If you are a fan of Western heroes from Marvel and DC, this work is a good choice. Boku no Hero Academia is an anime based on the manga by Kōhei Horikoshi, which has been published by Shōnen Jump since 2014. It even sold nearly 150,000 copies in one week. Boku no Hero showcases the best of popular shounen from Japanese stories, but it also pays homage to American heroes and comic book stories.
Due to its great success in sales and popularity, an anime adaptation premiered in 2016. That same year, a game based on the anime was released. In 2017, the anime received a second season. Many said that after the end of Naruto, this anime would be its successor in fame.
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Synopsis of Boku no Hero
Everything happens in a world where, unlike most stories, the strange thing is not having any superpower. More than 80% of the world’s population is born with special abilities and powers. But our protagonist, Midoriya Izuku, to his deep sadness, is part of the 20% that has no power.
Even so, his greatest dream is to become a hero. He spends a good part of his time gathering information about all the villains and heroes. But one in particular has caught his attention since he was little, that is All Might, considered the symbol of Peace and Justice.
As Midoriya grows up, his hopes of realizing his dream begin to fade. Until then, he had not awakened any superhuman power. But one day he meets All Might and discovers that he is sick and losing strength due to years and years of fighting against evil. Even without any power, Midoriya saves one of his classmates. Because of this, All Might notices that the boy is dedicated and honorable and decides to pass his power to him.
But to receive such power, Midoriya undergoes intense training, and shortly after that, he enters the school of individualities. Now he has to learn to control his powers and prove that he has the ability to become a hero. In addition, he has to overcome various problems such as relating to his classmates and even bullying. Will Midoriya be able to get through these difficulties and become the hero he has always dreamed of? You will find out if you watch.
List of Arcs of Boku no Hero Academia
The anime Boku No Hero Academia or My Hero Academia is divided into several arcs that are being released in the manga. Below is a complete list of all the arcs available up to the last update of this article (2021).
Admission Test Arc
The new generation following Izuku Midoriya and his former classmates prepares for the entrance exam of the prestigious U.A. High School, a renowned academy for heroes.
Born without special powers in a world where 80% of the population has them, Izuku Midoriya still dreams of becoming a hero. An unexpected encounter with the legendary hero All Might gives him the chance to change his destiny, but first, he must master his newly acquired power to pass the U.A. admission exam.
- Episodes 1 to 4 [1st Season]
- Chapters 1 to 4
Individuality Test Arc
Under the threat of expulsion on their first day at U.A., the students of Class 1-A have their ability to properly use their powers judged by their classroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, to determine if they are suitable to be heroes or not.
- Episodes 5 and 6 [1st Season]
- Chapters 5 to 7
Battle Test Arc
After receiving their hero costumes, the students of Class 1-A are split into teams of two and face each other’s teams in an internal battle trial. Izuku fights with his childhood friend and rival, Katsuki Bakugo, for the first time.
- Episodes 6 to 8 [1st Season]
- Chapters 8 to 11
U.S.J. Arc
Class 1-A takes a trip to the unexpected simulation joint to enhance their rescue skills. However, the League of Villains unexpectedly appears at the facilities, and the students must survive their first real battle against real villains.
- Episodes 9 to 13 [1st Season]
- Chapters 12 to 21
U.A. Sports Festival Arc
The U.A. freshmen participate in their first Sports Festival, showcasing their skills in different competitions to attract the attention of professional heroes. Amid Izuku’s first chance to show himself to the world, Shoto Todoroki’s past is revealed.
- Episodes 1 to 12 [2nd Season]
- Chapters 22 to 44
Hero Killer Arc
Izuku and his classmates travel to their chosen work locations to gain experience while training under the supervision of professional heroes. Meanwhile, evil begins to move in the city of Hosu, leading to a confrontation between three young heroes in training and their first formidable villain.
- Episodes 13 to 20 [2nd Season]
- Chapters 45 to 59
Final Exams Arc
As the end of the semester approaches, Class 1-A must face a written test and a practical exam. However, in a surprising twist, they must face their teachers in combat to pass the practical exam.
