Highlights
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My Hero Academia is on fire in 2024 with the manga ending, season 7 airing, and a new movie, “You’re Next,” earning big.
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The film introduces Dark Might, a scheming villain with powers similar to All Might, who revolutionizes the world of heroes.
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While the film adds depth to the MHA universe, viewing is optional to understand the main story.
It seems that 2024 is shaping up to be my hero academiaIt’s the year after all. Since the manga series concluded just a few weeks ago and season 7 of the anime is currently airing, there’s already a lot for fans to digest. But the excitement doesn’t end there: the franchise is about to release its fourth official film. My Hero Academia: You are nextin cinemas.
This film was released in Japan on August 2, 2024 and has already grossed over 370 million yen on its first day (approximately 2.5 million US dollars). Its world premiere is scheduled for October 11, 2024, including in North America. The film’s production was first announced in issues 36-37 of Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 7, 2023, and its title was revealed on January 29, 2024. You are next is particularly intriguing, as its release falls right in the middle of the anime’s seventh season. This unique programming has raised many questions among fans about the film’s plot and its place within the M.and hero academia canon, but it’s really not too complicated.
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My Hero Academia: You are the next plot explained
My Hero Academia: You are next brings a new, high-stakes adventure to the beloved franchise. Without getting into spoilers, here’s a breakdown of the plot elements fans can expect.
The film begins with the cities of Japan in ruins and only small sections of society remaining. The young heroes of UA Class 1-A are working tirelessly to combat villains and restore order to their world, when a mysterious fortress seemingly appears out of nowhere and begins devouring everyone in its path.
As the heroes try to figure out where this fortress is from and what to do about it, we learn that Deku and his friends will have to face a formidable new enemy who calls himself Dark Might (who also, somehow, has a strange similar to his mentor, All Might).
This setup draws very notable parallels to the “evil Superman” stories we’ve seen so often in the superhero genre, but since it’s All Might, fans can’t help but be intrigued. What makes Dark Might truly terrifying is not just his powers or his powerful allies, but his twisted interpretation of All Might’s legacy.
Dark Might: The evil Superman
Dark Might believes that true heroism lies in overwhelming power and not in virtuous actions. This misguided philosophy leads him to capture a girl with quirk-amplifying abilities, using her power to reshape the city according to her vision. The result is a massive flying fortress where hundreds of civilians, including our heroes, are trapped.
Dark Might is possibly the best part of this movie. His powers allow him to transmute materials on a large scale and he is backed by a group of powerful quirk users who fully accept him as the new Symbol of Peace. Dark Might believes that he is All Might’s true successor, having misinterpreted the hero’s dying words, but he is not reduced to a one-dimensional evil trope. He is a very funny and well-written character, and perhaps the only reason You are next it’s worth seeing.
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There are so many unique and interesting Quirks in the world of My Hero Academia, but one that does fascinate me is Tamaki Amajiki’s Manifesto, which allows him to manipulate his body to give it animalistic characteristics, depending on the food he has recently consumed. As much as I would love to take on this Quirk due to its great versatility and unlimited potential, I am too picky with my food… so in that case, I would probably have to go with my backup option, which is Reiko Yanagi’s Poltergeist Quirk, as it is essentially a powerful Telekinesis ability that allows him to manipulate multiple objects at once, at will.
Todoroki, Bakugo and Deku shine in My Hero Academia: You’re next
The flying fortress mentioned above is Dark Might’s creation (not a spoiler, it’s pretty obvious at the beginning of the movie how it happened). It traps hundreds of civilians and moves them throughout the fortress, very similar to the Infinite Castle in Kimetsu no Yaiba. With all the main characters divided and disoriented, we see each of them trying to reach and confront Dark Might in her own way. But before they can reach him, they must defeat their superpowered allies and an endless army of automatons created with quirks.
This story structure allows for multiple exciting battles and character moments. While Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki get the most screen time, each hero gets a chance to shine. However, for these three main characters, the fight against Dark Might is deeply personal and challenges their understanding of what it means to be a hero.
The film introduces two new characters: Giulio and Anna. Giulio, a cyborg and former butler, serves as a supporting protagonist. His mission to kill his former teacher, Anna, is intertwined with the main plot. The creator of the series himself, Horikoshi, has highlighted the importance of the relationship between Giulio and Anna, stating that it connects with the ultimate goals of Deku and his friends.
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My Hero Academia: Are you the next Canon?
Firstly, the state of Japan depicted at the beginning of the film suggests that You are next takes place around the beginning of the anime’s seventh season.
As for whether it’s canon or not, the voice actors involved in the project have confirmed that the film is technically canon. This means that the events of You are next are considered to have actually occurred within the my hero academia universe. However, watching the movie is optional to follow the plot of the anime series.
If it’s still confusing, Horikoshi provided some insight into this matter in an interview. He suggested that viewers watching You are next ahead of season 8 could connect some dots about the events behind the scenes. However, he went on to explain that those who don’t see the film probably won’t notice much difference in their understanding of the main story.
The movie as a standalone in itself is interesting, but if you watch it and then come back to the actual story, you might feel, “Oh, this is where the story leads!”
In short, the events of You are next They are likely to provide additional context and depth to the world of my hero academiabut they are not crucial plot points that will significantly affect the narrative of the main series. Whether you choose to watch it or not, you will still be able to fully enjoy and follow the anime series.
my hero academia
In My Hero Academia, young Deku is born into a world where people often have something called quirks, also known as superpowers. He himself is born without any, but circumstances lead to that change. He enrolls in UA High School, a prestigious academy where the world’s future heroes learn to use his powers.