The young heroes of My Hero Academia, arguably the current biggest anime in the world, are back but does their second movie Heroes Rising go even further beyond?
Set during the currently airing 4th season, Heroes Rising finds series protagonist Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, his childhood friend/rival Bakugo, and the rest of Class 1-A taking part in a new program for the new generation of heroes to gain experience in the wake of the retirement of legendary hero All Might.To this end, the students have been sent to act as heroes on the remote Nabu Island. Initially, this amounts to community service and simple tasks helping people in bad situations, which leads to both Deku and Bakugo encountering a pair of kids, the somewhat-bratty Mahoro and her shy hero-wannabe little brother Katsuma. Things take a turn for the sinister when a group of powerful villains, led by the mysterious Nine, attack the island in search of something to help him become even more dangerous. Cut off from outside help, with an island of civilians depending on them, Class 1-A will have to prove that they’re the next generation of heroes, especially as Deku and Bakugo have to come together to save the day despite their clashing philosophies.
The plot definitely is on par with the last film in the series, Two Heroes. Both films are enjoyable superhero adventures in this larger-than-life world. While Two Heroes was focused on Deku and his relationship to All Might as his successor, Heroes Rising focuses on Deku and his classmates, giving all of them important roles to play in the story instead of relegating most of them to cameos or side-characters. While some fan favorites do end up on the sidelines again (like All Might and the other adult heroes), it makes more sense here given the story. About the only thing plot-wise that bugged me slightly is something that I can’t get into as it’s a massive spoiler, but it does feel like a questionable choice to make.
The animation is again on point with the theatrical budget allowing the action to go huge in gorgeous ways. Toho Animation and Studio Bones go above and beyond by creating imaginative set-pieces. The sound design gives those set-pieces real weight, and the music is again incredible. I do regret the change made to the franchise’s most memorable musical track, but it does work with the tone of the story.
The voice acting on both languages continues to impress, as both the original Japanese and the English dub by Funimation keeps the same energy and level of performance from the series. Personally, I tend to lean more towards Japanese for anime, but you can’t go wrong with either for Heroes Rising.
There are two main flaws here, and the first is one that continues to be an issue for films of series like this: the fact that try as they might, it can be daunting to get into if you have no prior knowledge of the series. This is especially true here as the film features so many characters to follow. The other flaw comes from the resolution of a major incident, the aforementioned questionable choice, which I know objectively has to happen since the consequences of this movie can’t affect the still-happening story of the original anime and manga, but this event can still feel… again, just questionable in its logic. Thankfully, this doesn’t detract from the entertainment and sheer epic enjoyment to be found in this action-packed flick.
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising does exactly what it sets out to do: give the fledgling heroes of its main cast a chance to shine on the big screen in yet another massive superhero epic. Fans will love it, newbies if properly prepared will enjoy it, and if they keep this streak going, I’m more than intrigued with how the next film will go.
More information about Heroes Rising can be found on the official website.
Digital viewings of both the DUB and SUB versions of My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising were provided for the purpose of review.
