What happens in volume 28 of My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia (Japanese: 僕のヒーローアカデミア, Hepburn: Boku no Hīrō Akademia) is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It has been serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 2014, with its chapters additionally collected into 36 tankōbon volumes as of October 2022. Set in a world where superpowers (called "Quirks") have become commonplace, the story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy who was born without a Quirk but still dreams of becoming a superhero himself. He is scouted by All Might, Japan's greatest hero, who bestows his Quirk to Midoriya after recognizing his potential, and helps to enroll him in a prestigious high school for superheroes in training.

The manga spawned a media franchise, having inspired numerous spin-off manga, such as My Hero Academia: Smash!!, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes and My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions. The series has expanded into light novels, stage plays, and various types of merchandise and media such as a trading card game and numerous video games. It has been adapted into an anime television series produced by Bones. The first season aired in Japan from April to June 2016, followed by a second season from April to September 2017, then a third season from April to September 2018, a fourth season from October 2019 to April 2020, a fifth season from March to September 2021, and a sixth season, which premiered in October 2022. It has also received three animated films, titled My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, and My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, respectively. Additionally, it has developed eight original video animations (OVAs), each bundled with a limited edition in numerous volumes of the manga. There are plans for a live-action film by Legendary Entertainment.

In North America, the manga series has been licensed by Viz Media, who published the first volume in August 2015. It was released simultaneously in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Shueisha began to simulpublish the series in English on Manga Plus online platform. The anime series has been licensed for streaming services, the home and broadcast release, and the merchandise rights by Crunchyroll. The English dub premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in May 2018.

My Hero Academia has become a large commercial success, appearing on The New York Times bestseller list several times. As of January 2022, the manga had over 65 million copies in circulation including sales of spin-offs, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. Critical reception has also been positive, with reviewers praising the manga for its art, characters, story, fight scenes, and the use of pop culture references to Western superhero comics; the anime series has received additional praise for its animation, music, pacing, and voice performances in both Japanese and English. The manga and anime have both won several awards, including the Sugoi Japan Award and Harvey Award for Best Manga, and received two nominations for Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

Synopsis

Setting

The story of My Hero Academia is set in a world where currently most of the human population has gained the ability to develop superpowers called "Quirks" (個性, Kosei), which occur in children within the age of four: it is estimated that around 80% of the world population has a Quirk. There are an endless number of Quirks, and it is extremely unlikely to find two people who have the exact same power, unless they are closely related. Among the Quirk-enhanced individuals, a few of them earn the title of Heroes, who cooperate with the authorities in rescue operations and apprehending criminals who abuse their powers, commonly known as Villains. In addition, Heroes who excel on their duties gain celebrity status and are recognized as "Pro Heroes" (プロヒーロー, Puro Hīrō). Most heroes are popular based on their rankings, with higher ranking heroes receiving more popularity and public appeal, although it isn't uncommon for rookie heroes to gain such popularity as well.

In the early existence of Heroes, the people who volunteered to do their heroic duties without a permission, are recognized as "Vigilantes" (ヴィジランテ, Vijirante). Those students who have acted as vigilantes, are not allowed to perform as heroes due to the regulations and Quirk restriction laws managed by the Hero Public Safety Commission (ヒーロー公安委員会, Hīrō Kōan Iinkai). While the act of vigilantism is inherently illegal, the vigilantes themselves represent a gray line in the eyes of the law. The Hero Public Safety Commission originally enlisted vigilantes to do their dirty work until they became too organized for the vigilantes to properly deal with, so they abandoned the idea and instead focused on recruiting Pro Heroes to handle the job. There are people who considered wearing costumes, since they don't have access to support companies like heroes do, they made out of regular clothes or anything they can get ahold of.

There are two types of internships that offer the opportunity to become a Pro Hero. The first type is the Hero Agency Internships in which sometimes, the Pro Heroes can send a request to the students whom wish to work under them, such as in the aftermath of the Sports Festival. It involves a student merely shadowing a Pro Hero, listening to their advice and watching them in action for an entire week. Since the students are unlicensed, they cannot legally work as heroes. And the second type is the Hero Work-Study where a student acquires a Hero License after passing the Provisional Hero License Exam. They are treated as real sidekicks, which allows them to participate in relief efforts during emergency situations. This also allows them to gain real experience and can help them get noticed by other Pro Heroes who might hire them as full-time sidekicks once they graduate.

Plot

Izuku Midoriya is a young man who dreams of becoming a Hero despite being bullied by his violent childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo for lacking a Quirk. Both youths idolize one of the world's greatest heroes All Might, who they both met with Izuku being one of few to know of a critical injury All Might has been concealing from the public eye to maintain morale. All Might also reveals the nature of his Quirk "One For All" and passes it down to Izuku as his successor after seeing the youth's determination in the face of danger. As Izuku begins his path to become a hero by attending U.A. High School (雄英高校, Yūei Kōkō) alongside Bakugo and the friends they make in Class 1-A, a nemesis to the "One For All" users named All For One conditions his apprentice Tomura Shigaraki along with the League of Villains whom they arrive at the U.S.J. facility to invade the building and began assaulting on U.A. students, plan to destroy the current society and its heroes.

Recovered from the villains' invasion in U.S.J. during the time of hero training, the students take part and participate in the U.A. Sports Festival, which gives them the opportunity to show off their Quirks and skills to the world. Amongst all the alliances and declarations, Izuku learns about the tragic past of Shoto Todoroki, and manages to help him learn to accept himself for who he is. At the end of the event, Bakugo is the winner after defeating Todoroki in the final battle. After the Sports Festival, the students take internships where they get to train with Pro Heroes. Izuku trains with All Might's former master, Gran Torino, to gain control over his Quirk. Meanwhile, evil begins moving about in Hosu City, as the Hero Killer: Stain makes a name for himself, eventually leading to a confrontation with the League of Villains and three young heroes seeks out to defeat him, including Tenya Iida who seeks for revenge after his older brother was injured. As they defeat Stain and handed over to police, the villain states that "fake" Pro Heroes and the pathetic criminals are the targets for his purge to create everything he is doing more just society. In the aftermath of these events, the students take the final exams where Aizawa originally said that those who failed the exam, they won't be able to go to training camp during summer vacation; however, regardless of the students' results in the exam, everyone are joining in order to get stronger but for the students who failed, are doing a harsher training at a lodge.

After Katsuki is captured by the Vanguard Action Squad in summer training camp, the students and teachers of U.A. must deal with the ramifications of their failure. As the Pro Heroes prepare to infiltrate the League of Villains' hideout to rescue him, a brave group of students named The Bakugo Rescue Squad, decide to take matters into their own hands and rescue their classmate by themselves. This culminates in the arrival of All For One, who after a devastating and hard-hitting battle, is defeated by All Might, at the cost of him losing the remaining embers of One For All, and retiring as a Hero. After All Might's retirement, the U.A. High School transitions into a constructed dorm, where the students currently lives, in order not only to keep them safe but will help to determine the identity of "U.A. traitor". The students preparing for their Provisional Hero License Exam, becoming that much closer to full-fledged Heroes. The students of Class 1-A manage to overcome the competition with the other schools. Everyone has passed and getting their licenses, except Bakugo and Todoroki. In the aftermath, Bakugo confronts Midoriya, revealing he has figured out the truth behind Izuku's Quirk. After the two have a fight, All Might comes clean to Bakugo about the truth behind One For All, and he agrees to keep the secret for them.

