31 Days / 31 Characters - FLEA FLY

My apologies for the big delay between post by I was having some computer issues. Hopefully this makes up for it a little. 

My Hero Academia, the seminal Japanese Manga and Anime property that gave us the definitive Japanese take on American Style Superheroes, has some big news this year.

In My Hero Academia's Final Season - Season 8! - kicks off! While the series has been on the weak sauce side for a while, Season 8 promises to be a serious turnaround (and having read the Manga I can confirm it!). Possibly even more exciting is the news that the spin-off Manga, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is getting animated! That series is schedule to begin in of 2025. I am a big fan of Vigilantes and I'm really looking forward to this. 

Hmm. That gives me an idea...

 

Character: Flea Fly

AKA: Shiro Rikitake, The Flea Circus Hero

Player: Not yet applicable. Tim Knight? 

System: Deadline Heroes RPG, Rommel Games/Fujimi Shobo, Kadokawa Group

 

Nature: Not yet applicable 

Gamemaster: Not yet applicable. Hopefully me.

Circa: January 5th, 2025. Not yet used.

Origins: The conspiracy corkboard of my mind put it all together: The My Hero Academia universe. Japan's Deadline Heroes RPG. Tim Knight's recent Superheroes RPG posts on Heropress. The 31 Days / 31 Characters Challenge. Tim's beloved Acrobatic Flea. Don't you see?!? It's All Connected!!!

I've reimagined Tim Knight's Acrobatic Flea as a student at U.A. High School using the very MHA supplement for Deadline Heroes 'School of Madness'. He's depicted here at the end of his first year (roughly Season 2 of a made up by me My Hero Academia Anime Spin-Off no doubt). We see him getting the hang of his 'Quirk' and pushing it further to [hopefully] uncover new aspects of it in the future [tune in for Season 3!]. 

Here is Flea Fly, the Acrobatic Flea if he were a student at U.A. High School... 

'School of Madness'

Deadline Heroes Supplement

Backstory: Shiro Rikitake, like over 80% of the rest of Humanity, possess a 'Quirk' - a superhuman ability that can defy predictable physics, biology, and indeed logic. Growing up in a small town in the Japanese countryside, Shiro could barely wait for his Quirk to manifest as he was eager to travel to the major city of Musutafu in Shizuoka Prefecture and, hopefully, gain entrance to U.A. High School. His goal, like that of so many others, was to become a Pro-Hero!

Beyond that I am not sure...I have some ideas but I would leave the details to the player (as I am prone to do), going over it with them to insure it 'lines up' with the campaign background. 

Overview: I ran a MHA themed campaign once some years back and it was really good if I do say so myself. It was set in the United States and took a look at what America's version of U.A High School might be like. Dubbed 'My Hero Academia: American Ultra', it was a super fun campaign that had a distinct beginning, middle, and end. 

So I wonder...

This version of The Acrobatic Flea is, in fact, not really The Acrobatic Flea. He is definitely the Flea reimagined as a character in a Japanese My Hero Academia series. Flea Fly is very much an Anime/Manga inspired variant, right down to his non-hero identity. 

I could see running 'My Hero Academia: UK Ultra' or something similar. What is England like in that world? If that was the campaign, I would likely make the character a bit differently; something closer to Tim's 'iconic' version . Maybe. Hard to say but interesting to think about. 

A little My Hero Academia and a little Kamen Rider.

 

The Highlights: None as of yet since this character hasn't been played. I foresee a good number of possibilities though.

Game Info:

As I don't have a fully translated edition of Deadline Heroes, the best I can do when making characters is to reverse engineer sample characters and some fan-made PCs and NPCs I've been able to check out on the Japanese TRPG 'net.

With that in mind...

Flea Fly is built as a Scion, a character type indicating a species of superbeings such as Mutants, which is what I feel best represents the Quirk-Users of MHA. 

His powers are:

Flea Agilitty: A Defensive ability representing superhuman agility and acrobatics that make it extremely difficult to hit him. 

Flying Leap: Flea Fly can leap so far and so high he appears to be flying short distances. He can easily attack opponents who are actually flying and if he leaps from the roof of a building he can cover many city blocks. 

Rapid Healing: A 'Mutant Healing Factor' pure and simple. Each time its used, roll 1D6 and the PC gets half the result back in Life Points [at the cost of 1 Sanity Point]. 

Strong Blow: A super strong punch but not Far Future GIrl strong. Spidey, not Supes. 

Notes: I really wanted to add The Acrobatic Flea's Energy Blasts but building Flea Fly as a starting character it didn't seem possible. I imagine this would be an emergent property of his developing Quirk. 

Alternate costume idea I really like. Heavier on the Kamen Rider influence.

Legacy: We shall see! I would love to 'Go Beyond Plus Ultra!' with this character. 

