Like ‘The Boys’? This Prime Video Superhero Satire Is for You

The big picture

• I'm a Virgo
  offers a realistic portrayal of superpowers, rooted in marginalized identities and social issues.
• The series tackles the harsh reality superheroes face, highlighting systemic racism and the benefits of privilege.
• I'm a Virgo
  shows that powers don't make the hero, focusing on human experiences.

The superhero genre is full of stories of heroism and adventure and some of the most terrifying examples of human depravity audiences have ever seen. Due in large part to great hits like the boys i invincible, the dark and gritty superhero subgenre has surprised audiences with its most realistic vision of what a world inhabited by humans with superpowers could look like. Many of these series try to present grounded stories that their viewers can relate to, but none have stood out like Prime Video's.I'm a Virgo. Created by Riley Bootsthis mind-blowing series offers one of the most accurate depictions what the superpowers of our world would really be like.

I'm a Virgo it is rooted in the experience of marginalized identities, telling a comical story of a young giant trying to make his way in the world while interweaving real social issues that would not be erased simply because powers exist. Even more, this dissect the concept of heroism in a way that no other series has, questioning what a privilege it would be to spare time to try heroism, and how a person deciding he was the true arbiter of justice could turn into something truly terrifying. I'm a Virgo depicts all of this through a surreal and hilarious narrative, creating a world of magic and monsters in which viewers can see themselves.

What is “I'm a Virgin”?

Even earlier I'm a Virgo, fans of the superhero genre were excited for more serious (and often terrifying) stories that interrogated the tropes they'd loved for years. While audiences have been thrilled by DC and Marvel stories for decades, many have pointed out how too many of these tales ignore the darker parts of humanity to tell plots full of perfect heroes and happy endings. That refusal to base these stories on fact the boys a cultural pillar like this. Since this show premiered, it has spawned similar superhero stories that are more nuanced as animation. invincible (with its history of intergalactic parent issues) or the hilarious extraordinary (and his concept of powers as an existential birthright), with each project showing a new vision of what a realistic “superworld” could look like. Each of them is amazing in their own way, but no one has really mastered a portrait that captures what it would really feel like to live in a world with heroes and superpowers, often focusing on a gimmick rather than the human experience. come in I'm a Virgo.

The mind behind this series is Riley Bootswhose previous pioneering work Sorry to bother you first introduced audiences to the filmmaker's unique method of using mind-blowing comedy to speak to real social issues. The same goes for I'm a Virgowhich focuses on Cootie (Jarrel Jerome), a 19-year-old, 13-foot-tall teenager in Oakland who finally leaves his oversized house to enter the world his parents sheltered him from. While he certainly shocks those around him with his gargantuan height and strength, viewers soon learn that he's not the only super-powered person in this world; his future girlfriend Flora (Olivia Washington) moves very fast (a minute for everyone else is days for her) and many people love “The Hero” (Walton Goggins), a billionaire who built himself a super suit and flies to fight crime. This setup has all the elements of your typical superhero story: an unlikely protagonist, a love interest, a big bad, and of course cool gadgets and powers, while making it clear that this story could never be typical, because only those who have massive amounts of privilege have a chance to try playing the hero.

“I'm a Virgin” tackles the harsh reality of everyday life for superheroes

In spite of everything I'm from Virgo fantastic elements, the show acknowledges it the horrors of the world would put an end to most attempts at heroism. Early in the series, the audience learns that there have been many other giants throughout history and that almost all of them, especially those who were black and brown, were extensively experimented on, used as laboratory rats or attractions of 'sideshows by an audience that saw them as more things. a show that a person, before being killed and studying his body for research. This, combined with the show painting the real struggles of underserved communities in the US (those facing unfair policing, gentrification, etc.), shows a creative commitment to weaving this superpower story into a real story that many of your viewers will indeed. they see themselves.

In a subgenre full of superhero depictions, this toughness is portrayed as dramatized images of villains and monsters without showing the institutional gravity that underserved communities face on a daily basis. While other series may take a moment or so to discuss things like systemic racism or similarly destructive social realities, I'm a Virgo is the only one that makes it clear the existence of magical abilities could never overcome the horrible conditions humans have already created — This is even scarier when viewers learn that someone who benefits from these conditions has decided to be “The Hero.”

The hero, as shown in I'm a Virgo, is a rich white man born with no skills who decided he was what this world needed, donned a super-mechanic suit and went out to fight crime, while also starting a comic book and retail empire around his image to become even richer. Her fake abilities pale in comparison to Flora's power to move literally at the speed of light, but even though she had the freedom to invest in this narcissistic hobby, she was forced to use her abilities in the fast food industry to pay their bills. The series criticizes any story with a “super person” or “vigilante” given this deciding to be a superhero is a totally privileged choice, because a person who really has to work to live comfortably would never have time to put on a suit and spend hours every day fighting injustice. This representation brings a sense of capitalist reality to the genre, reflected in how The Hero's sense of justice is what further deprives underserved populations. Of couse, he would only working to defend the cruel institutions that gave him his only true power: money.

“I'm a Virgin” proves that powers don't make the hero

It's easy to forget when you see it I'm a Virgo it's technically a superhero story, with its powerful elements often overshadowed by the social discussions at its core, and that's what makes it so amazing. With its quirky brand of humor and wild imagery, the series uses its superhuman abilities to point out the ridiculous inequalities that exist in this country today. Even more so, in a subgenre meant to critique your typical superhero fare, I'm a Virgo goes further grounding itself genuinely in a human experience of the groups that other programs rarely go into, those communities that already face struggle and discrimination in a real world without superpowers of any kind.

This engagement with reality makes Cootie's ultimate decision to overthrow the institutions and fight back so rewarding, even if it isn't because of some superhero mentor or wise words from an elderly, soon-to-be-dead relative. The lessons he learns from fully human activists who fight every day for the safety and happiness of their communities ultimately inspire this young man that his powers can be used to bring about real change. His journey to this conclusion does an extensive and attractive seriesperfect for viewers who like superheroes that could impact the real world today.

I'm a Virgo is available to stream on Prime Video in the US

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