Donald Glover has become a powerhouse in the entertainment world. On top of creating the major FX show, Atlanta, the actor also has played parts in Star Wars, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Community, and more. Currently, Glover is on tour performing his music, belted out by his alter-ego known as Childish Gambino. Billed as the final tour before he retires the musical act, Glover made sure that his performances were a feast for the eyes which he has attributed to a surprising aspect of his youth. On top of wanting to grab concertgoers’ attention, Glover noted that the light show was made to create displays only seen in anime.
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On top of paying homage to anime via his Childish Gambino shows, Glover also created an anime short earlier this year dubbed “Yoppaman: Happy Grits Training Video“. Creating the short with creator Zack Fox, here’s what Fox had to say about the project, “In 2022 I started developing an animated idea with my good friend and collaborator Chibu Okere. We’re both Atlanta-raised artists who grew up on stuff like Devilman, FLCL, Evangelion, 90’s cartoon network, and of course black southern folklore/music/comedy/fashion etc. so we wanted to make something that synthesized all of that into a big gumbo pot.”
Childish Gambino’s Anime Influence
Sharing a new look at the light display known as “Light-Binder”, Glover noted the anime influence on the light show in a recent Instagram post, “This is the ‘LIGHT-BINDER’. People steal a lot of my stuff after I tour (which is not only good, but encouraged), but this I really wanted to introduce because I’m simultaneously proud and entranced by it every show. this was our attempt at what was promised by concerts in the anime I used to watch as a kid. As the technology gets better, I’m sure this will be a live show staple. and for anyone that wants the tech, hit me and I’ll share it. Thanks, and see you on tour.”
While Yappaman hasn’t been picked up for a series, Zack Fox also detailed the story of the wild anime short, “What if the employees at a dilapidated 24 hour diner (a la Waffle House) beat so many peoples’ asses that they got enlisted to protect earth in shiny bodysuits (a la The Power Rangers). Early on we knew the idea was special and extremely stupid so we’ve held it close, building out the world independently instead of rushing to sell it to a network.”
Want to see what other anime influences hit the music scene in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the anime world.