Whattaya think Tim? Please be kind.

AD

Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - FAR FUTURE GIRL

I am SUPER excited (heh, see what I did there?) to include this very special character in the 31 Days / 31 Character Challenge! I've been obsessed with the Deadline Heroes RPG for some time now so it was a given that I'd include a character from the game. Unfortunately, I've not yet run or played it.

Therefore, in a departure from my other entries for the 31 Days Character Challenge, this is an original character I created just for the 2024 edition. That's right, for a change of pace I'm going to do things the way they're supposed to be done! Inconceivable!

Did I mention I haven't been able to completely translate the rules for Character Creation yet? Anyway, let's go!

Character: Far Future Girl

AKA: The Tomorrow Hero, Alura Zordox

Player: None yet. Possibly me, possibly an NPC.

System: Deadline Heroes

 

Nature: Endless possibilities. 

Gamemaster: None Yet. Maybe me?

Circa: Today 2024

Origins: Again, I've been wanting to run or play this game forever but haven't been able to find enough of the material translated into English to make this viable. Luckily I am nothing if not persistent (read: obsessive, hyper-focused). I was recently able to find a number of resources including a set of Quickstart Rules (or 'Trial Set' as the website calls it), Actual Play reports, Sample Characters, and run them through a few translation programs. 

By essentially reverse-engineering some character temples and fan-made PCs, I was able to creation Far Future Girl. It's me, so I knew I wanted her to be an Alien. As for powers, I wanted a classic Superhero of the American Flying Paragon variety. Messing with some AI Art designs to get a basic idea I ended up with a character that, to me at least, looked like a Japanese Anime take on the Legion of Superheroes. So, that's what I went with. 

Backstory: Alura Zordox was a new Superhero on her first mission after graduating from a Hero Academy in the campaign city...one thousand years in the future! She encountered a villain with a Time/Space Warping power and accidentally flew right into one of his portals. She popped out of a similar portal but in the 21st century!

Still going at her full burst flight speed, Alura slammed into the extraterrestrial villainess Kokorosa-Chan, leader of the Earth Invasion Society. Kokorosa had hypnotized a bunch of young male heroes and were having them walk into her own Time/Space gate when Alura crashed into her. The collision made Kokorosa-chan loose concentration. The brainwashed boys were freed but spent a few moments thoroughly confused. Suddenly, one of them shouted to Alura that Kokorosa-chan was a villain trying to take over the Earth!

Kokorosa-chan, Leader of the Earth Invasion Society

from the Deadline Heroes RPG supplement, 'Villains Showcase'

Zordox seemed to recognize Kokorosa-chan at that moment and hit her with a Thousand Year Punch! The other heroes shook off their stupor and together all of them were able to subdue the Earth Invasion Society and its leader. The guys cheered for Alura and soon introduced her to other heroes. After explaining she was from the year 302X, the modern heroes dubbed her the Tomorrow Hero: Far Future Girl!

Overview: I see Far Future girl as a somewhat naive though very intelligent young woman who has quickly fallen in love with the 21st century. She loves to hang out with the other heroes, eat hamburgers and instant ramen, play video games, go to the movies, check out social media, and do all the typical things a normal young adult person does - all of which are completely new and foreign to her.

At the same time she is very confused by things we take for granted. You need a job to pay for food and shelter? Why? You still have trash? There's no Teleporter Booths to get around the world. How do you quickly travel to another country or to the Moon for a concert? What? No one lives on the Moon?!?

Alura misses her Mom and Dad very much, mentioning in passing they her father is a Superhero and her mother one of the smartest Super-Scientist's in the galaxy. She definitely gets homesick but also really enjoys being here in our present. Far Future Girl is a young hero torn. Should she stay in the 21st century or find a way to get back to her future?

The Highlights:

I don't have any yet as I haven't played her but I look forward to making some. I feel like Far Future Girl will be a really fun character to play. In my mind she's a mix of Supergirl and the Teen Titans Animated Series version of Starfire. 

Game Info:

As noted I don't have the full Character Creation rules available to me in English. Luckily, it seems that in Japan a common practice is to take one of the templates or sample characters, change their name and appearance to whatever the player prefers, and then run them from there. As the player and PC go on from scenario to scenario that character gains Growth Points used to improve and customize them further, resulting in a unique PC after initially being a 'copy' of a pre-made one. 

I was able to translate some of the sample characters, including a number of different 'Harbingers', the Origin type recommended for playing beings from another world such as Gods or Aliens (Thor, Wonder Woman, and Superman are described as examples of Harbingers). Kitbashing some of the these sample characters together and modifying some of the powers here and there (based on other powers from other characters) I was able to create Far Future Girl's sheet.

I'm not entirely sure how 'rules as written' accurate she is but it seems pretty close to other PCs I've seen. 

