Singapore is Getting Its Very Own Merlion Pro Hero in Upcoming My Hero Academia Movie
Majulah Singapuroar?
BY: JOLENE TEO
(Not) An Art Hoe
Image via My Hero Academia and Visit Singapore, meme by Singaplex
PSA to all Singaporean anime fans: Singapore is getting its very own pro hero in the upcoming My Hero Academia movie World Heroes' Mission! The pro hero representing the big red dot will literally be called Big Red Dot, and his design is based on our well loved icon the Merlion statue. While we process these mixed feelings about being represented in a blockbuster anime movie but also our somewhat potentially cringey hero, let’s take a closer look at what we know about our feline friend.
Image via My Hero Academia
Big Red Dot is like the Merlion meets Aquaman, sporting a buff physique and replacing his fishy tail with a blueish scaly hero costume and flippers instead. Completing the costume is the Singapore flag on both shoulder patches, a purple belt on his waist, and an eye mask to conceal his identity with superhero logic. He also has blonde mane/hair that extends into a beard.
Big Red Dot’s quirk (for those who don’t read or watch MHA it means his powers) is called Big Wave which allows him to release a large amount of water from his mouth, so basically what the Merlion has been doing since 2002. The water comes out involuntarily when he sees something he likes, and his favourite food is bak kut teh soup (pork rib soup) which is now apparently Singaporean cuisine. So is his quirk actually releasing large amounts of saliva??
Image via My Hero Academia and Visit Singapore, meme by Singaplex
The Big Red Dot comes in when UA Academy, where the young heroes-in-training are going to school, sends their students to pro heroes around the world to assist them in forming hero teams. On the official movie website, we see students sent to France, America, Egypt (with another new foreign pro hero called Salaam that was introduced with Big Red Dot), and of course Singapore and Malaysia. The two hero students that will be working with the lion hero are Yaoyoruzu Momo from Class 1A and Setsuna Tokage from Class 1B.
Pardon the Google Translate, image via My Hero Academia
World Heroes’ Mission is the third movie from the franchise, and is set to premiere in Japan August 6, 2021. In the movie’s trailer, we see the main character Izuku Midoriya becoming a wanted fugitive for committing mass murder, and heroes around the world uniting to battle against a mysterious terrorist cult group called Humanize. The movie comes highly anticipated as season 5 of the series is currently airing, and the manga is drawing into an epic conclusion.
Maybe instead of Japanglish Big Red Dot might drop some ‘lah-s’ and ‘lor-s’ in JapanSinglish? Keeping an eye out for our Singapore-represent hero will be another reason to watch World Heroes’ Mission, on top of the cool stealth suits Midoriya and crowd favourite characters Bakugo and Todoroki seem to be wearing in the released images and trailer.
Image via Anime Daily
JOLENE TEO | (Not) An Art Hoe
Jolene Teo is a contemporary and modern art enthusiast, writer, curator, and cultural researcher. She enjoys exploring the areas inbetween art, design, critical narratives, pop culture, and the cult of collecting. She is socially awkward but will talk to you about plants, art, anime, and life. Some part of her still wishes she can become an artist one day. Send her memes @joteo_
