The “ My
Hero Academia ” franchise has been a
global phenomenon since its debut in 2014. Created by Kohei Horikoshi ,
this series has stood out for its rich narrative, character development, and
unique focus on the superhero genre within the realm of manga and anime. With
more than a decade in serialization, the story of Izuku Midoriya and his
classmates at UA Academy has captivated millions of fans
around the world.
Today, the franchise had promised an
important announcement as part of the multiple projects planned to celebrate
the conclusion of the manga . These projects include the final
compilation volume, a fanbook and an artbook scheduled for 2025, as well as a
special exhibition that promises to be a can't-miss event for fans.
However, the “secret project” revealed today
has proven to be a disappointment to many . Although the manga's
ending left a divided impression between those who considered it
"adequate" and others who saw it as "a disappointment,"
there seems to be general agreement in considering today's announcement as
truly disappointing.
The announcement in question was in two parts:
- The
first and most criticized was an upcoming advertisement in the
popular American newspaper New York Times . Many fans expected
something more significant and directly related to the history or future
of the franchise.
- The
second part of the announcement is a character popularity poll,
open to fans around the world . Followers can vote on the
official survey site among dozens of characters divided into ten different
categories, daily until September 30. The results of this survey will be
published on December 3.
Although this survey demonstrates the
global reach of the franchise, it is not what fans expected ,
especially considering the promise of a "major announcement following the
end of the original work." Fans were hoping for a more substantial reveal,
such as a new anime project, a movie, or even a new spin-off series that would
continue to explore the “My Hero Academia” universe.
Over the years, “My Hero Academia” has released
several anime adaptations, movies, video games, and a wide range of related
products. Each new project and release has been received with
enthusiasm by its fan base, who has faithfully followed each chapter and
episode. The series has been praised for its ability to address
complex themes such as justice, sacrifice and personal growth, all set in a
world where superheroes are the norm and villains pose constant challenges.
With the manga concluded and these projects
underway, “My Hero Academia” fans continue to eagerly await new
developments that do justice to a series that has left an indelible
mark on the world of manga and anime, despite its controversial final.
- " Perhaps
the real heroes were the surveys we did along the way ."
- « Apparently
there will be two stages of voting, the preliminary 'Main Stage' and then
the PLUS ULTRA Stage. The first place winner of the 'Main Stage' will get
a special video about that character. The top three characters from the
Main Stage will compete in the 'PLUS ULTRA Stage'. Whoever wins the
character popularity poll in the 'PLUS ULTRA Stage' will get a new special
Horikoshi illustration and also a bronze statue of the winner. I got this
from aitaikimochi on Twitter. It is quite obvious who will be in the Top 3
and ESPECIALLY in the Top 1 ».
- « Why
would they say it's a great advertisement if it's a popularity poll? ».
- « Talk
about a big disappointment, hahaha ».
- « No,
the real big announcement is yet to come, trust me (a lot of
self-deception) .»
- « I
had low expectations, very low, and yet I am disappointed. This didn't
need so much anticipation, they could have announced this along with the
final chapter ."
- " Wow,
what a big disappointment ."
- « Did
I get up early for this?! ».
- " One
thing no one mentions is that it says the winning character will get a
'special movie', but I'm not sure if that means something animated about
them or just some manga issue with their highlights ."
- « Imagine
announcing three final popularity polls three years in a row .»
Source: WSJManga | Link to the My Hero Academia World Popularity
Survey: Link
