Summary
- Set during the most turbulent time in My Hero Academia's story, You're Next brings a unique narrative approach compared to previous films.
- The villain in the film mirrors All Might, hinting at themes of idolization, though perhaps not exploring them thoroughly enough.
- Despite some underdeveloped characters, You're Next showcases Studio Bones' exceptional animation and serves as a glorious tribute to their 25-year legacy.
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Title |
My Hero Academia: You're Next |
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Director |
Tensai Okamura |
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Studio |
Bones |
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Release Date |
8/2/2024 (Japan), 10/11/2024 (North America) |
Just as My Hero Academia's seventh season wraps up, audiences around the world are being treated to the shōnen series' latest theatrical event - My Hero Academia: You're Next. It will be the last as well before the TV anime concludes in 2025, but if this is to be the final film, it certainly went out on top, delivering some of the greatest spectacle seen in the franchise to date.
You're Next comes from Tensai Okamura, the director of Darker than Black, Blue Exorcist Season 1, Seven Deadly Sins Season 1, Wolf's Rain, and the first Naruto movie from 2004. That also makes this the first My Hero Academia film not to be directed by Kenji Nagasaki, who also directed the TV anime during Seasons 1 through 3, and has been chief director ever since.
My Hero Academia Season 7 Goes Out with a Smile
All Might and All For One's rematch puts their fight from Season 3 to shame and - miraculously - closes out Season 7 with hope.
How You’re Next Sets Itself Apart from Past Shōnen Films
This is a superhero film where the heroes have implicitly failed, yet through the opening sequence alone, it's clear that the next generation of heroes hasn't given up yet.
In terms of setting alone, You're Next gets off to an intriguing start. Traditionally, shōnen films are self-contained original works that tend to eschew the ongoing tensions of the main plot, but that's not exactly an option by this point in My Hero Academia's narrative. Japan is in turmoil and the heroes are in the thick of the fight for the future of not only their country but the world. Rather than work around this or rewind the clock, however, You're Next embraces it.
Set between Episodes 142 and 143, the film follows Izuku Midoriya and his classmates as they patrol the country, protecting civilians while apprehending jailbreakers and other villains. Looking at this as a standalone film - as much as one can, that is - a statement is made. This is a superhero film where the heroes have implicitly failed, yet through the opening sequence alone, it's clear that the next generation of heroes hasn't given up yet.
Deku takes charge of a thrilling chase to apprehend a colorful bunch of miscreants who have absconded with supplies from a local shelter. The striking character designs, the villains' unique quirks, and the pace of the action, all kick off the film with serious style, and it's only a fraction of what the film will endeavor to accomplish across its runtime. Solid character introductions and the building of intrigue get the film off to a strong start.
Enter, The "New" Symbol of Peace
The central hook of You're Next revolves around a villain whose appearance and voice resemble that of All Might, the former #1 hero, who all the main characters have idolized since their youth. Dark Might, as he is later named, is revealed to be a wealthy gangster named Baldo Gorrini, whose own warped idolization of All Might drove him to reinvent himself into a mirror image that would replace him.
Dark Might and the superpowered Gorrini Crime family have kidnapped Anna Scervino, a girl whose quirk can magnify other powers, to make them stronger. With her as his captive, Dark Might announces himself to Japan before using his quirk, "Alchemy", to transform part of the city into a floating fortress, sucking up the civilians and all the heroes. The film follows the splintered heroes as they navigate the fortress, save civilians, and fight the Gorrini crime family.
Given the surrounding context of the film, it's a strong premise. In a world so ravaged by strife, the absence of a symbol like All Might is felt all the more, and an attempt to resurrect that symbol would be rife with misunderstanding of its meaning. Would a new "All Might" be seen as widely repulsive, or might the yearning for salvation win out over the warning signs? As intriguing as that question might be, though, this film opts for the former quite quickly.