- Episodes 21 to 25 [2nd Season]
- Chapters 60 to 69
Training Camp Arc
The first term of U.A. has ended and summer vacation has begun. In order to enhance their skills, Class 1-A goes on a school trip to a training camp under the supervision of the hero team, the Pussycats. Their peace does not last long, however, as they are soon surprised by a sudden attack from an elite squad of villains.
- Episodes 1 to 7 [3rd Season]
- Chapters 70 to 83
Hideout Raid Arc
The League of Villains’ attack on the U.S. summer training camp left deep scars: Katsuki Bakugo was kidnapped and faith in the institution was greatly shaken. Faced with an incident that could mean the end of Hero Society, Pro Heroes and the Police mobilize for a raid on the villains’ hideout to rescue the kidnapped student while the greatest evil begins to move.
- Episodes 8 to 12 [3rd Season]
- Chapters 84 to 97
Provisional Hero License Exam Arc
U.A. has transitioned to a boarding school; Class 1-A begins their new life living at U.A. The first task that Class 1-A needs to accomplish in their new home is to finish the training they left undone at camp so that they can be ready to take the Provisional Hero License Exam.
- Episodes 13 to 24 [3rd Season]
- Chapters 98 to 121
Shie Hassaikai Arc
The second semester of U.A. has finally begun, and some freshmen are preparing to apply for internships, despite the slight resistance from U.A. teachers. Midoriya tries to get a position at Sir Nighteye’s office, which is headed by All Might’s former sidekick. Meanwhile, an investigation involving several offices concerning Sir Nighteye ends up leading to the hunt for a former yakuza member and a mysterious young girl…
- Episodes 24, 25, 1 to 15 [3rd and 4th Season]
- Chapters 122 to 162
Remedial Classes Arc
Having failed the Provisional Hero License Exam, Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, and two family members from Shiketsu High School take remedial courses, tasked with winning the hearts of the children at Masegaki Elementary School. Meanwhile, Endeavor has a serious conversation with All Might.
- Episodes 15 to 17 [4th Season]
- Chapters 163 to 168
U.A. School Festival Arc
The U.A. School Festival is starting, and Class 1-A wants to put on a performance worthy of the audience that doubts their worth. Amid beauty contests, crazy performances, dance, and food, a gentleman and his partner are desperate to make their mark in history, and U.A. is their target.
- Episodes 18 to 23 [4th Season]
- Chapters 169 to 183
Professional Heroes Arc
The hero rankings are published biannually, and Endeavor has secured his place as the new number one hero. Divided by the invisible pillar he must protect and his tense family ties, Endeavor and the Number Two hero discuss the rumors behind Nomus when a sudden attack from a new Nomu puts Endeavor’s role as Number One to the test!
- Episodes 24 and 25 [4th Season]
- Chapters 184 to 193
Joint Training Arc
Classes 1-A and 1-B compete against each other in a Joint Training Battle, joined by Hitoshi Shinso, who is eager to enter the Hero Course. While the exercise is underway, Izuku discovers a new secret about One For All; one that none of the eight previous users could have ever dreamed existed.
- Awaiting New Season
- Chapters 194 to 217
Meta Liberation Army Arc
The personal confidant of All For One has given Tomura an almost impossible challenge that, if he manages to overcome, will prove that he is worthy of being his master’s successor. Meanwhile, the Meta Liberation Army, a group that opposes the power restriction laws, has kidnapped Giran in an effort to lure the League of Villains into a trap, not wanting them to become more infamous than Destro, the leader of the original Meta Liberation Army.
- Awaiting New Season
- Chapters 218 to 240
Endeavor Agency Arc
With Hero Work-Studies back in effect, the top three students of Class 1-A study with the new Pro Hero No. 1. Meanwhile, the fire-powered hero undergoes an unusual epiphany.