With their licenses, the students are able to take part in Hero Work-Studies. Izuku works with All Might's former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, even though he believes Izuku to be an ill-fated successor for One For All. Meanwhile, Overhaul, the head of the Shie Hassaikai, seeks to bring the yakuza back into prominence, thanks to a Quirk-Destroying Drug they have created using a girl named Eri, even forcing the League of Villains to assist them. After learning about the existence of Eri and the Shie Hassaikai's plans, a team of Pro Heroes, including Izuku and some of his classmates, raid the yakuza's headquarters in attempt to rescue her and stop them. With the help of his friends, Izuku successfully save Eri and defeat Overhaul in battle, though at the cost of Sir Nighteye's life. While the students prepared for the school festival, Gentle Criminal and La Brava attempt to infiltrate the U.A. High but they are stopped by Deku and handed over to the police. Kyoka Jiro along with her classmates, perform the grand musical performance which makes Eri finally smile after letting go of her tormented past.

Due to All Might's retirement, Endeavor takes up a mantle as the new number one hero in the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart. Endeavor and the No. 2 Hero Hawks, had a meeting in the restaurant about the future of hero society. As they had talk to each other, a High-End Nomu named Hood suddenly crashing the glass windows and Endeavor challenges him. Despite his injuries, Endeavor continues to fight and later he defeat the creature using his ultimate move. Though he is severely wounded, Endeavor imitates All Might's pose as the sign of his start of being number one hero. While sleeping in the bed, Izuku has a dream where he is confronted with the vestiges of the previous One For All users. During a Joint Training exercise, where Class 1-A and 1-B, as well as Hitoshi Shinso, compete against each other in the battle, Izuku inadvertently awakens Blackwhip, one of the Quirks of the previous users, and learns that he will soon be inheriting the other five Quirks as well. Class 1-A wins the training battle, and Shinso earns a passing grade to transfer to the Hero Course for his second year. Having previously failed the exam, Bakugo and Todoroki have finally receive their Provisional Hero Licenses after passing the Hero License Course.

Knowing of the incoming danger, the Hero Public Safety Commission orders a secondary round of Hero Work-Studies for the students to prepare themselves for the upcoming War. With nowhere to go, Todoroki invites Midoriya and Bakugo to accompany him to the Endeavor Agency. While he's initially reluctant, Endeavor agrees to take them on after receiving a coded warning from Hawks, and trains his interns to harness their Quirks. Meanwhile, the League of Villains encounter All For One's subordinates, Doctor Kyudai Garaki and Gigantomachia, who discovers Tomura Shigaraki as his worthiness to become All For One's successor as the beast challenge him. The League of Villains arrive at the Deika City where they meet and challenge the powerful villain group, the Meta Liberation Army, led by Re-Destro. After the battle, the League of Villains and the Meta Liberation Army form to become the Paranormal Liberation Front, while Shigaraki enters a procedure with Dr. Garaki to obtain his ultimate power.

After a tip from Hawks and a new source of intel in Tartarus, the Heroes have assembled all of the information they need to confront the Paranormal Liberation Front head-on, leading to an all-out war, and in the end, nothing will be the same. In the aftermath, many cities are completely destroyed, villains start running out of control, and civilians are forced to flee or fight for themselves, as everyone starts to lose faith in hero society. Endeavor reconciles with his family as they resolve to solve the Toya problem together. Izuku learns more about the secrets behind One For All, and resolves to find some way to "save" Shigaraki without killing him. With All For One freed, and the name of "One For All" starting to become public knowledge, Izuku decides to leave U.A. to protect his classmates from danger while the Class 1-A plans to bring him back as he struggles to continue the endlessly fight. Eventually, they finally confront him, stating their desire to share his burden and help him overcome his struggles, with Katsuki Bakugo even apologizing for all he's done to him, which manages to wear Izuku down. He is taken back to U.A. to rest, and while he is initially met with disdain from the general public, a speech from Ochaco Uraraka convinces them to rethink their outlook on the world and let him stay.

With Shigaraki's body nearly complete, All Might requests immediate aid from the foreign Heroes. America's No. 1 Pro Hero, Star and Stripe, arriving to help defeat the villain. But Shigaraki fights back and accomplish All For One's goal: stealing her Quirk, New Order. He proceeds to decay her, with Star and Stripe thanking All Might for saving her during her young age. Aware of their current timetable, Class 1-A and the remaining Pro Heroes prepare to use their forces to take the fight to the villains and defeat them once and for all. However, things get complicated when they discover Yuga Aoyama is the "U.A. traitor", having received All For One's Quirk and forced to serve as villain's spy within U.A. out of fear for his parents' safety. Despite the betrayal, the class recognizes his true intentions and resolves to redeem himself by fighting back against All For One. The final battle between the Heroes and Villains are decided to take the fate of the world. With Eraser Head's plan, the Heroes manage to lure out the villains from hiding and separate to prevent them from working together. Utilizing Yuga's connection to All For One, as well as the influence of Shinso's Brainwashing Quirk, they successfully bait All For One and the villains out into the open, and with Neito Monoma copying Kurogiri's Warp Gate Quirk, summon several portals to teleport the major threats all over Japan, with different teams facing down each opponent.

Production

Development

Horikoshi stated that after his previous series Barrage was canceled after just two volumes, he was sad and out of ideas.[5] In order to get more ideas, he revisited a one-shot he previously published in Akamaru Jump, titled My Hero (僕のヒーロー, Boku no Hīrō). This would end up being the basis for the series.[6] Horikoshi was also a big fan of American films and comics, like Spider-Man directed by Sam Raimi, Star Wars, and X-Men, which he used for inspiration.[7][6] Horikoshi cites Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto as being the main influence for his art, specifically stating it gave him a love for drawing hands.[8] Horikoshi has also cited Dragon Ball, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider as sources of inspiration.[7][6]

Hitoshi Koike, the editor of My Hero Academia, explains that the author already had his general concept in mind about the manga and just as written in various places such as the comic's covers, there were many rejected story patterns that were changed and Horikoshi dismissed the idea on his own. He also stated that the author yearned to draw in his inspiration. He and Horikoshi had worked on concepts about their characters' designs while finishing the storyboards that draw the scenes in the series. He felt excited about the design despite not knowing the contents like in characters that were fascinating; for example, the series antagonist Tomura Shigaraki.[6]

Kengo Monji, the second editor of the manga, said that the series' storyboards for the first chapter he took over as the new editor were still in progress, which it had not yet published into the magazine. He also stating that the series' author had a difficult time to worked on their chapters, but the more important is to earn the best in working the series. He thinks that the good mix of elements that made it interesting, which made an idea by mixing the flair of Japan's shōnen manga with "heroes", a concept that everyone understands. He compliments about Horikoshi's drawing where the style that comes from the cartoon elements, and it makes the readers stunning to how cool is the art made.[6]

