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My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Heroes Rising review and recommendation

overview

"My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Heroes Rising" is the second film in the "My Hero Academia" series, released on December 20, 2019. The film is based on the popular manga of the same name by Kohei Horikoshi, and animation is handled by Bones. The film is an original story written by the original author, and takes place before the fourth season of the TV anime series. The story depicts the growth of the students of Class 1-A of U.A. High School's Hero Course, including Izuku Midoriya (Deku), as they go about their hero activities on the remote island of Nabu Island.

story

On a snowy night, the villain Shigaraki Tomura, who is plotting to destroy the hero society, is secretly trying to carry something. The pro heroes who caught their movements in advance rush to the scene and a fierce battle unfolds. During the battle, the something leaves along with his friends. At that time, Izuku and the other members of Class 1A of the Hero Course at U.A. High School were visiting Nabu Island, a remote island located far south of Japan, for a limited-time off-campus hero activity as part of the "next-generation hero training project" to succeed the retired No. 1 hero All Might. On this peaceful island where no major incidents have occurred for a while, Izuku and his friends meet two siblings, Mahoro and Katsuma, while spending their busy yet relaxed time helping the islanders' lives as resident heroes. Izuku quickly becomes friends with Katsuma, who aspires to be a hero, but for some reason Mahoro stubbornly keeps Katsuma away from Izuku and his friends. Meanwhile, mysterious enemies called "Villains" suddenly attack Nabu Island, destroying the island's facilities one after another. The leader of these is "Nine." Izuku, Bakugo and the other members of Class 1-A join forces to face the villains, but Nine's overwhelming "quirk" and power far surpass their imagination. Why did Nine and his friends attack Nabu Island? And will Izuku and the other "New Heroes" of Class 1-A be able to protect Katsuma, Mahoro and the people of the island from the most vicious enemies, the "Villains"?!

Commentary

Since Kohei Horikoshi began serializing it in Weekly Shonen Jump (published by Shueisha) in 2014, the comic series My Hero Academia, commonly known as Hiroaka, has sold over 25 million copies by 2019. In a world where about 80% of the population is born with supernatural abilities called quirks, many young people dream of becoming a hero, a profession that protects people and society. The story of the main character, Izuku Midoriya (Deku), who was born without a quirk, growing up to become a full-fledged hero has evoked a lot of sympathy and excitement, and has been popular since the beginning of the serialization. The TV anime started in 2016, and as of 2022, five series have been broadcast. The first movie version was released in 2018, and it was a huge hit with an audience of over 1.3 million people. This is the second movie to be released in theaters, following My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Two Heroes, which was released in 2018. This work is an original story written by the original author, and the content is chronologically significantly earlier than the TV anime series "My Hero Academia" (Season 4), which aired in the same year as its release (2019), and features many characters and elements that will appear for the first time in "My Hero Academia" (Season 5), which was released in 2021.

cast

• Izuku Midoriya/Daiki Yamashita
• Katsuki Bakugo/Nobuhiko Okamoto
• All Might/Kenta Miyake
• Shota Aizawa/Junichi Suwabe
• Mahoro/Tomoyo Kurosawa
• Reality/Yuka Terasaki
• Nine / Yoshio Inoue
• Slice / Mio Imada
• Chimera/Shunsuke Takeuchi
• Mommy/Kousuke Toriumi
• Tomura Shigaraki/Kouki Uchiyama

Main Staff

• Original story, general supervision, and character design: Kohei Horikoshi, "My Hero Academia" (serialized in Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump")
• Director: Kenji Nagasaki
• Screenplay by Yosuke Kuroda
• Music by Yuki Hayashi
• Character design: Yoshihiko Magoe
• Art Director: Kazuo Nagai
• Color design: Kazuko Kikuchi
• Director of photography: Mayuko Furumoto
• CG Director: Yota Ando
• Edited by Kumiko Sakamoto
• Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
• Animation Production: Bones
• Produced by: 2019 "My Hero Academia THE MOVIE" Production Committee

