Just two years after Kōhei Horikoshi created “My Hero Academia” in 2014, his world-famous manga leapt from the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump and onto the small screen where it quickly became a world-famous anime too, bringing a quirky twist to the endless barrage of superhero fare that’s long dominated our screens.
Like Marvel’s X-Men, the heroes of “My Hero Academia” are born into a world where many people possess an innate power or “quirk” that sets them apart from the rest of humanity. Unlike the X-Men, however, super-powered people are in the majority here. And if you think the likes of Toad or Blob have strange mutant gifts, wait until you see the bizarre abilities that Horikoshi has plucked from the weirdest yet most creative recesses of his mind.
But you know all that already, right? Just as you know that the series stars an adorably plucky protagonist named Izuku Midoriya (or Deku), who went from being one of the few powerless humans in the world to the strongest when Japan’s greatest hero, All Might, entrusted him with all his combined quirks at once. Because seven seasons deep and four movies in, “My Hero Academia” has become more impenetrable to newbies than Red Riot’s rock-like skin, and this latest installment is no different.
That’s made no difference to the film‘s success in its native homeland though. After landing the top spot back in August, “You’re Next” has since become the the 10th highest grossing film of the year in Japan, overtaking everything from Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (which was finally released there on March 29) to the latest theatrical release of “Demon Slayer”, titled “Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training.”
But for the many international fans who have watched everything up to this point (why would you be reading this review otherwise?), “My Hero Academia: You’re Next” kicks off in the aftermath of season six with Japan in ruins. Ahead of the events depicted in season seven, our young heroes, the students of Class 1-A, have taken to the streets, battling the despicable villains out to take advantage of a country in crisis. The opening fight hits the ground running faster than Deku or Ingenium on a good day, introducing everything from a transmuted spiky metal car with eyes to an “Akira”-esque biker dude with a gun for an arm, not to mention a surprisingly strong foe whose power is connected to the giant mouth located in his stomach.
It’s a lot, even for seasoned fans of the franchise, and that’s all before the main thrust of the narrative even begins, but “My Hero Academia” has always been adept at grounding its most hectic urges with human touches, and this film is no different. (And for fans currently watching the never-ending battle that season seven has become, just know that it’s still less exhausting to jump in here because it’s a far shorter, self-contained story that spans what would roughly be six episodes in the show.)
Said story really begins when a brand new villain named Dark Might claims himself to be the true successor to Deku’s mentor, All Might. While he doesn’t have the retired hero’s super strength (or his various other quirks for that matter either), Dark Might’s ability to transmute matter is arguably even more impressive. And that’s before Deku realizes Dark Might even shares the same face as All Might, albeit a twisted, mirror image of the man he’s idolized for so long.
Using the quirk-amplifying gifts of his hostage, a quiet young woman named Anna, Dark Might transforms the city into a giant flying fortress (for reasons not entirely clear), and hundreds of civilians are now trapped inside. Thankfully, the heroes of Class-A are caught in the fortress too, forcing them to fight their way through Dark Might’s super-powered gang while trying to figure out what’s going on with the dashing butler-turned-cyborg who’s appeared as well with a mysterious agenda of his own.
With our heroes split into various teams, there’s plenty for everyone to do. That’s always been a strength of “My Hero Academia,” to successfully balance a cast two, even three times the size you’d normally encounter in a story like this. Of course, with this being a special event and all, the main trio of Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki appear the most, plus plenty of time is given to Giulio and Anna as well. With a surprising lack of All Might’s input, which feels like a waste given his double is the big antagonist, it’s the backstory of this new pair that forms the emotional heart of “You’re Next.”
Unfortunately, this is where the film falls short. Giulio isn’t boring, per se. He just doesn’t bring anything new to the table that we haven’t seen before. Broody? Check. Obsessive love for an unattainable woman? Check. A cybernetic gun for an arm that he wields with a flick of his long flowing locks? Check check check. Guilio still comes off better than Anna though, an almost entirely voiceless character who exists purely in the service of others, be it to power-up Dark Might with her quirk or signal that time is running out for her heroes with the ever-changing color of her hair. Putting the only new female character of note in a trance for most of the film’s runtime is not a good look by any means. But hey, at least the flowery effect of her power sure does look pretty!
The other villains vary in quality, both in terms of character design and also their impact on the story too. But by and large, they’re mostly introduced as a series of one-note obstacles whose defeat brings Deku one step closer to Dark Might. The idea of someone else trying to replace our hero as All Might’s successor is an intriguing one that the show’s never really tapped into before, plus there’s a lot of fun to be had with the dark mirror image concept that’s become so entrenched in superhero lore. “My Hero Academia” has a history of subverting these tropes, or at least tackling them from a more unique perspective than usual, but here, the admittedly fun and flamboyant performance Dark Might puts on isn’t as deep or knowing as it would like to make out. Again, it feels like a missed opportunity to leave All Might almost entirely out of this fight given he’s the one who inspired Deku’s new foe in the first place.
If this all sounds a bit negative, it’s because “My Hero Academia” has more big-screen potential than most, and while “You’re Next” might be the second best film of the four released in this franchise so far, it’s still not hitting the heights it should be. Although, if we’re comparing it to current superhero fare in general, “You’re Next” is still one of the best movies of its kind that you’ll see at the cinema in 2024. The bar is particularly low this year, but the quality of what the film gets right is anything but.
The characterization of new additions to the cast has left much to be desired, but all the regulars you know and love from Class 1-A are just as fun and likable and joyous to watch as ever. While we would rarely recommend choosing a voice dub over the original Japanese voice actors, everyone in the English speaking version of “My Hero Academia” embodies the characters to perfection here, as they always do, living and breathing every gasp or cheer or call to action with extremely earnest yet undeniably cute vigor. That doesn’t mean the fights hold back though.
As always, Studio Bones nails every battle, from the small-scale pile-up at the start to what can only be described as an explosive end (a tired description, usually, but one that must be taken as literal as possible here). Despite how frenzied things get, everything is so well choreographed and stylized that you never lose track of what’s happening. In fact, it’s this relentless pacing that makes these fights so dangerous for anyone who wears a pacemaker or eats too much candy heading into the theater. As always, there are inventive touches here that you’d never find anywhere else, such as the moment Deku figures out how to break through the slow-motion bubble generated by a rather dapper evil gentleman, midway through. How “My Hero Academia” remains this innovative all these years later is a gift not to be taken lightly.
The same could also be said for the score, composed by series regular Yuki Hayashi, that’s bookended by two songs from the Japanese pop icon Vaundy, which cements the franchise’s dynamic, hopeful vibes that have always made it so much fun to watch in the first place. And that continues to be true now, but much more so if you’re a longtime fan. If you haven’t guessed by now, “You’re Next” doesn’t work particularly well as a stand-alone film, but that’s ok because it nails so much of what fans might be hoping for and expect from a new feature length take on the story. And if all else fails, just hold out for Netflix’s upcoming live-action movie adaptation which promises to be a jumping on point for new fans, albeit one that could easily end up being world-famous for all the wrong reasons.
Grade: B-
Toho Animation will release “My Hero Academia: You’re Next” in theaters in both subbed and dubbed versions on Friday, October 11.
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