My Hero Academia Introduction And Rundown

For decades now, anime has become a top form of entertainment. What once was an Eastern medium is now a worldwide phenomenon. Many fans who never considered watching anime are finding it everywhere. That’s in part to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Above those two, Crunchyroll is the top platform for anime. As one of the most popular shows today, here is a My Hero Academia introduction.

Anime fans know the My Hero Academia show well. For those new to the genre, or maybe new to the show, there is a lot going on. For starters, there are a lot of characters and powers in the show, and knowing everything can take some time. Instead of looking around for details yourself, look no further! We’re going to break down the characters, premise, and powers in My Hero Academia. Read first, and then decide whether or not you want to watch the show. If you have seen it, maybe this article gets you back into the program. Either way, if you’re looking for MHA information, look no further! Let’s start first with the show’s history and inception.

My Hero Academia Introduction – Manga and Beginnings

For starters, like most anime, a My Hero Academia introduction starts with books, as it was written first as a manga. For those not in the know, manga are like graphic novels in Japan. They come out regularly like comics here. Some come out in comic collections that bring regular manga series in a group to print. Everything from Dragonball Z to Naruto started as manga.

The series began and was written by Kohei Horikoshi. Horikoshi most notably created the series Oumazoo. In that series, Hana Aoi is a teenager who needs a little help. By a little, I mean a lot of help. She takes a job at the local zoo to try to improve herself. After all, she loves animals, and what better place to work than a zoo! Nevertheless, things go from messy to messier when she finds out a dark secret. The zoo is cursed and the owner is now a bunny thanks to dark magic. The series has run since 2010, in the same publication as My Hero Academia.

Weekly Shonen Jump

The publication hosting both of Horikoshi’s popular series is called Weekly Shonen Jump. Not only is it the most popular manga publication, but it is also is one of the oldest. From comedy to drama to horror, Weekly Shonen Jump is a top notch manga provider to millions around the world. At the height of its popularity, the magazine sold 6.53 million issues every week. A few of the most popular manga published by WSJ are Hunter x Hunter, One Piece, and yes, My Hero Academia. Since July of 2014, My Hero Academia has been one of the biggest manga for the magazine, collecting 22 volumes of content. The anime follows the manga’s popularity, thanks to a rabid fanbase.

Beginnings and History of My Hero Academia   

In 2015, only one year after the manga debuted, the series’ executives announced that the manga would receive an anime adaptation. The website, heroaca.com, launched, and fans all over the world rejoiced. Anime experts and longtime industry staples Kenji Nagasaki and Yosuke Kuroda would run the show as director and writer, respectively. Studio Bones produces the anime, and like their other shows, does a great job at keeping fans happy. In terms of behind the scenes details, character designer Yoshikiko Umakoshi and composer Yuki Hayashi work together to ensure the show’s tone is spot on.

Not surprisingly, Funimation licenses the anime rights for streaming services. They are a popular company for just that role in the industry. They also control broadcasting and merchandising rights. Only one year after its first season, showrunners proudly announced a second season. My Hero Academia to air ever since its inception. Now, let’s get to the show and its characters and lore.

My Hero Academia Introduction and Lore

There’s a lot happening in this anime. For starters, the lore behind the show is intricate, and requires a bit of background. The first is the concept of quirks.

Quirks in My Hero Academia Introduction

A quirk is a lot like what we commonly call a superpower. Unlike DC and Marvel, the My Hero Academia universe sees a lot of humans with quirks. Think of a quirk as a gift someone is born with. For example, some quirks give the ability to be extra flexible. Other quirks are known to make individuals dangerous, meaning that some use their powers for evil. Because each individual has a different quirk, everyone born with one is unique. Their “individualities,” as they are often referred to, make them a particular part of society. 80% of the world in MHA is born with a quirk and uses it. In the rarest of occasions, animals can also have quirks, though this is less common.

Hero Schools

A popular setting in the series are hero schools. The most notable school is the U.A. High School, where most of the main characters study their quirks and powers. In all of Japan, U.A. High is the most prestigious and highly regarded training program. Each student is placed into a separate group in the school. These groups are determined by departments, or focuses, and classes, ranging from rankings A-K. As you can imagine, many want into the school, but not all are worthy. For that reason, a number of undesirables try to get in. A barrier exists around the school to keep these people out. If you do not have an ID as a special entry or student, you are automatically closed off from the high school. Pretty cool, right? Precautions are necessary when dealing with the evil in the world of MHA.

