‘Creed III’ Director Michael B. Jordan Has Never Been to Japan, Despite Being a Huge Anime Fan
Michael B. Jordan’s career as an actor is defined by numerous important films and TV shows. He’s a veteran who’s been seen on both The Wire (HBO) and Friday Night Lights (NBC). He appeared in Black Panther, and he played Apollo Creed’s son in the Creed and Creed II films, earning praise from critics for his performance. He reprises the role in Creed III, which he also directed.
While he has been in many movies, Michael B. Jordan has interests outside of acting — like anime.
Michael B. Jordan is an anime fan but has never been to Japan
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Michael B. Jordan recently stated that he was looking forward to going to Japan for the first time for the premiere of Creed III.
The actor confidently said he is a true anime fan in GQ’s Actually Me series , where he answered questions about himself in a cover story. He has previously stated that his favorite anime is Naruto: Shippuden.
But Jordan has never been to Japan. When asked about the influence of anime on his youth, maturity, and creativity, he repeatedly cited the medium. Jordan’s favorite anime series are Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Z, and Gundam Wing.
Michael B. Jordan, Creed III and anime
Because of Jordan’s long-standing and public admiration for anime, the boxing matches in Creed III were radically reimagined for the film. The highly praised Creed III was Jordan’s directorial debut.
As the actor said, inspiration for the fight sequences came from one of his all-time favorite shows. As an actor and director, Jordan is under pressure to make this film unique among others in the franchise.
Jordan detailed how the film’s choreography was inspired by Japanese animation and how they put it into practice. This may not be the first time Jordan has used anime style in his films. Fans speculated that the inspiration for Killmonger’s outfit in Black Panther came straight from Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.
Closeups and camera angles in Creed III
There are several major differences between Creed III and its predecessors, one of the most noticeable being the increased use of close-ups during fights. Jordan and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau’s approach to filming the battle sequences in Creed III has a strong anime aesthetic.
As in many anime, the camera in Creed III regularly closes in on the faces and eyes of Donnie, Damian, and the other fighters throughout the movie’s boxing battles. The perspective isn’t confined to the characters alone, though. The way Jordan frames the action in Creed III recalls how certain anime employs slanted perspectives or numerous angles on action situations to make them seem epic.
The camera often, and from unusual angles, closes in on the boxers’ gloves, tights, and rings to read their names. According to Jordan, one of the most influential anime on Creed III was Dragon Ball Z. The rivalry between Donnie and Damian is partly based on the rivalry between Dragon Ball’s primary adversaries, Goku and Vegeta.
Intriguingly, one of the most noticeable similarities between the combat sequences in Creed III and Dragon Ball Z is the verbal jousting. Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the cast spend a lot of time in Dragon Ball Z talking trash to each other during fights, stopping for significant periods to do so.
