Review of My Hero Academia: heroes rising. A show for the fans.

Great editorial success, the manga My Hero Academia published by shueisha in Japan and Ki-Oon in France has successfully transposed into anime. Indeed, despite the constraints of the exercise, the 2018 film proved to be a high-quality show, enriched with cleverly distilled and accessible references. Bones' teams are once again engaged to direct anew feature film in 2019.

My Hero Academia : Heroes rising. Learning from heroes

In the world of My Hero Academia, 80% of humans possess alters that give them superpowers. A new type of criminal then spreads, the super villains with extraordinary abilities. To counter them, superheroes roam the streets. And schools have opened to train young people to become protectors. Izuku is one of the 20% of humans without abilities. Until the day when All Might, his idol, recognized as the most powerful hero, chooses him to be his successor. He transmits to her the One for All, his alter. Izuku joins the prestigious superhero school, Yuei, and devotes himself entirely to his dream: to be worthy of his model. The young students have progressed and Izuku's class is sent to Nabu Island. The place is devoid of heroes. The place seems ideal to perfect their training. This was without counting on Nine, a supervillain with powers strangely familiar to Izuku who lands on the island with 3 of his acolytes. For Yuei's students, the mission is perilous. They must protect the citizens, hinder Nine's plan, and prove themselves as adult heroes.

An unbalanced plot

The story of this second opus offers an interesting first act. It is carried by two promising scripted springs. The first revolves around the threat of Nine, an alter-absorber, supported by Shigaraki and his league of super villains. Whether in terms of design, mysteries, the threat is very well brought. The second is based on the full-scale test offered to students. Far from the usual challenges or trials, settling on this paradise island offers light and funny moments. Young and powerful heroes transformed into lifeguards or cat rescuers. The shift works very well thanks to Bakugo, Deku's friend/adversary, angry at will and stranger to diplomacy. But these promises are unfortunately disappointed in the second act. Indeed, if the threat is formidable, the film struggles to make us credible its motivations. We have to wait until the end of the film to understand the purpose of Nine, the interest of Shigaraki. It's a shame, because in visual terms, the character is strong. Similarly, this second part focuses solely on the action. It is, as we will mention, spectacular and unbridled but it lacks depth or even drama. The film thus features extremely violent and powerful villains. Yet, beyond the material damage, everyone is doing very well, including civilians. The studio does not dare to show the impact of fighting on humans while entire neighborhoods are ravaged.

My Hero Academia : heroes rising. A film for fans

This feature film presents itself as an original story written specifically for the big screen. It nevertheless follows the narrative of the animated series and is set after the fourth season. This makes it, unlike the first part, a film accessible only to fans. Indeed, in the^1st part, the writers had skillfully presented the universe and the characters by centering the plot on All Might, the greatest hero of the universe. It served as a guide for the neophyte public. The scenario also had the intelligence to skillfully marry fan service and a general theme adapted to non-connoisseurs. That is no longer the case here. If you don't follow the manga or series, you'll be lost. This reservation expressed, it must be recognized that the film will please enormously those who follow the license. Indeed, it plunges us into the very complex plot of the universe of super villains. All for One is on the sidelines but his heirs are still active. All Might is also on the back foot but Endeavor and Hawks have taken over. In addition, the feature film deepens the plots of the manga: the experiences on the alters, the difficult succession, the mystical side of One for All. It lays the foundation for future seasons of the series. Finally, the film continues the evolution of the Bakugo/Deku relationship. Their totally opposite characters, one calm, the other explosive, constitute a comic spring. Nevertheless, their opposition remains a façade and their complementarity is becoming more and more evident. This opens up enticing prospects for the future of history.

My Hero Academia: heroes rising: the stuff of heroes

The film, unlike the first, focuses almost exclusively on Yuei's students. Their learning takes a sudden turn in their final confrontation. The writers respect the spirit of the manga by dividing the students into two groups. Those who shine through teamwork because their power becomes formidable by combining with that of others. Those who are powerful enough to face the supervillains alone: Deku, Bakugo, Shoto. Veteran heroes are relegated to the background. What is unfortunate is that the treatment of the characters remains unbalanced. Deku and Bakugo come out of the film grown. The last act is almost focused on them, which is justified by the title of the film. We can even assume that this feature film anticipates the new phase of their relationship and serves as an introduction to a new narrative arc. On the other hand, their comrades serve as a bit of fool. Especially heroines who are underexploited. It's a shame because the first opus had the immense quality of relying on these female characters and making them essential elements of the plot. The film therefore functions as a classic shonen for the better (brilliant heroes) and for the less good (female characters flown over).

A concentrate of super-vitaminized action

There are two last points on which the film is irreproachable: its technical direction and its rhythm. The Bones studio once again delivers a high-level participation. The film is beautiful, very well animated, rich in detail. The action exploits a variety of scenery: cities, port, nature. The visits to Nabu Island highlight how the creative teams excel at magnifying the landscapes. What we also appreciate are the borrowings from classic cinema. An example, the car chase sequence that inaugurates the film and is clearly inspired by the fast and furious series. In addition, the simplicity of the plot is partly compensated by the action. The film is again very generous and exceeds the^1st part (which was already very dynamic). The Bones studio is having a blast to depict epic confrontations. Faced with a wolf-man, a mummy-man, a Ninja woman, Yuei's students must deploy all the diversity of their powers. And against Nine, our heroes become real super saiyan. The reference to dragon Ball runs through the second act and is found even in the final appearance of heroes. It then offers two levels of reading. Representation of the devastating power of our characters, a nod to the publisher Shueisha who published in his time the manga Dragon Ball. In conclusion, My Hero Academia: heroes rising will obviously delight fans of the series. The Bones studio is once again doing serious work by making the most of one of today's best shonen. It is a pity, however, that this feature film is only for connoisseurs and sometimes lacks depth.