Her main abilities, Body, Spirit, and Environment, come from her Harbinger template, as does her Life, Sanity, and Credits. As for the powers, as I noted above, I took a few liberties with ones I had seen on the sample sheets. High Speed Movement (which I explain as Flight) is one that is directly from the game. Her Thousand Year Punch was inspired by the games' One Million Power. I made the punch less versatile then the power as written and I'm fine with that. Body of Steel is akin to the powers Armor Shield, Barrier, and Iron Body. Guardian is another power directly from the game (translated as Guard) but I was unclear how it works so I came up with a less powerful but more flexible variant. 

One thing I found really funny was that the Harbinger gets no Skill Level bonuses at all. The explanation is that these characters both rely on their powers and physical prowess more and are often unfamiliar with the mundane things a normal Human would have to do. 

Notes: 

In DC Comics, Alura Zor-El is the name of Supergirl's mother. Querl Dox is the true name of the Legion of Superheroes member Brainiac 5, an alien of the Coluan species and a descendant of the villain Brainiac. Far Future Girl's real name pays homage to Supergirl and Brainiac 5, who were a romantic couple in the Legion of Superheroes comic.

Taking some inspiration from this and the Japanese Anime 'Project: A-ko', I imagine Alura Zordox is the daughter of a genderbent version of the pair; a female Brainiac 5 and a male Supergirl (a variant Superboy I suppose. Superlad?).

The One Million Power that Thousand Year Punch is based on was definitely inspired by the power of the same name in the Anime/Manga 'Tiger and Bunny'. I additionally wanted a nod to 'Detroit Smash' and the other US city and state named super punches used by All Might and Deku in 'My Hero Academia'. 

Why did Alura recognize Kokorosa-chan? I'm thinking there is a villain in her future time of the same species. 

Legacy:

Me. Anime. Superheroes. How could I not like this?

It is heavily structured however, as are many modern Japanese TRPGs, and that might end up annoying me in the long run. Still, if there is a way to loosen it up a bit I would definitely use Deadline Heroes as a reoccurring and/or ongoing fill-in game for when we can't play one of our regularly scheduled campaigns. 

From the far future to modern day to a Medieval Post-Apocalypse Fantasy! Swords, Sorcery, and Giant Robots clash as we meet GARETH of OLLWOOD! 

Have at Thee! 

AD

Barking Alien

Superheroes - American Style

I've discussed the distinctly Japanese Tokusatsu genre of Superheroes already, so now I'd like to address Japan's take on Superheroes of the West.

As with Science Fiction novels, the first exposure to US published Comic Book Superheroes the Japan people would've had would've been from American Servicemen post-WW II. Superman was first published in Japanese in Japan in the 1950s. Manga anthology magazines began serializing American comics in the late 60s and early 70s. 

I can remember back in the late 80s and early 90s, when Anime and Manga were first making major inroads into the American market, that being an American fan of Japanese shows and comics was still considered very underground. Likewise, being a Japanese Otaku dedicated to America comics was similarly niche. 

Fanzines and Doujinshi covering Marvel and DC Superheroes did exist in this period, with the Wolfman/Perez run on Teen Titans and the Claremont/Byrne X-Men being especially popular among a small but growing Japanese audience. 

Batman Manga - Artist Jiro Kuwata

1966-1967

My friend Rina had collected some of these doujinshi and brought them to show me when she visited the US during the Summer. The younger brother of a girl I later dated was a Star Trek and X-Men fanatic for sure and that was around 1995-96.

Of course, the widespread popularity of American Superheroes was kicked into high gear thanks to TV shows and Movies. The CW programs featuring Green Arrow, the Flash, Supergirl and others brought the genre to the masses, though that pales in comparison to the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Superheroes by My Hero Academia Creator Kohei Horikoshi.

At the same time, the MCU doesn't top the charts in Japan the way it does in the West and indeed elsewhere. To understand why might take a deeper dive into the subject than this post is meant to cover but it definitely has roots in Japanese culture and preferences. Key factors include Japanese protagonists tend to be younger, they are often awkward underdogs who take a while to get good at their special abilities, and the designs and other visual are just very different from what Japanese fans have come to expect in their Pop Culture Entertainment. 

That said, there are those creatives in Japan who truly love American Comics and have found a way to make them appealing to a Japanese audience. Just look at the work of Kohei Horikoshi, the writer and artist behind one of Japan's biggest Anime and Manga hits in recent years, My Hero Academia. Not only has he created a successful series of Manga based on the Western Superhero with a Japanese twist, it has been made into a popular Anime TV series, a few Anime films, and a number of spin-off Manga (I am particularly fond of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes!). 