Conclusion

Horikoshi originally stating that the manga will not be ending longer as One Piece because he does not have a stamina to it, instead he would like to keep it concise or shorter compare to the other shōnen manga series.[7] In April 2021, Horikoshi stated that he had planned that the manga would end where it has been much longer than expected, but it is still leading toward the ending that had "decided" upon since before the series began.[9] In December 2021, Horikoshi stated during the interview in the Jump Festa '22 event that "if things go smoothly, the manga will meet its goal in one year. If it doesn't go smoothly, I think [Izuku's voice actor] Yamashita will be reading out the exact same letter from me at next year's Jump Festa". He also teased that Katsuki Bakugo will soon get his "big scene" so that people who both love and hate the character can look forward to it.[10] In May 2022, the manga's author has a very bittersweet message announced from the 34th volume of the manga. He said: "I feel like I can finally see the goal in sight. It's a rather strange feeling getting to this point. In the past, I would just be drawing without a single care [for the future], but now I wonder just how many more times can I draw these characters? Change is scary as you grow older. Well, I really shouldn't dwell on that! Until next volume then!".[11]

Themes and analysis

Horikoshi has stated that the main theme he focuses on is "what makes a hero".[12] He also stated that he likes stories with bad endings, as well as horror stories. However, he finds these difficult to draw since his mood when he draws is the same in the story. In order to combat this, he puts in more silly-looking characters like Fat Gum, in order to keep the mood up. The fight scene of Fat Gum and Eijiro Kirishima against a villain was filled with his passion. He was able to draw the "Intern Arc" properly, and his hero was Fat Gum because he is a giant and a comical character who speaks in the Kansai dialect.[12]

Horikoshi talks about the episode battle between All Might and All for One which it airs in anime, also contains a heavy content. He stated that an episode itself was "difficult to draw", but he feels like that the light finally began to appear and started to feel better about its theme. The story itself makes his own tension on the picture, which he drew perfectly. The goal makes him draw something which the readers think that the series is over after the battle, but it was well-received by a survey and felt it was a break in the manga. He already knew that All Might would lose his strength, and makes it useless but to depict with a normal tension. He felt that it was not an impressive episode because it is not the "Plus Ultra" theme, unless someone draw beyond the limits. He thought that making a story would come out when the topic is about "Who was the best?", while it feels like that the series could be over.[12]

Main series

My Hero Academia is written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The series began its serialization in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 7, 2014.[13] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on November 4, 2014.[14] As of October 4, 2022, thirty-six volumes have been released.[15] The manga entered its final act in chapter 306, which was released on March 21, 2021.[16]

The series is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media, who published the first volume on August 4, 2015. As the series is published in Japan, it is also released simultaneously in English digitally by Viz Media's Weekly Shonen Jump and later its website.[17][18] Shueisha began to simulpublish the series in English on the website and app Manga Plus in January 2019.[19]

Spin-offs

A spin-off series entitled My Hero Academia: Smash!! by Hirofumi Neda started in the Shōnen Jump+ digital app on November 9, 2015, and finished on November 6, 2017.[20][21][22] Five tankōbon volumes were released as of November 2017.[23] In November 2018, during their panel at Anime NYC, Viz Media announced that they have licensed the manga.[24] The first volume was released in North America on August 6, 2019.[25] A second spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, began being published biweekly on the Shōnen Jump+ website and app in 2017. The series began its serialization on August 20, 2016, and ended on May 28, 2022.[26][27][28] The series is licensed for the English-language release in North America by Viz Media. The first volume was released in North America on July 3, 2018.[29] A third spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions by Yōkō Akiyama, began serialization in Saikyō Jump on August 2, 2019, with a prologue chapter debuting in Jump GIGA on July 25, 2019.[30] The series is also licensed for the English-language release in North America by Viz Media.[31] The first volume was released in North America on March 2, 2021.[32]

The first two of the series' films have been adapted into one-volume manga series. Both were published by Homesha.[33][34] A 15-page one-shot spin-off manga illustrated by Yōkō Akiyama centered on Melissa, titled Everyone Is Surely Someone's Hero (きっと誰もが誰かのヒーロー, Kitto Daremo ga Dareka no Hero), was published in the 35th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 30, 2018.[35] A one-shot spin-off manga that serves as a prequel to the first film written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi centered on All Might's past and the featured character Nana Shimura, titled No. 0 All Might: Rising (No.0 オールマイト：ライジング, Nanbā 0 Ōru Maito: Raijingu), was given to the first million moviegoers on August 3, 2018. A ten-page manga was included in the My Hero Academia Two Heroes Vol. 0 Origin (僕のヒーローアカデミア２人の英雄 Vol.0 Origin, Boku no Hīrō Akademia 2-ri no Eiyū Vol. 0 Origin) book, containing a "character description and analysis collection" of characters in the film, and a "secret dialogue" between Horikoshi and One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda.[36] It was later published in English by Viz Media in September 2018.[37]

Deku & Bakugo: Rising (出久&爆豪:ライジング, Deku Ando Bakugo: Raijingu), a two-chapter manga spin-off illustrated by Akiyama, was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on December 16 and 23, 2019. It centered on Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo during their second year in middle school.[38] A one-shot spin-off manga that serves as a prequel to the second film written and illustrated by Horikoshi centered on Nine, titled League of Villains: Undercover (ヴィランれんごう:アンダーカバー, Viran Rengō: Andākabā), was also given to the first million theatergoers on December 20, 2019. A nine-page manga was included in the My Hero Academia Heroes: Rising Vol. R (僕のヒーローアカデミア ヒーローズ：ライジング Vol.R, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Hīrōzu: Raijingu Vol. R) book, containing an extended interview with Horikoshi, character designs and sketches.[39] A manga chapter was later published in English by Viz Media in March 2020.[40]

A 17-page special one-shot chapter written and illustrated by Akiyama, titled My Hero Academia Tokubetsu Spinoff: Endeavor's Mission (僕のヒーローアカデミア 特別スピンオフ エンデヴァーズ ミッション, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Tokubetsu Supin'ofu Endevāzu Misshon), was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 2, 2021. It centered on Endeavor and his trainees Deku, Bakugo and Shoto during their Hero Work-Studies at the Endeavor Agency.[41] An 80-page manga booklet, titled My Hero Academia World Heroes' Mission Vol. W (僕のヒーローアカデミア ワールドヒーローズミッション Vol. W, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Wārudo Hīrōzu Misshon Vol. W), includes a nine-page one-shot manga that serves as a prequel to the third film centered on Endeavor Agency trainees and the featured character Hawks, titled No. XXX Hawks: Soothe (No.XXX ホークス:スーズ, Nanbā XXX Hōkusu: Sūzu) as well as the roundtable interview with past and present manga editors, costume and character designs, and an interview with Horikoshi.[42] It was given to the My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission theatergoers who viewed the film in Japan on August 6, 2021. The manga volume had a limited print run of one million copies.[42] In October 2021, a 76-page booklet featuring a specialty manga, was also given to the theatergoers who saw it on the opening weekend in the United States.[43]

