A thought on why “My Hero Academia” is so popular!

Every generation needs a hero. A hero who is strong, cool, and kind. However, are heroes strong from the beginning? In fact, they may have worked hard in places we can’t see, and as a result, have acquired the strength to be a hero. The protagonist of this story is an ordinary boy who, like us, yearns to be a hero of justice. This is the story of one such boy who, together with his friends, overcomes many trials in order to become the hero of his dreams.

This is an analysis of the new age hero manga “My Hero Academia”.

|What is the Comic “My Hero Academia”?

My Hero Academia” Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha

“Push forward to your own dream! This word sums up the fiery “hotness” of this work. Let’s take a look at the story and see how hot it really is!

◆A world where each person has his or her own “personality
We all have different personalities, don’t we? (That’s why it’s called “personality”…!) In the world of this story, each person’s “personality” will blossom into some kind of “ability”. In this world, each person’s “personality” blossoms as some kind of “ability” (such as the ability to release fire, or the ability to become invisible…) What kind of “personality” you have, and how you will use it, is left up to fate and good intentions.

◆The main character is a very ordinary boy.

In such a world of “individuality”, the main character of this story is unexpectedly “impersonal” (i.e., he has no abilities). His name is Izuku Midoriya. His nickname is “Deku”. “He admired the heroes who protected people from those who misused their personalities, and dreamed of becoming such a hero himself. However, Deku is about to give up in the face of the reality that he has no individuality.

◆The encounter with the hero of his dreams, All Might

What changed his fate was his encounter with All Might, the hero he admires the most. One day, Deku is attacked by a vicious enemy in the city. But All Might came to his rescue! Deku is impressed by All Might’s qualities as a hero, and inherits his “personality” (ability).

That “personality” (ability) is “One for All”. It is the ability to increase one’s power many times over.

◆Get ready to go to Hero Academia!
After obtaining All Might’s “personality”, Deku knocks on the door of the best high school to become the hero he has always wanted to be. That high school is “Yuei High School” (also known as “Hero Academia”). Deku is successfully accepted into this high school and grows up to become a hero of justice with his unique friends!

|The serialized magazine is Jump, the king of shonen manga!

My Hero Academia” was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014, starting with the 32nd issue. The book has been published in 22 volumes (as of February 2019) and has sold over 21 million copies. It is also explosively popular in North America, where it has also sold over 1 million copies.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is now a worldwide hero manga that drives the popularity of Jump!

|Won numerous manga awards!

・The manga that should sell well in the future
・Mando Kobayashi Manga Award 2015 Grand Prix
・The 8th Manga Grand Prix 8th place
And many other awards!

You can see that this is a work of great interest, receiving recognition not only from the general readership but also from prestigious awards in the manga world.

|The animation and the movie were big hits! And the stage…?

As of January 2019, three seasons of “My Hero Academia” have been aired, with the first season airing on Mainichi Broadcasting System and the second and third seasons on Yomiuri TV. As of January 2019, it has been aired for three seasons, with the first season airing daily and the second and third seasons airing on Yomiuri TV. The voice actors include Daiki Yamashita and Hiroki Kaji.

And because of its popularity, an anime movie was released on August 3, 2018! The movie was also a big hit, with 1.296 million viewers and box office revenue of over 1.7 billion yen.

And in 2019, there will be information about a stage adaptation! The title of the show is “My Hero Academia” The “Ultra” Stage, and it will be performed in two cities, Tokyo and Osaka, in the spring of 2019! This is great news for fans, as they will be able to enjoy the world of “Hiroaka” in a variety of media!

As you can see, “Hiroaka” is boasting explosive popularity. As you can see, the explosive popularity of “Hiroaka” makes it a heroic hit. And the fact that it’s so popular means that it has a certain charm that attracts people to it! In this article, I’ll divide the charms of “Hiroaka” into four categories, and delve into them thoroughly!

|The charm of “Hiroaka” Part 1: Ten different personalities! The “personalities” of the heroes are unique and interesting!

