My Hero Academia: You're Next (2024)

"My Hero Academia: You're Next" stars Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yuki Kaji, Ayane Sakura, Kaito Ishikawa, and Kenta Miyake.  Released in Japan on August 2, 2024, followed by the United States on October 11, 2024, the film has Deku and his Class 1-A allies confronting a mysterious fortress and a man resembling All Might.

The film was directed by Tensai Okamura, known for directing anime adaptations like "Medabots", "Wolf's Rain", "Blue Exorcist", and "The Seven Deadly Sins".  He also directed "Stink Bomb" in the anthology film, "Memories", and "Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow".  It is the fourth film adaptation of the My Hero Academia manga by Kōhei Horikoshi.  They say people want to grow up to be just like their heroes.  But what if that someone grows up to be literally like that said hero while ditching everything that they stood for?  The short answer would be to change the phrase from "never meet your heroes" to "never become your heroes".  The long answer comes from the latest cinematic outing from the iconic superhero anime My Hero Academia.  With the show's seventh season nearing its emotional conclusion, the creators decided to deliver another cinematic adventure with the students of Class 1-A before they prepare for its upcoming final season.  Thankfully, this occurs before the heroes' toughest battle against All for One and his criminal allies.  After the last couple of episodes of season seven, this is definitely a much-needed break from all the emotions I'm feeling right now.  Does it provide another thrilling addition to the manga's cinematic lineup?  Let's find out.

The story occurs during the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War.  Following a life-changing battle that resulted in Japan's destruction, the criminals are now running rampant across the country.  Izuku Midoriya (Yamashita), aka "Deku", along with his classmates of Class 1-A, join forces with the Pro Heroes to track down and catch the escaping jailbreakers while attempting to fix their reputation.  However, their trek was interrupted by the appearance of a giant fortress, causing a disturbance to an already-ruined city.  Even worse, the mafia gangster calling himself "Dark Might" (Miyake) is posing as Midoriya's idol, the former Pro Hero All Might (Miyake), and is holding a young woman named Anna Scervino (Meru Nukumi) with a dangerous Quirk hostage.  With the assistance of a mysterious butler named Giulio Gandini (Mamoru Miyano), Midoriya and his classmates must prevent the imposter and his crime organization from tarnishing All Might's reputation and destroying their city. 

For those who haven't read my review of "World Heroes' Mission", I have been a fan of My Hero Academia since I watched its first few episodes.  Most people may have different opinions on the popular superhero anime recently, but I'm part of the group that adored the heck out of it.  The characters, the animation, and even the emotional depth are all sublime in crafting a compelling and thought-provoking tale of a Quirk-less boy who dreams of being a hero.  It was enough for me to check out the My Hero Academia movies, which I thought were entertaining additions to the franchise, with "Heroes Rising" being my favorite.  By the way, "Two Heroes" and "Heroes Rising" are both available on Netflix, along with the series, so if you are interested, I recommend you check them out.  While "World Heroes' Mission" was a step down from "Heroes Rising", it was still another compelling adventure within the My Hero Academia universe.  So, of course, I was very eager to see "You're Next" ahead of the other new releases, especially on the big screen.

Like the previous My Hero Academia movies, "You're Next" offers an original story within the manga's arcs and the show's seasons.  In this case, the film takes place after the first half of season six, which covered the Paranormal Liberation War arc, and during its second half, depicting its aftermath.  Despite occurring in different parts of the show, the movies provided plenty of merits in their entertainment values and screenplays to satisfy those who haven't picked up a single manga while catering to the source material's fans.  "You're Next" is unsurprisingly no different, as it offered another satisfying dose of superhero action and visual spectacle to entertain plenty of MHA fans and even casual viewers.  Unfortunately, the film also didn't provide much else to its plot to make it as special as the other films.