Anime

On October 29, 2015, the series' official website announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation produced by Bones.[44] The anime is directed by Kenji Nagasaki, written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and featured character designs by Yoshihiko Umakoshi who also served as the chief animation director.[45][46] The anime stars Marina Inoue as Momo Yaoyorozu, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Fumikage Tokoyami, Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya, Kenta Miyake as All Might, Nobuhiko Okamoto as Katsuki Bakugō, Ayane Sakura as Ochako Uraraka, Kaito Ishikawa as Tenya Iida, Aoi Yūki as Tsuyu Asui, and Ryō Hirohashi as Minoru Mineta.[47] The anime premiered on April 3, 2016, on TBS, MBS and other Japan News Network stations in the 'Nichigo' time slot at 5 P.M. on Sundays in Japan.[48] The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in five compilations, each containing two to three episodes, by Toho between June 29 and October 12, 2016.[49] Funimation licensed the series for an English dubbed release in North America and released the episodes in a limited edition combo set, a standard combo set, and a DVD set on April 18, 2017.[50][51] FunimationNow, Crunchyroll and Hulu are streaming the series outside of Asia.[52][53][54]

A second season was announced in the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine's 30th issue of 2016.[18] The second season aired from April 1 to September 30, 2017, on NTV and ytv.[55] The staff and cast from the first season returned to reprise their roles.[56] Toho released the season on DVD and Blu-Ray in eight compilations, each containing two to four episodes, between July 19, 2017, and February 14, 2018.[57] Funimation released the series in North America in two volumes, with the first volume being released on April 3, 2018,[58] and the second volume released on June 5, 2018.[59] Both volumes received a limited edition combo release, a standard edition combo release, and a standard edition DVD release. Like the previous season, FunimationNow, Crunchyroll and Hulu are streaming the season outside of Asia as it airs.[54]

A third season was announced in the 44th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine of 2017.[60][61] The third season aired from April 7 to September 29, 2018.[62] Toho released the season on DVD and Blu-Ray in eight compilations, each containing two to four episodes, between July 18, 2018, and February 13, 2019.[63] Funimation released the series in North America in two volumes, with the first volume released on May 7, 2019,[64] and the second volume on September 3, 2019.[65] The first volume received a limited edition combo release,[64] along with a standard edition combo release,[66] and a standard edition DVD release.[67] FunimationNow is streaming the season in Simuldub, while Crunchyroll and Hulu are simulcasting outside of Asia as it airs.[68][69]

A fourth season was announced in the final episode of season three, which released on September 29, 2018.[70] On December 19, 2018, the series' official website confirmed a release date of October 12, 2019, along with a key visual.[71][72] Funimation premiered the first episode of the fourth season at Anime Expo on July 6, 2019, with the English dub.[73][74] Kenji Nagasaki served as chief director of the fourth season, with Masahiro Mukai as director.[75] The fourth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in six volumes in Japan by Toho, with the first volume released on January 22, 2020, and the final volume released on August 19, 2020.[76] In North America, Funimation released the series in two volumes, with the first volume released on September 29, 2020,[77] and the second volume on February 16, 2021.[78]

A fifth season was announced at the end of the final episode of season four.[79] The fifth season aired from March 27 to September 25, 2021.[80] Funimation launched on its service on April 10, 2021, with an English dub.[81] Unlike the previous seasons, Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and South Asia. The season is also streaming on Netflix, Viu, Bilibili, WeTV, iQIYI, meWATCH, and other regional streaming services.[82] Toho released the fifth season of the anime on DVD and Blu-ray in four volumes in Japan, with the first volume released on July 21, 2021, and the final volume released on January 19, 2022.[83] In North America, Funimation and Crunchyroll released the first part of the fifth season on home video on March 29, 2022, and the second part on December 19, 2022.[84][85]

A sixth season was announced at the end of the fifth season's final episode.[86] On July 24, 2022, the Hero Fes event confirmed that it will premiere on October 1, 2022, with a new visual was revealed.[87] The season will run for two consecutive cours.[88] Toho will release the sixth season of the anime on DVD and Blu-ray in four volumes in Japan, with the first volume releasing on January 18, 2023, and the final volume set to be released on July 19, 2023.[89]

OVAs and ONAs

During the Jump Festa '16 event, it was announced that the series would get an original video animation (OVA). Titled "Save! Rescue Training!", it was bundled with the limited edition of the thirteenth volume of the manga, which released on April 4, 2017.[90] A second OVA, titled "Training of the Dead", bundled with a limited edition of the fourteenth volume of the manga, released on June 2, 2017. It focuses on a joint practice session between Izuku's class and the other hero department students at U.A. Academy.[91][92] A third OVA, "All Might: Rising", was released on February 13, 2019. It was bundled with the first film's blu-ray set, and adapted its prequel manga.[93] It was two minutes long.[94]

A two-part original net animation (ONA) titled "Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training", were released on August 16, 2020, with the returning staff and cast from season 4.[95] Funimation streamed them simultaneously with the Japanese release.[96] Another OVA was included with the "Plus Ultra" edition of My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission in Japan. Titled "Departure" (旅立ち, Tabidachi), it is based on the chapter "No.XXX Hawks: SOOTHE" from Vol. World Heroes manga, which released on February 16, 2022. It follows Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki as they encounter Hawks in an airport terminal.[97]

Two new OVA episodes, titled "HLB" and "Laugh! As If You Are in Hell", were announced on May 8 and June 3, 2022, respectively.[98] The episodes were given screenings in Japan from June 16–19, 2022. Internationally, Crunchyroll premiered the episodes at Anime Expo on July 1, 2022. A worldwide streaming release premiered on August 1, 2022.[99]

International release

In March 2016, Funimation announced they had licensed the international rights for streaming services, the home and broadcast release, and the merchandise rights.[100][101] Universal Pictures UK distributed the first season in the United Kingdom and Ireland on behalf of Funimation,[102] with Sony Pictures UK distributing the second season for Funimation,[103] and Manga Entertainment distributing subsequent seasons for Funimation.[104] In Australia and New Zealand, Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment distributed the first two seasons, on behalf of Funimation,[105] with Madman Anime distributing season 3 onwards, in partnership with Funimation.[106] On April 19, 2018, Funimation announced that the series would air on Adult Swim's Toonami block starting on May 5, 2018.[107] Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[108] They aired it simultaneously on Animax Asia.[109]

Music

The music of the series is composed by Yuki Hayashi.[46] The series uses twenty different songs for credits music: ten opening themes and ten ending themes. The opening theme is "The Day", performed by Porno Graffitti, while the ending theme is "Heroes", performed by Brian the Sun for 13 episodes in the first season.[110] The first opening theme is "Peace Sign" (ピースサイン) performed by Kenshi Yonezu and the first ending theme is "Dakara, Hitori ja nai" (だから、ひとりじゃない, Therefore, I Am Not Alone), performed by Little Glee Monster for the first 13 episodes of the second season.[111] From episode 14 onwards, the second opening theme is "Sora ni Utaeba" (空に歌えば, If I Sing to the Sky) performed by amazarashi[112] and the ending theme is "Datte Atashi no Hīrō" (だってアタシのヒーロー, Still My Hero) by LiSA.[113]

