One of the things that makes My Hero Academia stand out is how relatable and human the characters feel, especially the young heroes at UA. As the anime goes on, you get to see them grow and change in profound ways based on the intense life experiences they go through on their journey to becoming heroes.
The series has just exploded in popularity and is rapidly becoming one of the biggest manga hits from Weekly Shonen Jump. With each new chapter, fans are surprised by how far the story has evolved from its original premise.
But the origins of My Hero Academia actually go way back before that initial concept. The manga’s creator, Kohei Horikoshi, had a very different vision for the series when he first came up with the idea behind it all those years ago.
My Hero Academia‘s Editors Reveal the Spider-Man Influence on the Story
In an interview for Shueisha’s Manga Plus, the editors who worked on My Hero Academia from the very start – Koike and Monji – talked a lot about how the series came to be.
According to Koike, My Hero Academia actually began as a very different one-shot story, but the idea resonated with Kohei Horikoshi, so they reworked it to get it ready for serialization.
Koike said through Shueisha’s Manga Plus that:
“After Horikoshi’s second series ended, the name ‘Boku no Hero’—a completed one-shot story which remained in Horikoshi’s heart—came up when we were talking about what we should write for his third series…After some polishing, the story was finally serialized.”
When it came to the series’ superhero influences, Koike mentioned Kohei Horikoshi’s love of heroes:
“I heard that Horikoshi really likes Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man…I believe the influence of American comics, and works such as Ultraman, or Kamen Rider contributed to his ‘love of heroes’.”
Koike went on to explain that while Kohei Horikoshi had the core concept nailed down from the beginning, they went through a lot of iterations before landing on the final version.
How Does Deku’s Connection With Peter Parker Reflect In My Hero Academia?
We can see how much Kohei Horikoshi admires Spider-Man when you look at the main character Deku in My Hero Academia.
Just like Peter Parker, Deku is a teenager who unexpectedly gains incredible powers. And with those powers comes the tough decision of figuring out the right way to use them responsibly to help others.
Deku and Peter Parker have so much in common – mastering their abilities, wrestling with the responsibility that comes with having powers, and trying to become heroes worthy of looking up to.
You can watch My Hero Academia on Crunchyroll.
