Kohei Horikoshi, the talented artist behind the renowned mangaka series My Hero Academia has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world with his unique storytelling abilities. The series is infused with a dynamic art style that looks extremely appealing to the eyes, making it a fan-favorite.
As a result, it comes as no surprise that ever since the series was serialized in 2014, it became a spectacle in Japan, which was followed quickly by it becoming a global sensation. The popularity soared even higher as the manga received an anime adaptation in 2016. However, before the series became a global phenomenon, Horikoshi was the author of a bizarre manga series with the most absurd plotline, which made fans lose their minds.
Kohei Horikoshi’s Oumagadoki Zoo Had The Most Absurd Plot
Kohei Horikoshi is a fantastic storyteller and a phenomenal talent. The artist is immensely dedicated to his craft and develops an engaging story that resonates well with his fans. This dedication can be traced back to his childhood. During an exclusive interview at San Diego Comic-Con via Anime News Network, where the artist was asked about when he first thought of becoming a manga creator, he responded, “Ever since I was a child,” and shared his interest with his parents, who were very supportive of him.
He said,
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve been drawing. I’d show them to my parents and they were very encouraging. When I was deciding on whether or not to go to college, that’s when I was also deciding what to do with my career. I wound up going to a design school, but I realized the skills I was learning there weren’t really applicable to becoming a manga artist. But I graduated anyway, then I freelanced for a while.”
Kohei Horikoshi’s first manga series was Oumagadoki Zoo, which commenced in 2010 and ran in Weekly Shonen Jump until 2011. It had a brief run, with only five volumes and 40 chapters. The manga tells the narrative of Hana Aoi, a teenage girl who is teased by her peers for her clumsy nature. But everything changes when she receives a flyer for a part-time job at a zoo, and decides to inquire.
Once Hana Aoi arrives at the identically named Oumagadoki Zoo, she finds the zoo’s director, Shiina, has been cursed, and his body is now half-human and half-rabbit. The bizarre creature was named Shiina and in order for him to transform back into a human being, he must take proper care of the zoo’s animals, and make it the best in the world.
However, the catch here is that Shiina finds it to be a drag, but good for him Aoi is an animal lover. Although the manga is one of the lesser-known works of the artist, it helped him gain the necessary experience to develop My Hero Academia.
Kohei Horikoshi Found Inspiration For My Hero Academia From Dragon Ball
Horikoshi’s MHA is a worldwide sensation, it tells the story of Midorya, a high school student, and his classmates at UA High School for Superheroes, along with his fights and growth. The artist is often praised for introducing intriguing characters along with a high-paced storyline, making it extremely fun to read.
In the same interview at the San Diego Comic-Con, he was asked about his favorite series when he was little. The artist immediately answered “Dragon Ball,” and how he wanted to emulate the drawing style from the series.
“Dragon Ball. I was a huge fan of Dragon Ball, so I’d try to think about what sort of other characters would exist in that world and drew those characters.”
He further added,
“At the end of the day, the characters are the most important. Are they cool? Do they do cool things? I think that’s the core of these characters.”
With each character having unique traits and powers, many of them are intriguing in their own manner, making it a global sensation, featuring jaw-dropping action scenes.
My Hero Academia can be streamed on Funimation.