For the first thirteen episodes of the third season, the first opening theme is "Odd Future" by Uverworld, while the first ending theme is "Update" (アップデート) by miwa.[114] For the rest of the season, the second opening theme is "Make my story" by Lenny code fiction and the second ending theme is "Long Hope Philia" (ロングホープ・フィリア) by Masaki Suda.[115] For the first fourteen episodes of the fourth season, the first opening theme is "Polaris" (ポラリス) by Blue Encount, while the first ending theme is "Kōkai no Uta" (航海の唄, The Song of the Voyage) by Sayuri.[116] For the rest of the season, the second opening theme is "Starmarker" (スターマーカー) by Kana-Boon, and the second ending theme is "Shout Baby" by Ryokuōshoku Shakai.[117] Chrissy Costanza performs the insert songs "Each Goal" in episode 19 and "Hero too" in episode 23.[118] For the first thirteen episodes of the fifth season, the first opening theme is "No.1" by DISH, while the first ending theme is "Ashiato" (足跡, Footprints) by The Peggies.[119] From episode 14 onwards, the second opening theme is "Merry-Go-Round" by Man with a Mission, while the second ending theme is "Uso ja nai" (嘘じゃない, Not a Lie) by Soushi Sakiyama.[120] For the sixth season, the opening theme is "Hitamuki" (ひたむき, "Single-Minded") by Super Beaver, while the ending theme is "Sketch" by Kiro Akiyama.[121]

The first season's soundtrack album was released on July 13, 2016, with 35 tracks including several background sounds, under the Toho Animation Records label.[122][123] The second season's 2-disc soundtrack album was released on September 6, 2017, with 23 tracks each.[124][125] The third season and theatrical film's 2-disc soundtrack album were released on July 18, 2018, with 67 tracks overall.[126][127] My Hero Academia Soundtrack Selection 2016-2018 (僕のヒーローアカデミア サウンドトラックセレクション 2016-2018, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Saundotorakku Serekushon 2016-2018), which contains thirty-two tracks selected in between the first season and third season, released on August 21, 2019. The first season has nine tracks; second season has thirteen; and third season contains ten in a soundtrack album.[128]

The fourth season's soundtrack album was released on March 25, 2020, with 18 tracks. It includes the song "Might" by Makayla Phillips, and "Each Goal" and "Hero too" by Chrissy Costanza as well as the instrumental version songs.[129][130] The fifth season's soundtrack album which contains 19 tracks, released in Japan by Toho Animation Records on September 26, 2021, and in the United States by Milan Records on CD and vinyl records on January 26, 2022.[131][132] Anime Limited released the soundtrack digitally which contains a two-LP set in the United Kingdom and Ireland on June 17, 2022.[133][134] My Hero Academia Soundtrack Selection 2019-2021 (僕のヒーローアカデミア サウンドトラックセレクション 2019-2021, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Saundotorakku Serekushon 2019-2021) compilation album was released on January 26, 2022. The CD album contains twenty-seven tracks in between the fourth season and fifth season.[135][136] In November 2021, a concert event titled My Hero Academia Official Live Concert was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, which featured a rock band, orchestral music and some iconic tracks including the song "Hero too", performed by the series' composer.[137][138]

Light novels

A light novel series titled My Hero Academia: School Briefs (僕のヒーローアカデミア 雄英白書, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Yūei Hakusho), written by Anri Yoshi, has been released by Shueisha under its Jump J-Books imprint. It centers on Izuku Midoriya and his classmates of U.A. High in everyday school lives. It also features the main story events that covers off-screen. The first volume was released on April 4, 2016.[139] As of October 4, 2021, six volumes have been published.[140] In North America, it has been licensed in English by Viz Media.[141] The first volume was published on April 2, 2019.[142] As of October 5, 2021, five volumes have been published.[143]

Light novels based on the three anime films were also released. A light novel adaptation based on the first film, written by Anri Yoshi, was published by Shueisha under Jump J-Books imprint on August 3, 2018. It centered on Izuku and All Might when they visit Melissa in I-Island.[144] A light novel adaptation of the series' second film, centered on Midoriya and Bakugo, was published on December 20, 2019.[145] A light novel of the third film, was published on August 6, 2021.[146][147]

Theatrical films

Anime

An anime film was announced in December 2017 and features an original story set after the manga's "Final Exam" arc.[148] Titled My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, the film had its world premiere at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 5, 2018,[149] and the Japanese theatrical release began screening on August 3, 2018, with the staff and cast from the anime series returning to reprise their roles.[150] The film has grossed over $33 million worldwide, and ended its theatrical run with $5.8 million to become the tenth-highest-grossing animated film in the United States and Canada at that time.[151]

On March 23, 2019, it was announced that a second animated film for the series was in production.[152] On July 7, 2019, the official Twitter account for My Hero Academia revealed the title as My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, and the film was released in Japan on December 20, 2019.[153][154] The film takes place after the manga's "Meta Liberation Army" arc. It has elements to its story that were once going to be used by Kōhei Horikoshi as a finale to the series.[154] It was released in North America on February 26, 2020.[155] The film has grossed over $29 million worldwide, and surpassed My Hero Academia: Two Heroes during its ninth weekend in the domestic gross.[156]

On November 29, 2020, it was announced that a third animated film for the series was in production, and is scheduled for release in third quarter of 2021.[157] The second film of the franchise was intended to be the last in the series until images of the third film appeared online.[158] The staff and cast from the previous two films are returning to reprise their roles.[159] In the first episode of the series' fifth season, the film was revealed to be titled My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission. The film was released in Japan on August 6, 2021, and it began screening in the United States and Canada on October 29, 2021.[161] The film has grossed over $47 million worldwide, and became the tenth highest-grossing domestic film of 2021 in Japan.[162]

Live-action

In October 2018, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to produce a live-action adaptation of the series.[163] In August 2021, it was revealed to be directed by Shinsuke Sato, with Alex Garcia and Jay Ashenfelter overseeing the adaptation, and Ryosuke Yoritomi representing the manga publisher Shueisha. Toho will distribute the film in Japan.[164][165]

Video games

A video game based on the anime, My Hero Academia: Battle for All (僕のヒーローアカデミア バトル・フォー・オール, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Batoru fō Ōru), was announced in November 2015.[166] The game was developed by Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console, where it released in Japan on May 19, 2016.[167]

A second video game, titled My Hero One's Justice (僕のヒーローアカデミア One's Justice, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Wanzu Jasutisu), was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Windows on October 26, 2018.[168][169][170] The game has sold over 500,000 units worldwide, as of January 2019.[171] A third installment of the video game franchise, My Hero One's Justice 2 (僕のヒーローアカデミア One's Justice 2, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Wanzu Jasutisu 2), was announced for release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It was released in Japan on March 12, 2020, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.[172][173]

Izuku Midoriya, All Might, and Katsuki Bakugo also appear as playable characters in the crossover game Jump Force.[174][175][176] Two mobile games were released for iOS and Android.[177][178] My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero was released globally in North America and several other mostly English-speaking countries in late May 2021[179][177] and My Hero Ultra Impact (僕のヒーローアカデミア Ultra Impact, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Urutora Inpakuto) in February 2022.[178]

