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At this point, if an anime franchise gains enough popularity, the anime adaptation of the series will make its way to the movies. Franchises such as Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayerand One Piece are only a few series that have struck gold in theaters, releasing original and compilation films to big success. My Hero Academia has four original films that have hit the silver screen in the future, with each entry presenting a unique story that took place within the shonen superhero universe. While there is plenty to praise for these films, there are also some cracks in the foundation that need to be explored.
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Before we get to the pros and cons of the shonen franchise’s films, let’s take a walk down memory lane when it comes to My Hero Academia’s theatrical offerings. The films began in 2018 with My Hero Academia: Two Heroesfollowed by My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Missionand most recently, My Hero Academia: You’re Next. Each film takes place within the timeline of Deku and Class 1-A, meaning that the characters introduced and the events that transpire are considered canon. While the villains of these films don’t make appearances in the main series, they did put Midoriya and company into some of their biggest battles.
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My Hero Academia: What The Movies Do Right
Perhaps the strongest part of the films is the stellar animation which Studio BONES employs in bringing these side stories to life. Whether Deku was fighting the likes of Wolfram, Nine, Flect, or Dark Might, the production house gave its all in bringing these fights to life. The choreography and the flow of the animation make these battles some of the best of the franchise, with the collateral damage almost looking like a fireworks display. Especially, the final fights of each film see BONES at its absolute best, producing eye-popping results.
When it comes to fan service, the films are able to introduce some interesting concepts. Seeing Midoriya “share” the power of One For All with Bakugo to take down Nine or witnessing the birth of an “Evil All Might” were moments that otherwise might not have made the cut in the main storyline, making for some solid reasons for the movies to exist. On top of these moments, the movies introduced plenty of interesting supporting characters such as Giulio Gandini, Anna Scervino, Rody Soul, and Melissa Shield. Luckily, the film also does a good job of shining the spotlight on its main cast, allowing for not only Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki take on the spotlight but allow the UA students and the top ranked heroes get their own moments in the sun.
My Hero Academia: What The Movies Do Wrong
One of the biggest problems for the films comes in their length, more specifically, their inability to really dive into some of the lofty ideas that they present. Two perfect examples come in the forms of Humarise and Dark Might. The villainous organization of My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission comes into the spotlight with an interesting end goal, believing that Quirks are sinful and the superpowers need to be eliminated from the world at large. Unfortunately, we don’t get nearly enough time to explore this concept and the movie even adds more in terms of framing Deku for murder, an aspect that also falls to the wayside in the third movie’s runtime.
On the Dark Might front, the idea of an Italian mob boss being warped by All Might’s message is a strong one, but much like Humarise, shonen fans don’t get the chance to sink their teeth into the character and his aspirations. The idea of fighting an evil All Might is one worth exploring, especially when it comes to Deku and the passion he has for his mentor. Unfortunately, in service of getting to the big fight scenes and wrapping the story, My Hero Academia: You’re Next isn’t able to do much more than give this lip service.
My Hero Academia has yet to confirm a fifth film for its franchise and with the eighth season acting as the anime’s last, it will be interesting to see if UA Academy will continue on the silver screen past its small screen finale.