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this work is the variety of personalities. Every year, students who have passed a rigorous entrance exam are admitted to Yuhide High School. Deku’s classmates also have their own unique personalities, and it is this richness that makes the story so exciting.

In this issue, I’ll introduce the personalities of the main members!

◆Katsumi Bakugo: Personality “Explosion

Deku and his childhood friend, Bakugo, are competitive, proud, and aggressive. His “personality” of being able to create explosions from his palms is cool!

◆Tenya Iida: personality “engine”.

He is the chairman of Deku’s class, and is a very serious man with glasses. He has a “personality” that is so good at running that no one can match him in speed.

◆Uraraka Ochako: Individuality “Zero Gravity

A cute, warmhearted girl who takes a liking to Deku. Her “personality,” which allows her to temporarily make herself and anything she touches weightless, plays a major role in many scenes!

◆Todoroki Shoto: Personality: “Half cold, half burning.

At first he seems to have a cool personality, but in the background he has a sad past experience… (Please check it out!) The right half of his body controls ice, and the left half controls fire. Is there such a thing as “personality” in W?

|The charm of “Hiroaka” (Part 2): One for all, but all for one…?

In this story, not only do the students grow up to become heroes, but there is also a coalition of enemies (Villain) who threaten them. This coalition of enemies approaches Yuei High School in an attempt to kill All Might, the symbol of peace. What is their true purpose? This creepy existence is a shadowy part of the story and makes us curious.

Here are some members of the coalition!

◆Tomura Shigaraki: Individuality “Disintegration

The leader of the enemy coalition, whose appearance has a great impact. The scene in which he appears is jaw-dropping.

◆all for one

A mysterious figure giving instructions to the enemy coalition from the PC screen.

In particular, “All for One,” who appears as an unidentified (?) character, is a key character in this work. I’m also curious about the abilities of “All for One,” a name that sounds like a response to “One for All,” All Might’s “personality” that was passed down to Deku.
As the number of volumes increases, more and more characters from the enemy coalition appear, and their respective agendas become more and more complicated and intertwined.

|The charm of “Hiroaka” (3): Battle scenes full of realism

When talking about this comic, I can’t help but mention the realistic battle scenes.
Naturally, as a story about heroes, there are many battle scenes, but what is fascinating is that the angles change minutely from moment to moment, making them visually powerful.
It’s as if you’re watching the scene up close and personal. Furthermore, scenes where the heroes’ “personalities” explode, such as at the moment of a climactic battle, are depicted in a powerful double-page spread, giving the panels an outstanding sense of sharpness! English onomatopoeias such as “SMASH!” and “BOOOM!” are used mainly during battles, and the American comics-style touch is fresh and interesting. I hope you will experience the “overwhelming sense of realism” depicted in the battle scenes, the moment when heroes shine the brightest!

|The charm of “Hiroaka” (4): Heroes who grow together / Feeling as if you are watching Episode 0

I think that many hero stories depict beings who already have the strength to be active as heroes.
However, this story carefully depicts the process of Deku and the other students (so to speak, the “hero eggs”) who are still in their infancy as heroes, and how they become stronger.
Therefore, there are many scenes where they face conflicts and walls due to their inexperience as heroes, and that’s the charm! From the way they face their respective challenges, we can see that even absolute heroes are human beings just like us before they become heroes.
That’s why we feel sympathy and want to cheer for them as they struggle to become heroes. It is as if we are watching “Episode 0”, a heroic story with great success, which may be the reason why people all over the world are attracted to this work.

[speech_bubble type=”drop” subtype=”L1″ icon=”surprise.png” name=”Nazuna”] My Hero Academia” is a manga that has become popular all over the world. No matter how old you are, you can’t help but admire heroes, and you can’t help but cheer for them with a sense of excitement, as if you were a child again. The story of the boys continues at an accelerated pace, and the battle against the enemy coalition is heating up. Even their “personalities” will continue to evolve. The story will continue to evolve with each new volume, and it will take us to even more exciting places! I hope you will experience the excitement and excitement of dreaming of being a hero with the students of Hero Academia! [/speech_bubble]