If Kick-Ass 2 were Japanese media, it would be considered shonen. Instead of identifying their comics by setting, such as fantasy or science-fiction, they define them by the gender and age group they mostly cater to. Shonen manga and anime tend to appeal to males aged thirteen and up.

Sure, it’s not an exact comparison as the two cultures are still quite different. However, Kick-Ass 2, just as the first film, is a dark comedy whose statement is not quite profound or ground-breaking. It’s saying similar things as Watchmen (namely that anyone who would dress up like a superhero and try to fight crime is probably insane or stupid), but does it with a smile wrapped up in a male empowerment fantasy. Even if the hero, Dave, spends most of his time getting beaten to a pulp, by the end he always manages to win his physical and emotional conflict and stand victorious.

The interesting thing about Kick-Ass 2 is that it essentially exists for no greater purpose than character development. The plot and storyline are much more straightforward than the first film, which was wrapped in the mystery of who Big Daddy and Hit Girl were, how their revenge mission would drag Kick-Ass himself into a deeper world of trouble than he foresaw, and the explosive climax that came about.

Kick-Ass 2, on the other hand, is simply about Chris, formerly known as Red Mist, now known as the Mother Fucker, and son of the crime boss killed by Kick-Ass and Hit Girl. Or rather, the main plot is about his revenge story. How his obsession with vengeance, access to large sums of money and his criminal connections all lead him to create a team of super villains.

Meanwhile, Hit Girl has to struggle with her now legal guardian, attempting to put aside her mask and simply fit in at school as Mindy. Dave, unable to simply be Kick-Ass alone, looks for other superheroes to help him out.

Ultimately what you have is a rather heartfelt dark comedy that addresses some of the cliched reality that all comic book heroes go through during times of tragedy. With Kick-Ass 2, however, it’s a little different. Because these characters don’t have years of expert combat training (except for Hit Girl), because they’re just normal people trying to accomplish extraordinary things (except for Hit Girl), you’re able to more easily empathize with them. You understand the angle, the desire to be something more or do something meaningful, and the fear once it all becomes too real and not just an escape.

So why do I label the film a shonen? Well, partially because of what was running through my mind as I viewed it.

It first started happening when I heard about the Bechdel test. If I was watching a film that happened to feature a scene where two women were speaking with one another, I made note of whether they discussed a male at all. Truth is this is a rather unfair test, as I guarantee you plenty of conversations women have in day-to-day life feature men prominently. The Bechdel test does not specify the manner in which the man is discussed, so women don’t even get a pass if they, say, are discussing how unhappy they are with a local politician and his policies on taxation.

With all the recent discussion of sexism in video games and the whole Tropes vs. Women in Video Games thing going on, I’ve had issues of sexism, racism, and political correctness jumbling my thoughts quite frequently. It has been in my mind while playing The Last of Us and it was in my mind during Kick-Ass 2. I wondered if Hit Girl’s time in high school was a good story arc, or if it would somehow be considered stereotypical, or demeaning, or even misogynistic in some manner. Certain lines of dialog made me flinch because I knew they could be taken the wrong way.

The problem is, this is not the proper way to view and critique Kick-Ass 2.

This may come out as being defensive of the original story-teller Mark Millar, who has recently come under fire for some pretty stupid comments recently. In truth, there’s a reason I avoid reading the original Kick-Ass comic and choose instead to watch the films. Director and screenwriter team Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman stripped out some of Mark Millar’s misogyny and immaturity when creating the first film, and that has pervaded in the second despite a different writer/director.

While I confess that there are problems in our media and how it handles demographics and diversity, I also feel that we’re being pushed the wrong direction. We should acknowledge that there are a lot of poor examples of female protagonists, yes. We should acknowledge that too often we’re forced to cheer for yet another straight white male, yes. We should also have a more diverse crowd of creators in Hollywood, comics, video games, and so on.

This does not mean every straight white male should be taken to task for failing to live up to the demands of markets they may be unable to reach.

I like how the Japanese define their comics, be it shonen (teen boy), shoujo (teen girl), seinen (adult male), or josei (adult female). Both genders of all age groups are represented, even though, yes, it seems the shonen battle-manga (Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, etc.) tend to be the most popular. There are comics for all ages with their own particular traits and even forms of fan-service that appeal to different genders.

I see no problem in enjoying Kick-Ass 2 as a film for adolescent men. Sure, it’s rated R and by our standards “for adults”, but it triggers a sort of juvenile joy while having nothing groundbreaking or meaningful to say. It’s simply fun, and to try and transform it in an effort to please everyone, to read over every single line of dialog to make sure no one is offended…

Well, besides missing part of the point of Kick-Ass altogether, that’s a creative restriction that is not always welcome, nor is it always for the better. I’d say, on the whole, Kick-Ass 2 did a great job of telling Mindy’s story alongside of Dave and Chris’, and it doesn’t need to be changed so it can be more girl friendly.