Crunchyroll All-Stars: John Reid on Incorporating One-Punch Man Workouts to His Routine

 

Anime fans come from all walks of life and in all shapes and sizes. Some are students, some are scientists, some are doctors, some are artists, and some are even athletes! Crunchyroll All-Stars is a series of interviews highlighting elite professionals who harbor a passion both for their art and for anime.

 

Today’s profile is on John Reid, cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks. We spoke with Reid about him growing up as an anime fan, doing One-Punch Man-like workouts as a kid and much more! Additionally, we have clips from a video interview with Reid for you to enjoy! The following is a transcript of the full interview.

 

Video Interview

 

When did you become an anime fan? Was there a specific moment that affected you or changed the way you felt about something?

 

I became an anime fan when I was really young, watching Yu-Gi-Oh! during the times I was supposed to go to sleep. My dad used to watch anime VHS tapes and I remember watching Akira. Seeing this guy with a super long arm and the iconic motorcycle becoming a supervillain unable to control his superpowers, that drew me into anime. Then I got into comic books and manga: Ninja Scroll, Afro Samurai and Fist of the North Star. I remember going into the movie theater arcade and playing the Fist of the North Star punching game. All my friends watched Dragon Ball Z, but I liked the old-school anime movies more, not so much of the series.


 

Are there any ways you engage with your favorite anime series or characters aside from watching them?

 

I grew up going to Philadelphia and New York Comic Con with my dad and uncle so I was used to seeing people dressed up. Before the football games, people would be dressed up with their designer clothes and I’d walk in with my My Hero Academia backpack and anime long sleeves I got from Hot Topic. Then I started to collect figures from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Attack on Titan that I can place around my computer.


 

I grew up watching the combine and in the locker room before we went onto the field everyone was listening to music to get locked in. I wanted to get excited so I put on My Hero Academia and when Midoriya said “the power of a vision is so strong that it leaves no room for doubt” that made me way more relaxed before entering the field. The way anime conveys emotion is very realistic so now I watch a sequel similar to that before I attend any events.


 

Have you ever bonded with someone else over anime?

 

My dad and uncle for sure. When I was a kid, it was hard to convey real-world things because you’re not yet in the world facing real-life challenges. My dad and uncle would show me examples of how to overcome challenges through anime. Like Afro Samurai when he’s going to fight all these people and it doesn’t look like he’s ready to win the fight, they would tell me he was determined and keeps trying then able to overcome the challenge. I’d also play a lot of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy, where we would have watch parties on Discord to watch Hunter x Hunter.


 

What’s your favorite anime series of all time?

 

Samurai Champloo. From the music with the hip hop feel and the dialogue is very slang but the fight scenes are so good. The premise of the show is to “find a samurai that smells like a sunflower”. So the why for me is more about the journey and the character development over the end results. You see these people that want to fight each other but yet they’re able to settle their differences based on their common goals. 


 

Who’s your favorite anime character of all time?

 

Midoriya because I can relate to how he sees things. When it’s a clash of 1A vs. B, it’s supposed to be a rivalry. He reminds me of how I approach football because I take a bunch of notes on everything. His passion for wanting to improve rather than trying to become this powerful person reminds me of myself when I’m watching films to become better.


 

John Reid illustration

 

Who would you rank as the top anime hero ever?

 

L from Death Note. He was going against Light, who was basically a God in their universe. Light’s dad’s on the police force so he can get any name, but the fact that L was so confident in his ability to catch Light is crazy. You don’t see a lot of heroes in a show that challenges himself by risking his life to save other people.


 

Who would you rank as the top anime villain ever?

 

Meruem from Hunter x Hunter. The fight scene with Netero, who had trained his whole life. He was hitting him with 1000s of punches and one of the strongest people in the show had to sacrifice himself in order to have a chance of killing Meruem. He’s one of my favorite villains because even though he did some outrageously creative stuff, you can see that he’s still conflicted, like maybe what he’s doing is wrong. Relatable. The ending scene of him and Komugi playing the last game and they’re both dying off is one of the craziest ending scenes.


 

Have you ever taken any elements or learnings from anime and implemented them into your daily life?

 

On a funny note, when I was younger I used One-Punch Man to inspire my workout routine. One-Punch Man’s workout routine and doing as many push-ups and pull-ups as I can was a funny way I used anime in my daily life.


 

What’s anime fandom like in NFL culture? And what do you think it is about anime that attracts athletes?

 

With anime becoming more mainstream, you have more people venturing out for new things but what I’ve seen in the NFL is mainly fans of Dragon Ball Z. So many more players watched anime growing up and are showing their love for it. I think it’s really cool that everyone gets something from watching anime. 


 

What would your message be to someone who recently discovered anime and was thinking about getting into it?

 

• I’d say if you don’t have anyone recommending anime for you, go to a MyAnimeList or Reddit. 

• Base your anime search on your interests — demon anime, horror anime, fighting anime. Also, look up top anime right now.
• My sister for the longest time never told me she watched anime because a lot of people at her school don’t talk about it. You’ll be surprised how many people like anime with you — it’s OK to enjoy what you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to venture out.
• Embrace who you are.
 I watch anime, I play World of Warcraft, it’s totally OK to enjoy what you like. 

• It might be easiest to watch dubbed anime first
.
• I learned how to read from reading comic books. We used to go to the bookstore every Wednesday. 
I remember it was media day and a reporter said I’m a nerd, but I said you can label it — I just like what I like. 

By Crunchyroll feed