In January 2022, a free-to-play battle royale action game developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment titled My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble (僕のヒーローアカデミア Ultra Rumble, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Urutora Ranburu) was announced. It will be released on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.[180] Retitled to My Hero Ultra Rumble in July, the game will also receive an English dub, and an Xbox Series X/S port.[181]

Stage plays

My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage, a stage play adaptation, was first announced in 2018 and ran at The Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo from April 12 to 21, and then at the Sankei Hall Breeze in Osaka from April 26 to 29, 2019.[182][183] The play was directed by Tsuneyasu Motoyoshi,[182] written by Hideyuki Nishimori, and choreographed by Umebō. Shunsuke Wada composed the music. The cast includes Shin Tamura as Izuku Midoriya, Ryōta Kobayashi as Katsuki Bakugo, Yume Takuchi as Ochaco Uraraka, Hiroki Ino as Tenya Iida, and Ryō Kitamura as Shoto Todoroki.[183]

A second stage play titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero, was scheduled to run at the Shingawa Prince Hotel Stellar Ball in Tokyo from March 6 to 22, and at the Umeda Arts Theater Drama City in Osaka from March 27 to April 5, 2020, with the cast and staff returning.[184][185] A concert event titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Live will be held in July 2020.[186] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero's original run was cancelled and postponed to July 2020, where a complete version titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero Plus Stage Ver. will run instead while My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Live is postponed to a later date.[187] After one staff member contracted COVID-19, the production committee announced that My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero would instead be live-streamed; however, the play was delayed again after another staff member contracted COVID-19.[188] The My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero Plus Stage Ver. stage play was announced for a new run in 2021, which held at Tokyo Dome City Hall from December 3 to 12 and at Tokyo Gekijō from December 24 to 26.[189][190]

A third stage play titled My Hero Academia The "Ultra" Stage: The Symbol of Peace was announced on December 26, 2021, and is scheduled to run in 3 cities from April to May. The play will run in Kanagawa on April 9–10, in Osaka on April 22–24, and in Tokyo from April 29–May 8.[191][192] However, due to actor's injury during the afternoon performance of the play on Saturday, the production committee is decided to cancelled three performances while My Hero Academia The "Ultra" Stage: The Symbol of Peace is also announced to be postponed to a later date for the remaining performances in Tokyo.[193]

Art and guidebooks

The My Hero Academia art book and three guidebooks have been published and released by Sheuisha. An art book titled My Hero Academia: Official Character Guide Ultra Archive Art Book (僕のヒーローアカデミア 公式キャラクターガイド ウルトラアーカイブ画集, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Kōshiki Kyarakutā Gaido Urutora Ākaibu Gashū), was released on May 7, 2016.[194]

The first guidebook titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Archive - The Official Character Guide[d] which features the character profiles, stats, Quirks, trivia facts, concept art, information on the manga, special omake chapters focused on certain characters, and a conversation with anime character designer Yoshihiko Umakoshi, was published on May 2, 2016.[195] The second guidebook titled My Hero Academia: Ultimate Animation - The Official Book Guide[e] which features several questionnaires written by the anime's cast members and a round-table discussion full of dialogue, was published on September 4, 2017.[196] And the third guidebook titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis - The Official Character Guide[f] which features exclusive information about years of the series' serialization, characters' origins and motivations, an interview and an in-depth conversation between Horikoshi and Bleach author Tite Kubo, was published on October 4, 2019.[197]

A drama CD titled My Hero Academia: Sweep! Local Area Cleaning! (僕のヒーローアカデミアハケ！ちいきせいそう！, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Hake! Chiiki Seisou!) bundled with a limited edition of the seventh volume of the manga, released before the anime. Kōhei Horikoshi provides the original story and supervised the project, and the script is written by Yōsuke Kuroda who also wrote for the anime series.[47][198]

A trading card game based on the anime was announced in Jump Festa '16. The game was developed and published by Tomy, and released in Japan on April 23, 2016.[199] An arcade card game titled My Hero Academia: Clash! Heroes Battle (僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア 激突げきとつ！ヒーローズバトル, Boku no Hīrō Akademia Gekitotsu! Hīrōzu Batoru) was released for Android and iOS devices on April 28, 2016. The game lets players collect hero card and take part in 3v3 battles.[200]

A hot spring theme park on Odaiba collaborated with the anime for a promotion, which ran from September 1 to October 1, 2017 at Oedo Onsen Monogatari. A stamp rally offered original goods during the collaboration. An attraction with games inspired by Japanese temple festivals was held. People who attend the event will be able to purchase merchandise with the collaboration's special illustrations and food with bonus items.[201] An exhibit of the series ran in Tokyo's Ikebukuro Sunshine City from September 30 to October 8, 2018. The exhibit is separated into seven zones which covers the different part of the anime's story.[202] The anime has also collaborating several companies for merchandise and products such as Sanrio,[203] Tokyu Hands,[204] Clorets,[205] Axe,[206] and many others.[207]

The numerous My Hero Academia-themed cafés has had collaborating for a limited time as well, since its anime debut. Most notably in the fall festival theme, which opened from October 12 to November 24, 2019 at the Sega Ikebukuro GiGO in Tokyo. The restaurants featured decorations of artwork from the series, and served food or dessert menu connected to My Hero Academia characters or items.[208]

Reception

Popularity

The story has been noted to take inspiration from elements in superhero comics, such as the aesthetics of its characters,[209] and due to the popularity of the series, characters of My Hero Academia were used to promote the Marvel Studios film Avengers: Infinity War.[210] Before the anime adaptation's premiere, manga author Masashi Kishimoto praised Kōhei Horikoshi's work, believing it would be a success overseas. Eiichiro Oda also praised the series.[211] The anime was popular with Japanese readers of Charapedia, who voted it the fourth best anime show of Q2 2017.[212] The cosplayers as characters were also became popular especially in Japan, where a poll ranked 9th in 2017.[213] According to Instagram hashtag research by UK retailer Zavvi, the series became the most popular franchise among cosplayers worldwide. It has the most cosplayers with 2,377,476 posts, ahead of DC Comics and Marvel. The retailer stating that this franchise can demonstrate the "recent growth of anime" where the growth are expected to continue as they spread love in the world about cosplay any characters.[214]

According to Observer where the data tracks and measures popularity through social media, fan ratings, and piracy, My Hero Academia was the 2nd most "in-demand" TV title in the United States for the last 60 days in 2020.[215] On Tumblr's 2020 Year in Review, which highlights the largest communities, fandoms, and trends on the platform throughout the year, the series ranked 1st on the Top Anime & Manga Shows category. The characters of the anime series were also ranked, with 7 of the top 10 spots making their list. Izuku Midoriya ranked 1st while the other characters Katsuki Bakugo, Dabi, Shouta Aizawa, Hawks, Shoto Todoroki and Eijiro Kirishima are on 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th place, respectively. It is also ranked on 9th of Tumblr's overall Top 20 of 2020 list, suggesting that its popularity on the platform far exceeds its competitors in the Top Anime & Manga category, of which none are included in the list.[216] The series was #17 on the annual Twitter Japan's Trend Awards in 2021, based on the social network's top trending topics of the year.[217]