Hero Costumes

Whether you are training or fully ready to be a hero, you need some help. That’s why all heroes in the series wear costumes. These hero costumes offer the ability to maximize a hero’s quirk. For example, if exploding fire is your quirk, your costume better come with fireproof protection. There are a lot of heroes who have some sick costumes. Pro heroes use costumes as a way to make sure things are done safely. By powering up their quirk, as well as reducing risk to themselves and surrounding citizens, these costumes play a huge role in the series.

Most of the costumes are the work of professor David Shield. Professor Shield at one time was the number one hero in Japan. By using his experience and expertise, students and pros alike are given great costumes. Not only do they power up quirks, but they help protect heroes from their disadvantages. Without costumes, these heroes would be hard pressed to survive the crazy world of MHA.

One for All

A final thing to note on the lore is One for All. As the story goes, a powerful man once found that he could steal quirks and give them to others. That man’s younger brother had no observable quirks. The man ended up giving his brother a quirk for unlimited power. Little did they know, the brother did have a quirk, which merged with the given quirk to form One For All. The man became evil and sought to take as many quirks as he could, becoming All for One. One for All is difficult to master, but is passed on to new holders. Currently, the main character of MHA holds One for All. Let’s talk characters, while we are at it.

My Hero Academia Introduction – Characters to Know

Without spoiling too much, here are the main characters in My Hero Academia that you need to know.

Izuku Midoriya

Izuki is our main character in MHA. Despite being born with no quirk, he is handpicked by a legendary hero named All Might. Why is this? Izuki Midoriya shows a historic sense of pride and heroism. Because of the content of his character, All Might is crucial to a My Hero Academia introduction, and takes on Midoriya as his student, and places him in Class 1-A. This is significant because the most promising students are in 1-A. U.A. High School, as mentioned before, is highly competitive.

All Might has his name for one reason: he holds the One For All power. In order to make sure Izuki can complete as a top notch hero, he passes on the power. This makes Izuki the ninth person to hold the One for All power since it was stolen and given to All for One’s brother. Izuki is short, messy, and unassuming. That makes him the perfect surprise hero.

Tenya Iida

A great character in the series who studies alongside our main hero is Tenya Iida. He’s the perfect noble hero to follow as a moral compass. His oversized calves give him super speed and strength, making his quirk his incredible battle ability. He’s not necessarily important, but he’s a fun character to watch out for if you start the show.

Tomura Shigaraki 

Talk about an all-time terrifying villain. The main bad guy in the series is Tomura Shigaraki, leader of the League of Villains. The League’s goal is to kill All Might. All Might, who works at U.A. High and passes on One for All to Izuki, is a symbol for peace and good in Japan. The goal of Tomura and the League is to remove him and start a new society. Tomura is al about justice, but he wants to be judge, jury, and executioner. With deep red eyes and a terrifying costume, he is a wonderful villain to feature. Let’s talk a little bit more about the League of Villains.

League of Villains

So, why do the League of Villains form? All for One reigns in power for quite some time, that is until he is defeated by All Might. Once destroyed, villains are forced to disappear. Upon doing so, the mobilize a group for evil. Because they want All Might destroyed, his becoming a teacher at U.A. High School causes a lot of threats to the school. Students and teachers are suddenly in the crosshairs of the most dangerous group in the world.

Overall Story

The story, like many anime, is based on a struggle for power. Good and evil want to make the calls for society. Unfortunately, that is not a new concept. What makes My Hero Academia so tempting is the use of quirks and powers to run the battle. As evil doers battle for power and try to infiltrate U.A. High School, more and more students are asked to step up and fight. Like any good story, good must reign supreme and use everything in its grasp to fight evil.

Conclusion

Without introducing too much more information, the story of My Hero Academia is a total thrill ride. If you have not read the manga, the anime is fine to start. You’ll likely want to go back and read more once getting to know these characters. For some time, anime continues to grow in popularity. As you can see with this particular story, the characters and tales are exciting. Many choose to follow these characters throughout video games, movies, and more. My Hero Academia is a whirlwind of action and adventure, fit for any new or old anime fan. Tune into the older seasons, and be on the lookout for new episodes this year!

Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master's Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.