Michael B. Jordan’s stellar turn as Black Panther‘s complex villain figure Erik Killmonger has the world talking. Sure, they’re talking about how great he is in Black Panther, but they’re also talking about something else: the fact that the young actor loves himself some anime, and is loud and proud about it.
In the run up to and eventual wake of Black Panther‘s monumental arrival at the box office, you’ve probably seen some viral tweets about Jordan’s love anime – such as his good and true statement that anime is, I quote, “the best” – or even how his Killmonger getup from the movie has a passing resemblance to the Saiyan armour worn by Dragon Ball Z‘s Vegeta, another favourite of Jordan’s:
OMG!!!! i’m screaming!!!!! @michaelb4jordan #BlackPanther #ErikKillmonger #Tchalla pic.twitter.com/LcDOOJOwMu
— Jenn (@Shorty2Die4) February 19, 2018
Which is all well and good, but despite Jordan’s anime love becoming a topic du jour in the wake of Black Panther it’s not even something Jordan has tried to hide, especially on social media. The two interviews the most popular viral tweets are from come from a Vogue video from last November (where Jordan expresses a desire to visit Tokyo, thanks to anime):
And a 2014 PopSugar video during the press tour for his role in the comedy That Awkward Moment (where Jordan writes down that anime is his guilty pleasure, only to meekly scribble it out and write “women” instead).
A good scroll through his Twitter feed over the years reveals everything from his favourite places to watch, to his frequent discussion of the latest chapters of Naruto and Bleach:
this is where I get all my ANIME @AnimeAvenue that new naruto shippuuden just dropped..yea I’m into anime I love this shit!
— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) March 25, 2011
Naruto 617..???????????????? #rocklee
— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) January 23, 2013
Hell, even while basking in the post-release glory of Black Panther, he’s still at it, responding to tweets about his anime obsession from users:
First of All I’m 6ft and they live with ME, put some respeck on my name. LOL…aaaand goku & naruto are real ones ???????? lol https://t.co/QspyHD2zwH
— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) February 23, 2018
Nah that was a softball for the anime uneducated ????
— Michael B. Jordan (@michaelb4jordan) February 23, 2018
So yes, Michael B. Jordan, movie star, is also Michael B. Jordan, noted anime connoisseur. And he’s not exactly shy of letting the world know that! The real question is, where is the inevitable YouTube series where Michael B. Jordan reviews episodes of Dragon Ball Super, and why is it not a thing already?