Manga

My Hero Academia ranked second on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2015" poll by Honya Club online bookstore.[218] On Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! ranking of top 20 manga of 2016 for male readers, the series ranked 5th on the 2016 list.[219] My Hero Academia ranked 26th on the 2015 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine;[220] it ranked 22nd on the 2016 list;[221] 16th on the 2018 list;[222] 37th on the 2019 list;[223] 41st on the 2020 list;[224] and 34th on the 2021 list.[225] The manga won the Mandō Kobayashi Manga Grand Prix 2015, created by comedian and manga enthusiast Kendo Kobayashi, in which each year's winner is decided based on his personal taste.[226] The series was chosen as one of the Best Manga at the Comic-Con International Best & Worst Manga in 2018 and 2019.[227][228] Barnes & Noble named it on their list of "Our Favorite Manga of 2018".[229] Cold Cobra of Anime UK News picked the series for his list of "best manga of 2010s".[230] On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150.000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, My Hero Academia ranked #16.[231] On a 2021 survey conducted by LINE Research asking Japanese high school students what manga series they are currently into, the series ranked 2nd among boys.[232]

Sales

My Hero Academia has become one of the most popular manga series in history upon its release; in 2014, the 1st volume reached 7th place on the weekly Oricon's manga chart with 71,575 copies sold.[233] It sold out almost immediately on its first printing.[234] Volume 2 reached 6th place, with 167,531 copies[235] and, by January 18, 2015, had sold 205,179 copies.[236] In April 2015, volume 3 reached 8th place with 254,111 copies,[237] while volume 4 reached 6th with 259,137 in June,[238] and volume 5 peaked at 9th place with 279,414 copies in August.[239] The manga had reached over 10 million copies in circulation as of March 2017.[240] As of February 2018, the manga had over 13 million copies in print.[241] As of May 2018, the manga had over 15 million copies in print.[242] As of August 2018, the manga had over 16 million copies in print.[243] As of September 2018, the manga had over 17 million copies in print.[244] As of December 2018, the manga had over 20 million copies in print.[245] As of February 2019, the manga had over 21 million copies in print.[246] The 22nd volume of the manga topped the list in Oricon's ranking sales chart in February 2019, with 576,148 copies sold.[247] As of December 2019, the manga had over 26 million copies in print.[248] As of January 2021, the manga had over 30 million copies in circulation.[249] In April 2021, it was reported the manga had 50 million copies in circulation, with 37 million being sold in Japan and the remaining 13 million in the rest of the world.[250]

My Hero Academia was the 6th best-selling manga series in the first half of 2017, with over 2 million copies sold,[251] and its two volumes (volumes 12 and 13) were among the top 50 best-selling manga volumes.[252] In November 2017, the series ranked 4th in the Oricon's annual manga ranking chart, with over 5.8 million copies sold,[253] while volumes 12-15 were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes.[254] It was the 5th best-selling manga series in the first half of 2018, with over 2.5 million copies sold,[255] while volumes 17 and 18 were the 13th and 17th best-selling manga volumes, respectively.[256] The series was ranked 6th on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2018.[257] It was the second best-selling manga series in 2018 with over 6.7 million copies sold,[258] while volumes 17-20 were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes, have each sold over 3 million copies.[259] It was the fourth best-selling manga series in the first half of 2019, with over 3.1 million copies sold,[260] while three of its volumes (volumes 21, 22 and 23) were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes.[261]

In between April 2017 and March 2018, it became the 7th best-selling manga with biggest first printings from Shueisha.[262] In Q4 2018, My Hero Academia became the best-selling manga franchise in North America from ICv2.[263] It was the 6th best-selling manga in 2019, with over 5.04 million copies sold.[264] Shueisha listed it the fourth best-selling manga with biggest first printings, along with One-Punch Man, in between 2019 and 2020.[265] It was the 5th best-selling manga in the first half of 2020, with 3,339,656 million copies sold.[266] The series was ranked 12th on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2020.[267] It was the 8th best-selling manga in 2020, with over 6 million copies sold.[268] It was the 8th best-selling manga with biggest first printings from Shueisha in between 2020 and 2021.[269] It was the 5th best-selling manga in 2021, with over 7 million copies sold.[270] The series was ranked 8th on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2021.[271] As of January 2022, the manga had over 65 million copies in circulation worldwide,[g][272] with 45 million being sold in Japan and the remaining 20 million elsewhere.[273][274]

The volumes of My Hero Academia appeared on The New York Times manga bestsellers list for several weeks, with volume one debuted in August 2015 at fourth place.[275] They were also ranked on NPD BookScan's monthly top 20 adult graphic novels list since August 2016.[276] Several volumes of the manga were also ranked on The New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since November 2019.[277] The volumes 1 and 26 ranked 3rd and 6th, respectively, on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list in March 2021.[278] Volume 28 also made Publishers Weekly's bestseller list in September 2021, ranking 5th.[279] The series was ranked 9th on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2022.[280]

According to ICv2, My Hero Academia was the 5th best-selling manga franchise for Q4 2021 (September–December) in the United States.[281] According to NPD BookScan, seven volumes of My Hero Academia were ranked among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2021.[282] The first volume has over 1.2 million copies in circulation as of 2022 and the franchise as a whole had 10 million copies in circulation in the United States.[274]

Critical response

The art was generally praised. In a review of the first volume, Nick Creamer from Anime News Network praised the art and gives it a rating A−. He describing it as "absolutely professional", and felt that the drawings are consistent and it was highly polished.[283] Isaac Akers from The Fandom Post also praised the art and rating it an A− as well. He stated that Horikoshi's character designs and strong art bolster the volume’s ability to feel as if it does everything it does just because it likes doing it. He also compliments in how much Horikoshi likes drawing.[284] Sean Gaffney from A Case Suitable for Treatment referred to the art as "smooth" and complemented how it flows with the action.[285] Manga Bookshelf praised the art as well, saying that it demonstrated Horikoshi's skill very well, though criticizing it for having too much narration at some points.[286]

The plot and characters of the series have also been praised. In a review between the volumes 1 and 19, Michelle Smith from Soliloquy in Blue called the plot "very good", but also stated that the main reason he liked the series was the characters, specifically praising most of the main cast. However, they did criticize the series for not giving some of the female characters enough spotlight.[287] Creamer praised the plot, saying that despite the fact it felt like a typical Shōnen plot, it did it well enough to still feel fresh and entertaining.[283] In a review of the second volume, Leroy Douresseaux from Comic Book Bin also praised the story, specifically the way it tells comedy and drama.[288] Gaffney also praised the story and characters, stating that the story flows nicely with each of their individual personalities.[285] Marina Garrow from Anime Feminist praised the way the plot handles damsel-in-distress elements, especially when compared to other shōnen series, stating that the female characters are not the only characters that need saving, and when they do need saving, the situations are realistic and not over-exaggerated.[289]