Main Characters

• Izuku Midoriya (Deku)
  A boy who dreams of becoming a hero. Although he was born "quirkless," All Might discovered his inner hero qualities and gave him the "quirk" "One for All." His will to save people is stronger than most.
• Katsuki Bakugou is Deku's childhood friend. He is a confident man with outstanding intelligence, physical strength, and fighting sense, and has a strong desire to become the No. 1 hero. His "quirk" is the ability to explode by releasing nitro-like sweat from the sweat glands in his palms.
• All Might is the No. 1 hero and is also known as the symbol of peace. He was seriously injured in a battle in the past, and due to the aftereffects he can only act as a hero for a limited time. He has a "quirk" called One for All, which allows him to store and transfer the power that has been passed down from generation to generation, and he bestows it on Izuku.
• Shota Aizawa is a professional hero who serves as a teacher at Yuei High School. He seeks to think rationally and not waste time. His "quirk" is "Erasure," which allows him to erase the quirks of people he sees.
• Mahoro: A girl who lives on Nabu Island, where Deku and his friends visit as part of the Hero Activities Promotion Project. For some reason, she stubbornly tries to keep Izuku and his friends at a distance.
• Katsuma A boy who lives on Nabu Island, which Deku and his friends visit as part of a project to promote hero activities. He has a timid personality and never leaves his sister, Mahoro's side, but he actually aspires to be a hero.
• Nine Tomura Shigaraki and his friends are on the trail of a mysterious villain. His true identity and his relationship with Shigaraki are unknown. In order to achieve his own "ideals," he attacks Nabu Island, aiming for a certain target.
• Slice Nine's close aide and enemy <villain>. He has been betrayed by humans in the past and has lived his life without trusting anyone, but he agrees with Nine's "ideals". He has the "quirk" of being able to manipulate his hair like a blade.
• An enemy (villain) who works alongside the Chimera Nine. He is discriminated against and persecuted for his deformed "quirk," and is burning with a desire for revenge against society. He has a "quirk" that allows him to activate the characteristics of various animals on his body.
• An enemy (villain) who works alongside Mummy Nine. He has the "quirk" of being able to control objects at will by wrapping the bandages he has wrapped around his entire body around them.
• Shigaraki Tomura is a mysterious villain whose identity is completely unknown. He is plotting to kill All Might, though the reason is unclear. He is the leader of a group calling itself the "Enemy <Villain> Alliance." He seems to have a "quirk" that disintegrates anything he touches with his five fingers.

Related Titles

• My Hero Academia
• My Hero Academia Season 2
• My Hero Academia OVA
• My Hero Academia Season 3
• My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Two Heroes
• My Hero Academia Season 4
• My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: Heroes Rising
• My Hero Academia New Original Episode
• My Hero Academia Season 5
• My Hero Academia the Movie: World Heroes Mission

Theme songs and music

• "Higher Ground"
• Lyrics by Kenta Kataoka
• Composer: Shunnosuke Kuroda
• Arrangement: sumika
• Song: sumika

Review

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a long-awaited new adventure for fans of the series, and further expands on the worldview of the original work. The story follows Izuku and his friends as they grow through their hero activities on Nabu Island, with particular emphasis on Izuku's determination and growth as a hero. The arrival of a new enemy, the villain Nine, presents a new challenge for Izuku and his friends, and is an important element in highlighting their bond and individual growth.

The greatest appeal of this movie is the story of the growth and friendship of Izuku and his friends. Izuku's encounter with the siblings Katsuma and Mahoro and his struggle to protect them deeply moves the viewer. The character of Bakugou Katsuki is also developed, and his complicated feelings towards Izuku and his growth as a hero are depicted. The combination of these elements allows the viewer to empathize with the growth and friendship of Izuku and his friends, drawing them into the story.

Visually, the film also boasts extremely high quality. Bones' animation is meticulously drawn down to the smallest detail, from character movements and facial expressions to background depictions, and the visual beauty is outstanding. In particular, the battle scene with Nine is powerful and sure to excite viewers. Music is also an important element in adding excitement to the story, and Sumika's "Higher Ground" is a powerful song that symbolizes the battles and growth of Izuku and his friends.

However, this film also has some issues. First, the story is a bit predictable. The plot of Deku and his friends fighting new enemies on Nabu Island and growing is a familiar pattern for fans of the series, and it lacks some freshness. Nine's character also seems to lack depth compared to the other villains. His "ideals" and motivations are not clearly depicted, making it difficult for viewers to empathize with him.

Still, this movie expands the worldview of My Hero Academia and depicts the growth and friendship of Izuku and friends, making it a must-see for fans of the series. In particular, the story, which focuses on Izuku's determination as a hero and Bakugo's growth, will leave a strong impression on viewers. The high quality of the visuals and music makes this a film that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally. This movie is recommended not only for fans of the series, but also for those who like action and stories of growth.

Recommendation

"My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising" is a must-see for fans of the series. The story of Izuku and friends' growth and friendship deeply touches the viewer and deepens the worldview of the series. The high quality of the visuals and music also makes it a work that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally. This movie is recommended not only for fans of the series, but also for those who like action and stories of growth. Be sure to experience the excitement at the theater.