Coming hot off the heels of the series fifth season, My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission is another exciting entry in the beloved franchise. Featuring an original story, the film takes the young hero Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, and his fellow members of Class 1-A outside of Japan as they face a global threat. The movie featured many familiar faces along with new characters, including Rody Soul (voiced by Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryan Colt Levy) and the film’s primary antagonist Flect Turn (voiced by Kazuya Nakai and Robbie Daymond).
In My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, U.A. High School students Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner), Shoto Todoroki (Yuki Kaji and David Matranga), and Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto and Clifford Chapin) face the greatest crisis in My Hero Academia history, with only two hours to save the world. During their internship with the number one Pro Hero Endeavor Agency, Deku and his new friend Rody find themselves wanted nationwide for a crime they didn’t commit. The film sees Pro-Heroes from around the world seeking assistance in stopping a mysterious new group known as Humarise, an ideological terrorist organization that sees Quarks as a threat to humanity.
The movie was a rush from start to finish as we watch Deku and Rody on the run while they try to discover Humarise’s plans. The film’s overall pacing was great as it managed to balance the fast-paced nature of the story while still making time for quieter moments between the characters. Taking place after season five of the anime, the movie jumps right into the action, which may take a second for some to register, but once fans do, they’ll be locked in for the ride.
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Given the My Hero Academia movies rarely impact the overall canon of the series, the movie doesn’t see much development for the film’s main cast. Deku, Bakugo, Shoto, and the other heroes are the same as in the anime, and the movie pretty much leaves them the same by the end. However, this is not a bad thing as the story still gives them each a moment to shine on their own. Beyond the familiar faces, though, Rody is a compelling new character in the series that fans will surely come to love. The movie does a fantastic job of introducing us to his backstory and motivations and makes us care about his arc. On the other hand, the film’s antagonist, Flect, may seem a tad one-dimensional at times. While he made for a decent villain, he doesn’t measure up to the more developed foes Deku and his classmates typically face.
The film is enriched by a stellar score by My Hero Academia alum Yuki Hayashi who has provided the immersive atmosphere the franchise is known for. Hayashi’s score features some riffs on some of the series iconic themes while crafting some new ones as well. In addition to the score, the movie also features some great new music from Asian Kung-Fu Generation, who performs the film’s insert song Flowers as well as the main theme song, Empathy.
But the true highlight of My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission is the stunning animation and action sequences. Studio Bones put their all into this film’s animation, ultimately creating some of the most exciting scenes in the entire franchise. Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto each get a chance to exhibit their powers with action scenes highlighting how far they have come as heroes. And as I mentioned prior, while Flect didn’t make for the most interesting villain, his powers made for some very unique and exciting visuals.
Overall, My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission is precisely the story fans are hoping for and is a grand new entry in the series. The film’s exciting story and great character moments are accentuated by gorgeous animation, which put it on par with the previous two movies and the anime itself. And as always, the characters show us what it means to be a hero and go beyond, plus ultra.
Rating: 7/10
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission releases in Theaters on October 29, 2021.
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