- Awaiting New Season
- Chapters 241 to 252
Paranormal Liberation War Arc
After a tip from Hawks and a new source of information in Tartarus, the Heroes have gathered all the information they need to face the Paranormal Liberation Front. This is a large and powerful villain organization formed from the union of the League of Villains and the remnants of the Meta Liberation Army.
- Awaiting New Season
- Chapters 253 to 288 [Still in publication]
Points we can observe from the work
The anime seems to be a bit slow and spends more time on the fights than the manga itself. The weekly deadlines of Shonen Jump have caused the author to rush and leave some fights aside, like those that happened during the sports festival.
The manga explores themes of law and order, having freedom with their powers or needing licenses. We notice that several characters are punished for engaging in illegal combat with a villain, even in self-defense. So much so that one of the things the group of villains proposes is the freedom of their powers.
If we pay attention to a certain extent, all the characters are single or have not engaged in romantic relationships. The series places much more emphasis on the characters becoming heroes, highlighting friendships and teamwork, leaving romance aside in the anime. A big disappointment for those who enjoy it.
Continuation and New Season of Boku no Hero Academia
Whenever a new season of an anime ends, other people search the internet to find out if there will be a new season or continuation. What about Boku no Hero Academia? Will there be a new season? Continuation? Fifth Season? Sixth Season?
Boku no Hero is a very successful anime with a monthly search above 300,000 people, although curiously most of the searches are for adult content. The universal success of Boku no Hero guarantees 100% the possibility of a new season as long as we have content for it.
In addition to the anime and manga, Boku no Hero has received high-quality and successful film adaptations. We believe that the original material guarantees at least two more seasons of the anime until 2022.
Curiosities about Boku no Hero
Two spin-offs have been released. The first, My Hero Academia Smash, is a gag series parody. The second is titled Vigilante – Boku no Hero Academia: ILEGALS. Made by a different author and artist, this manga takes place shortly before the events of the main series and details the story of a group of unlicensed heroes.
There is a lot of cherry blossom (sakura) symbolism in the anime. When All Might announces that Deku can be a hero, cherry blossoms fall to represent the blossoming of a new hero. Notice the cherry blossom trees in the background of the first opening between Izuku and Katsuki, representing the blossoming of rivals.
Before the anime adaptation premiered, the mangaka Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) praised Boku no Hero. With this, Horikoshi (Author) cited the Naruto series as the main source of inspiration for his work.
People with powers do not have a joint in their pinky finger. It was explained that this joint is only found in humans, and its absence shows that the person is at a new stage of evolution.
- An action game developed by Bandai Namco, My Hero Academia: One’s Justice, was created for the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch;
- The Chinese city of Qingqing (light happiness) is a play on the Chinese city of Chongqing (heavy happiness)!
Curiosities involving the names of the characters
Mina Ashido does not call Deku just because of his green uniform. She calls him greenie because of his name, which is Midoriya (緑谷), since in Japanese green is midori (緑). The name “Izuku” can also be read as “Deku,” which is a homophone of the term dekunobou, which means “useless,” “worthless” (more precisely a wooden doll).
His Hero name is a reference to the expression Ganbaru Deku (頑張るでく) which can be translated to “I Can Do This,” but everyone thinks of the original meaning of the word.
The name Bakugou (爆豪) is a reference to his power involving bombs and explosions. Bomb in Japanese is literally bakudan, while explosion is bakubatsu. Both words use the same ideogram that is present in Bakugou’s name (爆). Katsuki means “I win,” bakugou literally means big explosion.
Shoto Todoroki also has a name related to his power. Todoroki (轟) means something like “roar,” “great impact,” and Shoto (焦凍) is the combination of the words “toasting” and “freezing.”
Momo Yaoyorozu – The word Aoyorozu” literally means “eight million,” a number that indicates all creation. “Momo” can be read as “hundred” (hyaku, in Japanese). The momo went through indication because in Japan it is common for schools to recommend students with good grades without needing to take entrance exams.
Did you already know the anime? If so, did you like it? Did you become interested in the manga or anime if you haven’t seen it? Leave your opinion about the anime in the comments and share it with friends.
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