Welcome back to the appointment dedicated to anime, in particular those in the VVVVID catalog, and to their comparison with manga: today we present My Hero Academia, by Kōhei Horikoshi
Have you ever fought hard to finally reach your goals? And how many times, along the way, have you felt tiny, a grain of sand in an infinite sea?
In short, how many times have you found yourselves in front of your big dream without having the slightest idea of how to achieve it, if not through a single and essential element: the determination?
My Hero Academia (Boku no hīrō akademia ?, lit. My hero academy) is a shōnen manga written and drawn by Kōhei Horikoshi; set in a world where superheroes are the norm, the comic tells the story of Izuku Midoriya, a little boy who he dreams of being able to become a hero himself, even though he was born without superpowers.
The manga, serialized in Shūeisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump from 7 July 2014, turns out to be the eighth manga with the most copies sold in 2020. In Italy the series is published since February 3, 2016 da Star Comics.
An anime television series produced by the Bones studio, it airs in Japan since April 3, 2016 in four seasons. In addition to this adaptation, three video games, two manga spin-offs, three OAV episodes and two anime feature films were also released.
It is possible to watch the series in streaming on VVVVID.IT e NETFLIX.
Trama | My Hero Academia di Kōhei Horikoshi
Izuku Midoriya, a middle school student fascinated by superheroes from an early age, has always dreamed of one day joining this circle; inspired above all by the deeds of the fearless All Might, considered by all the symbol of peace. However Izuku is now a rare human being born without Quirk, which is why he is constantly mocked by his peers.
Izuku, however, does not give up and, although he is not endowed with powers, he still tries to always follow his ideal of justice. This one day will bring him directly to All Might himself, who will decide to give him his Quirk: the One For All. This will allow him, finally, to concretely pursue his dream and enter, always under the protective wing of All Might, in the prestigious school for superheroes: the UA High School. Here Midoriya will meet many precious friends and numerous rivals, learn to manage her power and understand what it really means to be a superhero.
The determination of the superhero | My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi
The story is set in a world where, due to a genetic mutation, mankind has obtained the ability to develop superpowers called Quirk; these occur in children by the age of four.
At the center of the story we find the young man Izuku Midoriya: a great fan of superheroes, so much so that he has studied in detail every aspect of their Quirks, he wishes with all his heart to enter the prestigious UA High School; there is only one problem: he is perhaps one of the very few boys to be born without any kind of uniqueness.
This weakness of his, which pushes others to make fun of him, is the element that most determines the protagonist, but in a completely positive sense. Midoriya develops strong determination, aimed at achieving his great dream, believing that he has the same opportunities reserved for anyone who owns a Quirk. Alternating moments of total mastery of her own determination, with moments of great emotional distress, Midoriya will end up meeting and intriguing the most important of the heroes: All Might.
In a world where everyone has powers from birth indiscriminately, from the most useless to the most powerful, the reverse of the coin is interesting in which the different is the “normal”. And Midoriya perfectly wears the clothes of this anomalous diversity, showing however a strong spirit of survival and devotion. This votive character, which highlights its uniqueness and authenticity, will convince All Might to give him part of his Quirk.
I’ll do my best, whatever you say, All Might! I accept the challenge. As long as you are by my side, I can do anything. That’s what I feel, after all.
The young boy can thus begin the training to become a superhero.
The UA High School | My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi
Saving someone means helping them when they are frightened; but true heroes don’t just save lives, but people’s hearts too… at least that’s how I see it. No matter how scared I am, I always smile like everything is fine. In this world, those who smile are the strongest.
Izuku’s dream will in fact become reality thanks to All Might, which will give him the initial push to start the hard and difficult path of the professional superhero. To become one, however, it is important to enroll in one of the various high schools used for the specific training of heroes, among which the most important is the Yuei.
The plot of the story becomes more interesting with the arrival of the second half of the anime. Here, we find Midoriya struggling with the tests to access the UA high school prestige, and the inclusion of new characters each characterized in its own way.
The episodes become much more dynamic, focusing on the actual formation of a hero. Clashes, exercises, verbal and non-verbal confrontations, a real one melting pot of very different characters, but united by one thing: to put themselves at the service of humanity.
And it is precisely the presence of multiple heterogeneous personalities that is most interesting. Although Midoriya remains the pivot of the story, as well as her bond with All Might and sharing their secret, the other would-be heroes have characteristics essential to the growth and formation of the protagonist. These same, in comparison with the strangers comrades, will discover what it means to collaborate to achieve the same goal, arriving at total synchrony on the final and finally being able to declare a group “the whole”.
I Villain
A word must also be spent for the “Bad”.
Introduced at the end of the first season, they fall in full in the clichés related to the antagonists for excellence. However, they too present an abnormality in their perfect compliance with standards.
First of all, they are presented with very specific characters, allowing us to frame their danger even in a very short time; then, perhaps the most interesting element, is the reason for their adversity towards the heroes, in particular All Might. The Villains are people who they use their Quirks to benefit themselves instead of helping others, not understanding why devote oneself to sacrifice and sharing one’s uniqueness. As beings with powers, they want to preserve themselves for personal pleasure only.
Hence the dislike for heroes, charitable towards others, resulting in a waste of one’s unique potential.
Conclusions: Manga and Anime
The graphics of the anime are excellent, and not only for the quality of the drawings themselves, but also, and above all, for the attention that there has been in respecting perfectly the design of the manga. Very often it happens that, from the original work to the animated transposition, there are evident changes in style. Inevitable at times, but superfluous at others. Here, it is evident that a lot of style is sought “americheggiante”, in particular with the figure of All Might (from the colors, to the heavy stroke, to the shadows).
Very good dubbing and choice of voice actors, as well as the soundtrack, able to increase adrenaline to the maximum and make everything even more exciting. The directing did a neat and tidy job. It adheres a lot to the manga and does not carry out particular cuts or adaptations (remember that the manga is still in progress, far from reaching the end).