Hiro Nakamura (中村広, Nakamura Hiro, ヒロ・ナカムラ Hiro Nakamura) is a fictional superhero on the NBC superhero drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time, teleport and time travel. In the show, he is played by Japanese actor Masi Oka.[1][2][3][4]
| Hiro Nakamura | |
|---|---|
| Heroes character | |
| First appearance | "Genesis" |
| Last appearance | "June 13th-Part Two" (Heroes Reborn) |
| Portrayed by | Masi Oka Garrett Masuda (child, season 1) Sekai Murashige (child, seasons 2–3) Mikey Kawata (teenager) |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Office worker (formerly) Hired hero Company CEO |
| Family | Kaito Nakamura (father) Kimiko Nakamura (sister) |
| Ability | Space-time manipulation, resulting in:
|
According to the online comic on NBC.com, Hiro is named after Hiroshima, so his family will always remember the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tim Kring has been quoted as saying, "It's no coincidence we named him Hiro... he truly is on a hero's quest."[5] To this end, his name is often used as a pun. His co-worker and best friend Ando once called him "Super-Hiro" in jest.
Character development
editHiro was one of the last main characters to be created by Tim Kring; he was added to the pilot episode after Kring's wife noticed none of the existing main characters were happy about their powers.[6] During a panel session, Kring explained that he developed Hiro as a comic book geek "trapped in a life that was kind of not of his making". Thus, viewers were introduced to Hiro as an office worker in a sea of cubicles.[7] In an interview, Tim Kring noted, "I didn't start off by saying I want a guy who can teleport. I started off by saying I wanted a guy who felt trapped in a life that was not his dream and what could be a power that would be most wish-fulfilling for that character? And that was the ability to teleport out of that life."[8]
Character synopsis
editHiro Nakamura is an office worker living in Tokyo, Japan, working as a level-3 programmer at Yamagato Industries when one day he discovers he has the power to bend time and space. An otaku, Hiro is an avid fan of superheroes and science fiction.[9] Naïve and over-eager, Hiro is the one character that aspires to the pure heroism of comic book crime fighters, shouldering the responsibility to use his powers for good. His best friend is the skeptical Ando Masahashi. At the start, Hiro is only able to speak Japanese and a little English, relying on Ando as his translator; but as the series progresses, his English slowly develops.
Hiro's Blog, maintained by NBC and written from Hiro's point of view,[10] was updated after each new episode aired, usually about the events of the episode.
Reception
editUGO Networks listed Hiro as one of their best heroes of all time.[11] The character has had a mixed reception.[12][13][14]
Malian-French pop singer Aya Nakamura adapted her stage name from the character.[15]
References
edit- ^ McHenry, Jackson (2014-06-16). "'Heroes Reborn': Here's who we want back | EW.com". Popwatch.ew.com. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ "Our Hiro - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ "It's awesome fun, saving the world - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 2006-10-29. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ "A superhuman love story - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ "Everybody's Heroes". TV Guide. October 9–14: 30–31. October 2006.
- ^ Popkin, Helen A.S. (2007-02-05). "Super Hiro: Japanese nerd is hit of 'Heroes'". Today.com. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ^ Standler (2007-02-07). "Heroes Execs discuss show's future, LOST, more". OgMog. Archived from the original on 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ^ Price, Matthew (2007-08-24). "'Heroes' worship Creator of hit TV series says stories driven by characters' lives, not their superpowers". NewsOK.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
- ^ Yano, Greg (2007-01-01). "A Hiro's Welcome: Masi Oka on Asian Stereotypes, Ad-libbing and His Role on NBC's Hit Show 'Heroes'". Nichi Bei Times. Archived from the original on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ "Hiro's blog". Heroeswiki.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ UGO Team (January 21, 2010). "Leveling Up: TV's Most Badass Makeovers". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ "Super Hiro: Japanese nerd is hit of 'Heroes'". TODAY.com. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
- ^ Simmons, David (2011-11-28). Investigating Heroes: Essays on Truth, Justice and Quality TV. McFarland. ISBN 9780786488681. Retrieved 2014-02-26 – via Google Books.
- ^ Keveney, Bill (2006-11-19). "'Heroes' star Masi Oka living the dream". USA Today. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
- ^ Amrani, Iman (23 January 2019). "Aya Nakamura: Afropop's reluctant face of empowerment". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2019.