FEATURE: Why I Love the Exhausted Mentors of Anime and Spider-Verse
There aren’t a whole lot of movies I insist on seeing on opening night, but Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was definitely a “right after work on Thursday” experience for me. This series of movies has given me one of my favorite Spider-Man stories and I couldn’t wait to be enthralled by the jaw-dropping animation, the powerful storytelling and, of course, plenty of laughs because all Spider-Folks need to be funny (except Miguel, probably).
The Spider-Verse series of animated movies give me the sensation of having stories that relate to multiple parts of myself. My teenage self relates to Miles’ story of trying to figure out who he is, and it especially relates to him being made to feel like an outcast amongst a group where it feels like he should belong. My older self understands that feeling, too, but ever since the first movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, that part of me has always felt a big connection with Peter B. Parker for one primary reason.
He’s tired.
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Through watching these movies I’ve gained a huge appreciation for characters like this, the tired mentors who will get the job done somewhat begrudgingly. They aren’t overly enthusiastic about teaching the next generation or, well, contributing at all, really, because they’ve “been there, done that,” as they say. They know the ins and outs of the job and along with the general exhaustion that comes with working a gig that doesn’t abide by any sort of schedule, characters like this know the dangers and are, in reality, trying to prevent their younger peers from having to take the same painful steps that they once did — and still do.
Lately, it feels like the shonen anime series I’m really into have this kind of mentor somewhere in the narrative. Take My Hero Academia’s Shota Aizawa, for example, who shows up with bags under his eyes and that comically yellow sleeping bag. It’s played for laughs at first, similar to JUJUTSU KAISEN’s Kento Nanami insisting that he will NOT be working overtime. Ever. This attitude takes the youngsters looking toward them for guidance off guard. How could you NOT be upbeat and optimistic about something as great as protecting others? If I were 20+ years younger I’d agree, but with me being almost 40, having lived through a lot of major life events that were NOT a part of the plan (hello 2020) I’ve come to realize that I too want a sleeping bag, regular trips to a bakery and a nap.
While this dismissive attitude is, initially, comical, as the narratives of these anime (and Spider-Verse) go on you realize why these mentors think the way they do. Peter B. telling Miles he isn’t ready sounds cruel but he’s speaking from experience, knowing what lies ahead for anyone who wears the mask. He compassionately tells him that he isn’t ready yet and, from a kid perspective, it’s frustrating, but as an adult, it’s a way to make Miles realize that he doesn’t have to rush into this. There’s a lot of urgency placed on younger generations to figure out what they can do so they can immediately be useful in society, but Peter B. tells Miles that HE will know when he’s ready, not anyone else.
Aizawa does something similar with Deku, going so far as to threaten to end his time at UA because he keeps literally breaking himself in an attempt to become a hero. Everything he knows about heroism comes with a willingness to destroy yourself for the greater good, but one of the first things Aizawa imparts in him is to not do that. It’s the exact opposite of the tried and true “push yourself beyond your limits for the sake of others” narrative, but Aizawa knows that a broken hero is no good to others or themselves. As the series progresses he does more than teach Deku to not sacrifice himself, he goes out and fights for his sake and the sake of the rest of his students. If there’s a war to fight he won’t just leave it up to them, he’ll take the blows where he can so that, hopefully, these teenagers don’t have to.
And he does it without even batting an eye.
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Nanami’s the same way when dealing with Yuji, who has the tragically unrealistic goal of making sure everyone around him can have a “good death” and that he won’t have to kill anyone. Nanami knows the world of jujutsu sorcery isn’t that kind. This frustrates Yuji, who doesn’t want to be looked at like a child who couldn’t do anything to help, especially when his grandfather encouraged him to help others. This leads to what is probably one of my favorite lines in the entire series from Nanami and, dare I say, one of my favorite lines in shonen anime.
“Being a child is not a sin.”
This is why I hold a special place in my heart for the Aizawas, Nanamis and Peter B. Parkers. These are characters who know how ugly the world is, having been through it themselves, so they don’t hesitate to let their young proteges know what they’re in for if they don’t take their time and rush ahead. It’s a fantastic lesson to hold onto as an adult. Not only can you encourage kids to take their time in figuring things out, you can protect them so they have the space to reach their full potential. It might not work out, of course, as the world has a way of pushing kids too hard too fast, but as adults we can, and should, be trying to nurture the children around us in such a way. This is how we get moments where Miles is able to take a leap of faith, where the entirety of Class 1A comes together to bring Deku home, and where Yuji, after facing an awful loss, is reminded that he isn’t alone in a world as brutal as the one he’s been thrust into.
That being said, characters like this don’t always get it right, but what makes them remarkable, in my opinion, is that they’re willing to learn and try to correct their missteps. As a tired adult, I might not succeed in protecting the young people in my life from everything life will throw at them, but I can at least give them the space to figure things out in their own time.
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Briana Lawrence (she/her) is the Senior EN Features Editor here at Crunchyroll. When she’s not writing she’s taking care of her three butthead cats and taking too long to save Hyrule. Check out her work on her website to get details about her book series or watch her cry about sports anime on Twitter.
