BD & DVD | CERT: 15 | DIRECTOR: KENJI NAGASAKI | SCREENPLAY: YOSUKE KURODA | STARRING: JUSTIN BRINER, CHRISTOPHER SABAT, RAY CHASE | RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH
Putting aside for one moment the perennial faves such as One Piece and Naruto, there’s no bigger anime worldwide than My Hero Academia. Adapted from a manga which began in Shonen Jump in 2014, the TV series is currently in its third season and is a smash hit, sweeping the viewers’ choice awards in last year’s Crunchyroll anime awards and inspiring a massive fandom, many of whom cosplay as their favourites at your local comic convention.
It was perhaps inevitable, then, that a movie spin-off would be created, and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes was released in Japanese cinemas in August last year, after a worldwide premiere at the Los Angeles Anime Expo. Earning $27 million at the box office worldwide, which included a limited run in both dubbed and subbed forms in UK cinemas, it was quickly announced that Bones Studio would produce a sequel in the spring of 2020.
Two Heroes takes place between season two and three of My Hero Academia, with the pupils of the superheroic UA High School embarking on a summer trip to I-Island, an artificial landmass where the world’s top scientists research Quirks, the superpowers that 80% of the world’s population possesses in the My Hero Academia universe.
The series protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, is a guest of his mentor, the legendary hero All Might, and meets All Might’s former sidekick, David Shield, now one of the top boffins on I-Island. Midoriya also meets Shield’s daughter, Melissa, who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps, and the scene is set for a relaxing time, yes? Of course it isn’t! The island soon comes under attack, and our heroes – plus the rest of the UA High School cast – have to band together to save the day.
At 97 minutes – four episodes of the regular show – the story is given time to breathe without easing up on the pace once the action kicks in, and it is animated beautifully, with Bones really flexing their muscles given the extra runtime and budget. The voice cast from the anime return for the movie, both Japanese and English, and keep it feeling very much like the bonus gift it is rather than the usual animated cash-in.
You don’t have to have watched the TV show to enjoy the movie (although there’s no reason why you shouldn’t – it really is that good!), but we can’t imagine it’s even half as good without having lived with these characters for the last few years. Even Mineta is bearable, and if you’re a fan of the show you’ll know that that’s remarkable in itself! My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is a fun action-adventure which adds depth to the MHA universe, particularly fleshing out some of All Might’s backstory, and is well worth adding to your anime library.
