in active development.
Release
At Netflix's
Tudum
Tudum: A Global Fan Event, also known as Netflix Tudum or Tudum Festival, is a pop culture event that covers Netflix's original films and television series. Held for the first time in January 2020, the event is presented by Maisa Silva and brings ...
event in September 2021, the primary voices from
Kenjiro Tsuda and
Maaya Sakamoto Maaya may refer to:
* Maaya (given name)
Maaya (written: 真綾 or 真礼) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese singer-songwriter, actress and voice actress
*, Japanese actress and voice actress
*, ...
were revealed along with the release date of November 25, 2021.
Reception
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Netflix original animated series and films
2021 anime ONAs
Animated television series based on Marvel Comics
Anime based on comics
Bones (studio)
Heist fiction
Japanese-language Netflix original programming
Netflix original anime
Superhero television shows
Superheroes in anime and manga
Supervillain television shows
Japan in fiction