Like many anime franchises, My Hero Academia has 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 that My Hero Academia’s original films' characters are canon. However, this led to one of the biggest missed opportunities in the franchise to fix an issue that plagued My Hero Academia's story, its overly large cast.
With My 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 the fourth movie You’re Next could 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
MHA Movies Should Have Developed Heroes From the Main Series Instead of Starring New Characters
My Hero Academia has 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, each MHA film has established its plot around new characters instead of giving the chance to shine to characters already present in the story.
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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 of Dragon Ball Films
Custom Image by Rodrigo Sandoval Lahut. While introducing original characters in movies goes in line with other standalone and non-canon features from popular animes like One Piece or Naruto, this was particularly hurtful for My Hero Academia because, 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, MHA didn’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 though MHA’s author has been deeply involved in movie production, acting as general supervisor and character designer, he states in an interview included in You’re Next comic book posted by X user Aitaikimochi, that he prefers movies with original content over canon films, like the Dragon Ball movies.
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 missing in 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-off Team 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, MHA movies 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.
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My Hero Academia Still Has One Dangling Plot Thread After The Finale That Was A Major Missed Opportunity
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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 like Dragon 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 enjoying My 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 upcoming My Hero Academia 8 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.
Movie(s) My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018) , My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019) , My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021)
First Film My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
Cast Daiki Yamashita , Kenta Miyake , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Ayane Sakura , Yûki Kaji , Aoi Yuki , Kaito Ishikawa , Toshiki Masuda , Marina Inoue , Yoshimasa Hosoya
TV Show(s) My Hero Academia
Video Game(s) My Hero Academia: Battle for All , My Hero One's Justice , My Hero One's Justice 2
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