Regarding its plot, you don't have to watch every episode of My Hero Academia to understand "You're Next" since it includes specific elements to catch you up.  As for its connection to the show's sixth season, it has a familiar issue as "World Heroes' Mission": it didn't entirely affect the show's plot massively.  This is more like a side quest that isn't necessary to complete amid the anime's main storyline.  However, if you're like me and want to take a breather from the show's emotionally stressful seventh season, "You're Next" should serve as a low-stakes appetizer before the anime's preparation for a bidding farewell.  But, regarding the MHA movies, the film is surprisingly the weakest of the bunch despite its entertaining moments.

"You're Next" certainly has a good idea that warranted the theatrical treatment: a villain who poses as the city's former number one hero, All Might, during a time when people are losing faith in the heroes.  It emphasizes the importance of being the "Symbol of Peace," as shown in the show's earlier seasons.  Dark Might believes that being All Might's successor is only about power and strength above the weak.  However, the actual benefit of being a hero is providing hope and salvation to the people they protect, explaining why Deku is the true successor to All Might.  Oh, the benefits of being a My Hero Academia follower.  This idea would've worked wonders in providing some stakes for All Might's reputation and even some character development for its heroes and antagonists.  Unfortunately, the screenplay by Yōsuke Kuroda lacked the storytelling depth it needed to warrant those stakes.  It's not without its thrills and heart that'll entertain casual moviegoers, but regarding its execution, it's more of a straightforward, low-stakes cinematic version of a filler episode than a grandeur event.

Much of the voice cast from the anime reprised their roles as their respective characters once more.  As usual, I watched the movie in its original Japanese dub because I couldn't find the time to watch it in English, which I was okay with because the Japanese version is usually better.  Daiki Yamashita continues to shine in delivering Deku's generous and determined persona through his vocal performance.  While the other classmates of Class 1-A didn't get as much screen time as Deku, like Bakugo (Okamoto) and Shoto (Kaji), they managed to find enough time to make their moments shine.  As for the new characters designed for the film, the only interesting ones that caught my attention were Giulio and Anna, who were impressively voiced by Mamoru Miyano and Meru Nukumi, respectively.  While the connection between the two was a bit predictable, they both delivered a decent amount of heart to elevate the film's world-saving storyline.  In addition to voicing All Might, Kenta Miyake pulls double duty by voicing the character's villainous doppelgänger, Dark Might.  While commendable in voicing two All Mights, it's not enough to overshadow the film's middling execution of its formidable foe.

Finally, we have the film's animation.  It was produced once again by Bones, the same animation company that had animated the previous My Hero Academia movies and the show.  Undoubtedly, I couldn't imagine a better company capable of delivering such stunning animation than what Bones delivered.  Like its cinematic predecessors, "You're Next" benefitted enormously from an animation style that felt less limited compared to the anime, especially regarding its visually striking action set pieces.  It can be a bit too much for those who are prone to epileptic seizures, but for anime fans, it's equivalent to a fireworks show on the Fourth of July: explosive and satisfyingly awe-inducing.

Overall, "My Hero Academia: You're Next" is an action-packed yet straightforward cinematic outing in the franchise whose visual and entertainment Quirks overpower most of its narrative shortcomings.  Yōsuke Kuroda's screenplay had some interesting ideas involving its formidable antagonist and themes of heroism that could rival the theatrical predecessors.  However, its desire to limit the stakes and remain disconnected from the show's plot faltered that opportunity.  But that doesn't make it a bad movie, in my opinion.  It's still a diverting and visually appealing superhero anime film that'll likely please fans looking to take a break from the show's emotionally draining seventh season.  The voice cast in the Japanese dub was good, the plot was mildly entertaining despite its setbacks, and the animation by Bones was electrifying.  Regarding the MHA films I have watched so far, I would place "You're Next" at the bottom of my list, with "Heroes Rising" remaining on top.  But in the end, regardless of the quality, it shows why My Hero Academia is worthy of being one of the anime department's greatest heroes.  If you're a MHA fan or a casual viewer who likes watching superhero movies, it's worth a watch.

B-