Mark getting swatted aside like a bug and held down with one finger by Lucan was realistic and aptly conveyed the threat of Viltrumites, whom the show has been hyping up since the Season 1 finale.

Mark gaining a second wind and whooping Thula’s ass just because he “stopped holding back”, however, was cliché shonen anime bullshit that ruined some of the tension they held over the narrative.

Unfortunately everyone’s stuck in that shonen anime mindset, where (usually teenaged) protagonists can curbstomp anyone, even adults (and aliens in this case) with way more knowledge and experience than them.

Yes exactly, I thought there’d be more people talking about this. I loved the episode and the fight, but it was really ridiculous how a Viltrumite with little-to-no training that just got his powers a year ago was able to beat up a Viltrumite veteran who I’m guessing has thousands of years of experience just because he “stopped holding back”. It came off as cliché shonen anime bullshit to me.

Most in this sub just brush it off as “well he wasn’t really doing any damage, compared to what Omni-Man did to her” or “I don’t care, at least he finally kicked some ass”.

Completely agree! Just let me binge one of the best shows I’ve ever seen dammit!!! After Season 2 finishes in January, I’ll probably binge the comics cause the wait for Season 3 will be even longer.

I absolutely loved this episode and the whole fight…but I also completely agree with you. This whole show has been building up Viltrumites as an OP omega-level threat, which made me feel genuine fear for Mark this entire episode, which was brilliant! But then, suddenly this baby Viltrumite who two years ago was basically a normal human and only got his powers like a year ago, was able to beat up and almost kill a Viltrumite veteran who has probably been alive for thousands of years. And the explanation is just “you’ve been holding back all this time, don’t do that anymore”?

It’s exactly the kind of bullshit you’d see in a Shonen anime (which is why I hate most Shonen).

It’s why this sub pisses me off so much. There should really just be a “show-only” subreddit like other television adaptations have.

Hi, Deep.