Like many anime franchises,My Hero Academiahas released several theatrical films that have been successful internationally thanks to the increasing fanbase of the series. These films feature an intriguing plot and incredible animation, being a good complement between the seasons of the anime. But what makes them more interesting is that it’s been confirmed in the manga thatMy Hero Academia’s original films' characters are canon. However, this led to one of the biggest missed opportunities in the franchise tofix an issue that plaguedMy Hero Academia’s story, its overly large cast.
WithMy Hero Academia’s manga having concluded earlier this year in chapter 430 and Season 8 being announced as the final installment of the anime, it’s uncertain if Studio Bones will develop another film, so thefourth movieYou’re Nextcould be the last one of the franchise. This highlights how the series' underlaying problem could have been tackled before the manga’s ending:the films could have dived more deeply into some characters that lacked screen time.
The Movie’s Original Characters Are Great but Shouldn’t Be the Main Focus
My Hero Academiahas one of the larger casts in Shōnen manga, which creates opportunities to develop many storylines but also gives numerous characters a severe lack of screen time. Yet, this problem could have been fixed by giving some underdeveloped characters a standout side story or a main role in the movies. However,eachMHAfilm has established its plot around new charactersinstead of giving the chance to shine to characters already present in the story.
Every My Hero Academia Movie Ranked From Worst To Best, Including You’re Next
My Hero Academia has released a variety of films over the years, and here are how they all stand up against each other from worst to best.
Although these original characters are charismatic and their motivations are well fleshed out and even become particularly popular among fans, like Rody and Melissa, which gained them an appearance in one of the spin-offs of the series, by making them the focus of the film’s story instead of creating new characters whose background and conflict was tied in some way to a hero from the main story wasted the chance of developing further popular characters like Mirio or Miruko.
My Hero Academia’s Creator Was the Reason Behind the Movie’s Original Characters
Kohei Horikoshi Was a Fan ofDragon BallFilms
While introducing original characters in movies goes in line with other standalone and non-canon features from popular animes likeOne PieceorNaruto, this was particularly hurtful forMy Hero Academiabecause, contrary to those franchises, it wasn’t as long-running and didn’t produce many OVA’s or special episodes focusing on side characters. Because of this,MHAdidn’t have enough time to include more contributions from side characters, so heroes that have great potential, like Kirishima, Nejire, or even Mr. Compress, only have a small participation in the battles or a short appearance in the last segment of the story.
However, even thoughMHA’s author has been deeply involved in movie production, acting as general supervisor and character designer, he states in an interview included inYou’re Nextcomic bookposted by X user Aitaikimochi, that he prefers movies with original content over canon films, like theDragon Ballmovies.
In the past, I used to watch the new Dragon Ball movies at my local community center. However, nowadays, series like Kimetsu No Yaiba or Jujutsu Kaisen have movies focused on events that actually happened in the manga series. While that’s fine and all, I personally prefer movies like the Dragon Ball ones that I enjoyed in the past, with original stories that only exist within those movies. I’m very thankful that all our movies have been like that thus far. -Kohei Horikoshi
Additionally,Horikoshi revealed that he doesn’t feel anything is missingin the story, despite having created many character backstories that didn’t fit in the series, which makes it clear that he is content with the role of every character in the manga, so the franchise won’t likely get any additional content of side characters created by the author besides the current spin-offTeam Up Mission.
My Hero Academia’s Films Would Be More Memorable If They Developed Fan-Favorite Characters
The Franchise Might Produce A Last Film Along With the Final Season
Premiered earlier this year,Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, was a high-grossing film even though the series protagonist, Isagi Yoichi, was only a side character. The reason for its success was because it revolves around Nagi and Reo’s relationship and development, who have become some of the most popular characters in the franchise. Likewise,MHAmovies could have set their plot around Deku working with fan-favorite side characters like Mirio, Hawks, or the students from class B and making them more relevant by assigning them a complex mission.
My Hero Academia Still Has One Dangling Plot Thread After The Finale That Was A Major Missed Opportunity
There’s one major plotline which was never really fully resolved by the time of My Hero Academia’s finale, and it could’ve been a fantastic story arc.
This could have been possible to achieve if, instead of including new characters that work with the heroes, the movie would have focused on creating mesmerizing, powerful villains that would bring out the best abilities of existing pro-heroes likeDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. This also would have contributed to the films being more impactful, since it’s easier for fans to relate to characters they know than connect to one that won’t appear again in the story.
Nevertheless, even though the movies should have developed characters from the main series instead of focusing on adding new ones to the already large cast, they are still a must-watch for fans who are looking to see new adventures beyond the main story or for those who simply want to continue enjoyingMy Hero Academia’s universe. Furthermore, the franchise might surprise fans and announce one last film that will complement the last installment of the anime with the upcomingMy Hero Academia8 season.
Source:@aitaikimochi on X.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a multimedia franchise that follows a young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming a hero despite being born without superpowers. These superpowers, known as “Quirks” are found in most people after birth, but Izuku wasn’t so lucky - until a fateful encounter with All Might, Japan’s greatest hero, Izuku inherits his Quirk and enrolls in U.A. High School to learn the true meaning of heroism. Alongside his classmates, each endowed with unique abilities, Izuku faces rigorous training and lethal threats from villainous forces.
