After 10 long years, Kōhei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia has finally concluded, sparking several debates online for its rushed ending. Chapter 430 starts with readers finally witnessing Deku as a UA teacher, marking the culmination of his journey to becoming the greatest hero.
Surprisingly, Horikoshi wanted to highlight the importance of friendship, and the final chapter serves as a perfect example. Unfortunately, our beloved protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, never accomplishes the top spot in the Heroes Ranking, which many fans were enthralled to witness.
Horikoshi always showcased Midoriya as a selfless individual who prioritizes others’ safety over his own. Interestingly, My Hero Academia‘s mangaka wanted to leave a lasting impression on his readers and put his beliefs on screen with Deku’s journey.
Kōhei Horikoshi’s Vision of True Heroism Reflected in Deku’s Journey in My Hero Academia
Kōhei Horikoshi has received tons of tributes from the fandom and fellow creators for all his years of hard work. My Hero Academia managed to captivate fans for over a decade through Deku’s journey to surpass his idol, All Might. From being born Quirkless to defeating the strongest villain in MHA‘s history, Deku’s journey has been nothing else than a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Unfortunately, Horikoshi found himself at the center of criticism, as My Hero Academia received several rushed-ending accusations. Throughout Deku’s journey, Horikoshi wanted to highlight true heroism’s potential and My Hero Academia’s epilogue serves as a notable example. In an interview, Horikoshi once revealed his belief in MHA‘s portrayal of similarity to real-life events. He said:
It’s actually not a really glorious story at all, as All Might grows weaker every day and Izuku gets injured every now and then. Even the victories in the story for the protagonists aren’t won straightforward and simple.
Unlike most shonen anime protagonists, Horikoshi wanted to leave a lasting impression on the audience through Deku’s journey. As Deku fails to accomplish his ambition to become the No. 1 Hero and ends up as a UA teacher, Horikoshi illustrates that not every protagonist gets a perfect ending.
Regardless, Deku’s contribution during the final Heroes VS Villains Arc can’t be overlooked. Although our beloved protagonist fails to reach the top spot in Heroes Ranking, Horikoshi makes sure Midoriya sees a happy ending through the Class 1 A reunion.
My Hero Academia Disappoints Fans, and It’s Not About the Epilogue
MHA‘s epilogue is receiving a lot of criticism as fans felt betrayed by the end of Deku’s journey. Being born with no power in a Quirk-dominated world, Deku captivated many viewers by overcoming several challenges in his hero journey. Although some may argue that Horikoshi had some hidden intentions behind the conclusion, the My Hero Academia franchise definitely disappointed the fandom with its special project announcement.
The franchise announced the news of a special project when manga was near to its conclusion, which naturally received an enthusiastic response from fans. From speculations of another prequel to a new video game release, the announcement only resulted in high expectations for My Hero Academia fans. On the release of the manga’s epilogue, the secret project was revealed, which ended up disappointing the entire fandom. Unfortunately, the secret project was revealed to be the franchise’s first-ever worldwide character popularity poll.
Naturally, the fans were left devastated, and they didn’t hesitate to display their anger online. Regardless of criticism, My Hero Academia enthralled fans for over a decade thanks to Horikoshi’s splendid narrative and Season 7 continues to leave fans anticipating.
You can watch My Hero Academia on Netflix and Hulu.