He's not the only one. There's Tiger and Bunny, One-Punch Man, and a Manga series from last year the became an Anime back in October called SHY, just to name a few of the most well known examples.

Left: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Right: SHY

So what about American Style Superhero Role-Playing in Japan? Well, this looks like a job for...

Author: Takashi Nagata

Studio: Rommel Games
Publisher: Rommel Games / Fujimi Shobo

Deadline Heroes, while not a major player in the Japanese TRPG market, has a dedicated fanbase that appears to absolutely love this game. It has a number of supplements and pre-made adventure scenarios both official and fan-made. Personally, I can see why...

Deadline Heroes differs from other Japanese Superhero Tabletop RPGs in that it really isn't a 'Japanese Superhero' game at all. It's an American Superhero RPG made by Japanese creatives. Most of it's tropes, mechanics, and even the look of its pre-made heroes and villains are more in line with Western Comic than Manga. Well...sort of.

If you've watched Japanese Anime or read Manga such as One-Punch Man, Tiger & Bunny, and My Hero Academia you'll notice that the Japanese depiction of Western style Supers, especially the villains, is very distinctly Japanese. Most Supervillains are quite monstrous in appearance (though not all) and the costumes worn by many of the good guys are more over-the-top than even the most avant garde American heroes. 

Still, this game and the genre it seeks to represent is undeniably clear; these are masked crimefighters in colorful outfits using their wits, weaponry, and wonderous powers to protect the citizens of this fair city from criminals, catastrophes, and would-be world conquerors. 

Not Wolverine, Isn't Scarlet Witch, Different-from-Iron Man,

Definitely-Not Black Widow, No-Where-Near Hulk, and Nearly-But-Not-Quite Thor

would like a word with you evil doer!

The game first came out in 2013-2014 and somewhat uncharacteristically [for a JTRPG] uses both D10s and D6s. The game is generally viewed as very easy to learn and play. Character Creation works by choosing a Superhero Origin which gives you your Stats and the kinds of Superpowers, Equipment, and Abilities you have access to. Next you pick the options that add details you want for your character.

The Superhero Origins are:

Enhanced: Someone given powers through accident or experiment. Super Soldiers, Hulks.

Harbinger: Beings from beyond our world or dimension. Aliems, Gods. 

Justicar: A normal person with super training and discipline. Dark Detective, Amazing Archer.

Mystic: A person with magic spells or supernatural powers. Sorcerers, Witches.

Scion: A member of a superhuman race or species. Mutants, Atlanteans. 

Technomancer: Technology and the power of science! Armored Heroes, Cyborgs.

Additional elements of Character Creation figuring out ones Powers, Skills, Credit, Grit, and Sanity (the last three are types of game mechanic currency). One of the things I love is as these resources dwindle you get closer to unconsciousness and death but also get a bonus to your effectiveness as you become desperate to win, hence Deadline Heroes.

As with many Japanese TRPGS of the last decade, the game uses a ;phase system' to progress the session's events. During the Introduction Phase characters entered the story and determine what is going on. It is the discover and investigation part of the scenario. After that you enter the Deployment Phase and complete various Challenges. If your hero or team can best these Challenge you move on to the Decisive Battle Phase where you'll face off against the villain(s) of the adventure. Be warned! Fail to beat any of the Challenge events in the previous phase and you'll start your Decisive Battle at a disadvantage. Great Scott! 

Another thing about Deadline Heroes I find really interesting is that the studio that makes it, ROMMEL GAMES, produced about a half dozen sourcebooks, supplements, and scenarios in house while the rest are fan made and then published through them. The game is almost entirely supported by the Doujinshi market and the fans of DLH have really made some great stuff. 

Some of the current supplemental material includes:

School of Madness

A supplemental including new rules, character creation options, and a very cool setting that gives Deadline Heroes its own 'My Hero Academia' 

Villain Showcase

A collection of adventure scenarios, each introducing a new villain organization and their leaders. 

There is a very distinct flavor to the villains of the game and its one you do see reflected in other Japanese Superhero content. Manner of them seem especially monstrous, particularly in appearance  I could probably do an entire post just on this subject.

Find Weakness

Adds the concept of Weaknesses to the game, giving your hero bonuses for being allergic to alien rocks or unable to harm things made of wood. 

Power to the People

Mainly a selection of new options, powers, and scenarios, there seems to be a focus on street crime of the Batman and Daredevil variety. 

In conclusion (for now), Deadline Heroes is a really intriguing look in Japan's American Superhero Fandom as well as its RPG culture. I really love some of the ideas in this game, while others are too heavily structured for me personally. I would love to tinker with it to adapt it to something more in line with my approach to Supers RPGs. 

To that end, get ready for something a little different as I try to create a Deadline Heroes character for my next 31 Day Character Challenge entry.

Go Justice!

AD

Barking Alien