Accolades

Anime

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of My Hero Academia holds an approval rating of 100%, with an average rating of 8.7/10 based on 9 critical reviews.[305] In Crunchyroll's inaugural The Anime Awards, Izuku Midoriya was awarded the "Hero of the Year" category while the anime series was nominated in six other categories including "Anime of the Year".[306] At the 2nd Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2018, the series won seven out of ten nominations: Best Action, Best Animation, Best Opening ("Peace Sign"), Best Girl (Ochaco Uraraka), Best Boy (Shoto Todoroki), Best Villain (Stain), and second Best Hero category (Izuku Midoriya); in addition of Industry Icon Award to Christopher Sabat for his role of All Might.[307] The series ranked 14th in Tokyo Anime Award Festival in the Best 100 TV Anime 2017 category.[308] It ranked first in a "mega poll" of the number of readers for Best Anime of 2017 and 2018 by Anime News Network.[309][310] In January 2021, it was revealed that the anime series was the fourth most-watched anime series on Crunchyroll in 2020, being watched in 23 countries and territories, including North America, South and Central America, and Europe.[311]

Sales

My Hero Academia sales was quite high. The five volumes of the first season on Blu-ray and DVD were released in Japan, with each release appeared in Oricon's Animation Blu-ray and the Animation DVD disc ranking, respectively. The first Blu-ray edition of My Hero Academia was ranked 5th in the first week of Oricon's Blu-ray Disc ranking,[312] while the first DVD edition ranked fourth with 2,184 copies.[313] The second Blu-ray and DVD sets were also ranked, with the Blu-ray edition at #6 and DVD at #5 for a week.[314][315] The third Blu-ray edition was ranked 4th with 1,700 copies, while the DVD release was 8th with 1,184 copies.[316][317] The fourth Blu-ray and DVD collections were ranked 5th and 4th, respectively.[318][319] The fifth Blu-ray and DVD release sale was higher than the previous volumes, where the Blu-ray ranked third with 1,473 copies and the DVD ranked second with 1,068 copies in one week.[320][321] By the end of 2016, My Hero Academia was the 19th top-selling media franchise with ¥2,596,513,416 from the home video and music releases in Japan.[322]

In the first half of 2017, My Hero Academia was the 18th-most successful media franchise in Japan with ¥1,385,052,699 from sales in home video and music releases.[323] Four volumes of the second season on Blu-ray and DVD were appeared in the Oricon's Animation Blu-ray and DVD disc ranking. The first Blu-ray edition was ranked 7th, while the DVD ranked 5th.[324][325] The third Blu-ray edition was among the top 20 in Oricon's Animation Blu-ray disc ranking, while the DVD was 10th among the 30 Animation DVD rankings.[326][327] The seventh Blu-ray and DVD were ranked 8th.[328][329] The eighth Blu-ray and DVD sets were ranked 4th, respectively.[330][331] By the end of 2017, the "Bootleg" soundtrack album by Kenshi Yonezu, which includes the second season's opening theme song "Peace Sign", became the top-selling anime CD album on the Oricon's chart with 241,754 discs in sale.[332] It also became the 11th-most successful media franchise, with ¥3,258,905,456 from the home video and music releases in Japan.[333] In the first half of 2018, the "Bootleg" soundtrack was again the top-selling anime CD album on the Oricon's chart.[334] By the end of 2018, it became the top-selling anime CD album for the second consecutive year with the other compilation, LiSA BEST -Day- which includes an ending theme song of the second season, "Datte Atashi no Hero" by LiSA, was ranked 9th on the Oricon's chart.[335] It was also the seventh-most successful media franchise in Japan, taking ¥3,758,656,453 from sales in home video and music releases.[336]

Critical reception

Alex Osborn of IGN gave the first season of the anime series positive marks, praising it for its action, story, and characters, while criticizing its villains for being underdeveloped.[337] In a review for the second season, Osborn praised it as "truly something special", complimenting the animation, character developments, and the emotional weight of the season.[338] Chris Beveridge from The Fandom Post praised the anime. He said that despite the fact its long running series, it manages to not feel directionless and has several great moments.[339] Nick Creamer from Anime News Network also praised the adaptation. He gave praise to the music, animation in the action scenes, while criticizing the sometimes-sluggish pacing and stating the animation can be average at times.[340] In his review of the second season, he gave it praise for the improvements made to both the pacing and animation.[341]

Both the original Japanese cast and the English dub received praise from critics. Creamer rated both equally, stating that the dub cast all the major characters very well, though criticizing some of the background characters.[340] Andy Hanley from UK Anime Network concured, stating both casts had strong performances, however, they gave special praise to the dub cast, saying that each actor fits their roles very well.[342] Sam Leach of Anime News Network highlighted the 49th episode where it is the battle between All Might and All For One. Leach wrote: "It was unavoidable that this was going to be a beautiful episode. That bloodied-up All Might is striking in either form, and you can tell they pulled out all the stops in making the big hits as intense and crazy as possible. From a pacing perspective, I'm really pleased with how this Bakugo Rescue arc played out." He concluded: "This is My Hero Academia's proudest moment in the spotlight. Not only does it continue to be the darling of modern Shonen Jump with one of the mostly perfectly tuned anime adaptations a long-running series has ever received, this is an accomplishment of storytelling across the board."[343]

The anime series has been named as one of the best of 2010s in several publications. Writing for Comic Book Resources, Sage Ashford ranked it fourth on his list, praising its character development that makes everyone understand and chose all of the U.A. High students in different reasons. Although he criticized that the series doesn't have anything "new", it executes the classic shōnen tropes perfectly which results to be one of the most finely tuned battle shōnen ever created.[344] Paste ranked My Hero Academia among the top 50 anime of all time.[345] In November 2019, Polygon named it as one of the best anime of the 2010s. Austen Goslin wrote that the show "feels like the evolution of the shonen. While the earlier days of action shonen often relegated plot as merely a bridge between two fights, My Hero elevates it to the main attraction."[346] Crunchyroll listed it in their "Top 25 best anime of the 2010s". Joe Luster wrote: "Like the great shonen forefathers before it, My Hero Academia follows a winning formula, and it does so with an unforgettable cast of characters and a rogues gallery of villains that create stakes that feel genuinely high."[347][348] In January 2020, IGN and Thrillist named it among the best anime series of the 2010s.[349][350] Japan Web Magazine ranked the series 25th on its list of "30 Best Anime of All Time".[351]

Accolades

Unit 731 controversy

In early 2020, the series caused a controversy in South Korea and China for a character's name allegedly referencing Unit 731,[376] an infamous Imperial Japanese army unit known for vivisecting captured Chinese, Korean, and Russian individuals. In response, it has been removed from digital platforms in China, and the character's name was changed to no longer reference Unit 731.[377] A day prior, both Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine publisher Shueisha and the manga's author Kōhei Horikoshi issued an individual apology statements on Twitter.[378]

In the aftermath of the manga's removal from its services in China, the English-language news service Abacus reached out to bilibili and Tencent for its request. The former stated that the removal was "in accordance with China's policies" but declined to comment further, while the latter did not respond to Abacus' request for comment.[378] The character's name was changed again by the digital version of Weekly Shōnen Jump following the backlash. Shueisha promised that "going forward, we intend to devote our energies toward deepening our understanding of a variety of historical and cultural matters." Both the publisher and manga's creator reiterated that the reference to war crimes within the character's name was wholly unintentional.[379]

What happens in My Hero Academia Vol 27?

What happens in My Hero Academia volume 29?

What happens in volume 30 of My Hero Academia?

What volume does season 5 end in MHA?