Spider-Man is a character that transcends genre and medium - and region. Spidey has had a surprisingly strong audience in Japan, dating back to Spider-Man: The Manga in 1970. Now, over 50 years later, Spider-Man’s newest manga debut shares a touching and exciting connection to a pillar in contemporary manga, My Hero Academia.
Spider-Man: Octo-Girl by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court is a charmingly cute story in which Doctor Octopus ends up in the one place anyone would least suspect: inside the body of a Japanese school girl. After falling into a coma, Otto is forced to take up his new life as Otoha Okutamiya while continuing to battle her consciousness for control.
Fans of My Hero Academica may recognize this series’ creative team because they are the creators of the My Hero Academia spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Surprisingly, this isn’t the only connection between My Hero Academia and Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Octo-Girl and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Are by the Same Creative Team
Written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with Art by Betten Court
After the vibrant success of My Hero Academia, the new series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, follows Koichi Haimawari, an unlicensed hero who uses his Quirk for good. Overall, fans really enjoyed the spin-off series, noting that, while it’s more laid back compared to My Hero Academia, it contains just as much heart. After an astounding 126 issues, the prequel ended in May 2022, leaving fans wanting more from the now-iconic duo of Furuhashi and Court. Fortunately, just two years later, the pair have returned with Spider-Man: Octo-Girl.
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Immediately, the tone of the Marvel series from Viz Media is recognizable to those familiar with the My Hero Academia style. Court’s style reflects the original My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi, noticeably translating into the pages of Spider-Man’s newest manga series. While reading the manga, it’s sometimes hard not to see traces of Uraraka, Himiko Toga, and Tsuyu Asui coming through Doc Ock’s new design. That’s not to say that Furuhashi is slacking at all. As expected, Okutamiya and Otto bicker a lot, but despite their clear antagonism, the two’s relationship feels remarkably similar to Deku and Bakugo’s.
My Hero Academia Was Originally Inspired by Spider-Man
Custom Image by Rodrigo Sandoval Lahut It’s no surprise that Spider-Man and My Hero Academia have finally officially crossed paths. Spider-Man has been a household name in Japan for decades, dating back to Spider-Man: The Manga by Kosei Ono, Kazumasa Hirai, and Ryoichi Ikegami, which was released in 1970.
Decades later, Spidey would once again inspire another piece of iconic Japanese media.
Spider-Man continued to see overseas success when Stan Lee partnered with the Toei Company to create a live-action Spider-Man show, an instrumental piece of media that would inspire the use of giant robots in future franchises like Super Sentai and Transformers. Decades later, Spidey has once again inspired another piece of iconic Japanese media.
In an interview with ComicBook following the conclusion of the My Hero Academia manga, creator Horikoshi was asked if any real or fictional heroes inspired his work. Horikoshi admitted that the runaway train scene in Sam Rami’s Spider-Man 2 played a major part in how he wanted to write heroic characters: everyday people who help each other when in need. As Horikoshi says in the interview:
'What is a hero?' A hero is a person who helps ordinary people, and ordinary people who help them in turn. I think this is the answer to the question, and there is nothing more to it than that.
Now, over two decades after the film’s release, Spider-Man and Doc Ock are now attached to the writer and artist Horikoshi entrusted his life’s work to.
Spider-Man Proves That He Can Transcend Cultural Barriers
As Stan Lee Said, "Anyone Can Wear the Mask"
For the super nerds out there, the connections only deepen from there. In the months leading to the release of the MCU's Infinity War, Marvel Studios and My Hero Academia promoted a "Special Hero Collaboration." To co-celebrate the release of the film alongside the release of the My Hero Academia anime's third season, a special poster designed by Horikoshi was revealed, depicting a one-to-one recreation of the Marvel Infinity War poster using the cast of My Hero Academia. In fact, All-Might’s Japanese voice actor, Kenta Miyake, voiced Thor in Infinity War’s Japanese dub.
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The connection between Spider-Man: Octo-Girl and My Hero Academia is far more than a cute Easter egg: it’s part of a long history. The legacy of Spider-Man’s popularity, especially in Japan, directly inspired the manga’s creation and, in turn, inspired Spider-Man: Octo-Girl. It’s a full circle moment. Spider-Man transcends both time and culture. Like Stan Lee once said, "anyone can wear the mask." People look at Spider-Man with awe, knowing that he could be their friend or neighbor, a concept that is heavily present in My Hero Academia, Vigilantes, and, of course, Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, which is available now from Viz Media.
Source: ComicBook
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Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
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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.
English (US) ·