Bibliographic Information:
Title: My Hero Academia / Boku no Hīrō Akademia
Author: Yōsuke Kuroda
Director: Kenji Nagasaki
Producer: Studio Bones
Streaming Service: Crunchyroll, Adult Swim, or Funimation
Release Date: 2018-present (U.S. release)
Genre: Superhero, adventure, action
Format: TV show
Awards or Honors: The manga version received a Harvey Award for Best Manga in 2019; the anime was nominated for Anime of the Year at the 2016 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Reading Level/Interest Level: 13+ (I couldn’t find any age ratings online, but that’s my assessment given some mild sexual references, cartoonish violence and minor peril)
Plot Summary: Set in the near future, 85% of the population has evolved to manifest “quirks” as young children. Most are inconsequential enhancements, but some are significant enough to create a class of superheroes, who protect the population from immoral people who use their quirks for theft, attacks or other mayhem. Izuku Midoriya has always longed to be a superhero, but he doesn’t have a chance; he never developed a quirk.
That is, until a chance meeting with the Number One Hero, All Might, changes his life: it turns out that All Might’s quirk of super strength is passed down by choice, and Midoriya’s persistence and big-heartedness mark him as worthy. He gets a chance to attend UA, the elite high school for training superheroes. But will he learn to control his quirk? And can he keep up with the other talented students? [The series continues, but this is the plot of the first few episodes.]
Author Background: Inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky, Kenji Nagasaki embarked on a career in anime. He directed Gundam Build Fighters and Classroom Crisis before he started on My Hero University, based on a manga of the same name (Wikipedia, n.d.-a). Its continued popularity has meant that another season is planned for fall of 2022. He won Best International Director at Lusca Fantastic Film Fest in 2018.
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: This is an utterly charming series. Perfect both as an intro to anime or for seasoned watchers, it’s funny, thought-provoking and visually interesting. Viewers new to anime will gawk at the over-the-top emotions and face-paced animation, but there are complex characters with interesting backstories mixed in with the almost nonstop action and cartoonish violence. Themes explored include grappling with perfectionism, perseverance, limits to power, and parental overshadowing. Overall it’s a lighthearted way for American teens to get a dose of Japanese culture and have fun doing it.
Creative Use for a Library Program: What quirk would you have? Teens can come up with a quirk and superhero name and design a costume for their own personal superhero in the MHU universe. If there’s sufficient interest, the library could host a mini Comic Con where teens cosplay characters from the show (or invent a character).
Speed-Round Book Talk: Midoriya longs to be a superhero, but he doesn’t have a chance; unlike most people around him, he never developed a “quirk,” much less one that could allow him to make a difference in the world. A chance encounter with All Might, the number one hero, changes everything, though. Texas Smash!!!!
Potential Challenge Issues: I couldn’t find any challenges; there is some mildly suggestive moments, but nothing more egregious than any Marvel movie, so it’s unlikely to raise hackles.
Reason for Inclusion: Anime is hugely popular with teens and it’s important to include a representation in the library.
Want more? Check out the fan wiki! It has almost 3,000 articles written since 2014.
References
Crunchyroll (n.d.). My Hero Academia. Retrieved from https://www.crunchyroll.com/my-hero-academia
imdb.com (n.d.). My Hero Academia. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5626028/?ref_=tt_urv
Wikipedia (n.d.-a). Kenji Nagasaki. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Hero_Academia
Wikipedia (n.d.-b). My Hero Academia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Hero_Academia
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