Image: My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi [VIZ Media]
After ten years of an incredible success story, the superhero manga series "My Hero Academia" created by mangaka Kohei Horikoshi, which tells us the adventures of Izuku Midoriya and his classmates at the U.A. Superhero Academy, ends today. The last chapter is here.
10 Years Of My Hero Academia
The first chapter of "My Hero Academia" (original title: Boku no Hīrō Akademia) was published on July 7, 2014, in issue 32/2014 of the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump by the publisher Shueisha. Since then, the manga has sold 100 million copies worldwide, including 1.4 million in Germany. It has reached the top positions on the New York Times bestseller list several times. It is no wonder that "My Hero Academia" is one of the most popular and successful manga and anime series of all time. The manga has shown us that anyone can be a hero, no matter what challenges lie ahead. It is an exciting and inspiring story that teaches us to always believe in ourselves and never give up.
Today, with chapter 430, an era has come to an end. But don’t panic – if you’ve been following Deku and his friends in the anime, there are no spoilers here!
Kohei Horikoshi: Hero Inspiration
When asked what it means to Kohei Horikoshi to be a hero, he responded:
“At first, heroes were on a different level than me – like Oda-sensei (One Piece) or fictional characters like Goku from Dragon Ball. But as I entered my 30s, I began to appreciate the people around me who offer support, which is related to the current story of My Hero Academia. My appreciation for people who lend me a helping hand or encourage me has grown. Mr. Imamura, my editor, for example, was a great supporter. I now see these everyday helpers like him as heroes. Now I think anyone can be a hero, even those who support me closely.”
Just as he followed other mangakas, he has also influenced the manga scene himself. Gege Akutami, the creator of “Jujutsu Kaisen”, has said, for example, that he wouldn’t have started his popular manga series without “My Hero Academia”!
What’s Next?
Although the manga series has come to an end, we can still look forward to some more anime episodes that will bring the story to life in color. And even after that, the story will live on – in drawings, countless cosplays, and on your manga shelves. There are quite a few volumes, so just start reading again from the beginning!