How You're Next Stacks Up To Past Films
With films such as these, there is an expectation that the main characters, who the audience has come to know and love, won't change all that much. That's why the best anime-original shōnen films bank on their original characters - whose fates aren't as beholden to an overarching plot - to give the story a sense of purpose. Two Heroes had David and Melissa Shield, Heroes Rising had Mahoro and Katsuma Shimano, and World Heroes' Mission had Rody Soul.
Here, the audience has Giulio Gandini and - technically - Anna Scervino. By all accounts, Giulio is very cool. He has a sick design, great friction with Deku when their objectives don't align, and the things that make him cool don't have much to do with his quirk but rather his cybernetic limbs. Unfortunately, the emotional crux of his arc is his attachment to Anna, and if the word "technically" before didn't give it away, she's not the most compelling of characters.
Where You’re Next Falls Short of Its Peers
Anna spends a lot of time as the brainwashed puppet of Dark Might, and the flashbacks, which are meant to explore who she is, only do so in the most surface-level capacity. There are fragments of a lovable character in the performance, but we're seldom given the time to appreciate it. By the end, her princess-like aesthetic lends the climax's artwork a strong central focus, but as a character, she's underdeveloped; nothing more than a damsel.
Dark Might is similarly disappointing as an antagonist. His most interesting qualities are found in his core insecurities, but those are hardly explored until the thick of the climax. There was an opportunity to depict a despicable antagonist who has grossly misunderstood and misappropriated the man who he supposedly admires. Instead, he comes off as rather dull until the third act, when he assumes his role as the final boss. Even then, he is a missed opportunity.
A Spectacular Tribute to Studio Bones
... It felt like a conscious effort to make this film a celebration of a studio and not just one series.
Studio Bones has been celebrating their 25th anniversary all year, yet this film might be the first time that the weight of that quarter-century has been truly felt since the year began. From a broad standpoint, it is the very best of Bones' creative talent - be they veterans like Okamura or newcomers like Kohei Hirota - putting everything into their craft. But there are little things as well, that make You're Next feel like an homage to their past works.
Dark Might's quirk and how it is animated feels like one big homage to Fullmetal Alchemist. Anna even gives off the vibe of Rose from FMA, especially when her hair starts changing color. Mamoru Miyano voices Giulio, whose power lets him nullify other powers. Osamu Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs has the same power and is voiced by Miyano. There are probably more, but it felt like a conscious effort to make this film a celebration of a studio and not just one series.
Even if the theory doesn't hold, the creative team feels right at home in a story that plays to their strengths so well. After creating Darker than Black, a series revered for its stylish action and unique superpowers, director Okamura rekindles some of that spark here, in glorious fashion. While it might not reign as the best of My Hero Academia's films, it is by far the best-directed, with all respect to director Nagasaki's work on the previous three, of course.
Another Round of Applause for the Animators
It feels like a doomed proposition to keep raising the bar with each film; at some point, there's nowhere higher to climb without it feeling exhaustive. Perhaps it will feel that way for some, but to me, You're Next has by far the most awe-inspiring climax of all the films. Kohei Hirota, Yuki Hayashi, Shū Sugita, and everyone else who worked on the animation deserve the utmost praise for their work. They have done their studio a great honor.
And that praise for the whole crew needs to be stressed before addressing one animator in particular, lest this review be accused of forgetting them. By now it's tradition that Yutaka Nakamura animates the final moment of every movie's final fight, and here is no exception. The twist is that they almost convince you the battle is over... And then the real final fight begins. It's not fair to call it the "final moment" - it's practically an extended act belonging solely to Nakamura, in which his talents are stretched to their absolute limits. It is career-defining work.
Post-Yutapon Clarity; What to Make of the Film
My Hero Academia: You're Next is not the best film in the series, but to call it disappointing would be an utter lie. The fun to be had on the ride frequently exceeds what gripes there are to be had with its missed potential, and that isn't to say it is without substance. If aesthetic is narrative, then this film is a storytelling powerhouse that glows despite its flaws. Do not miss it while it is on the big screen.
My Hero Academia: You're Next is now playing in theaters.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
- Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
Cast
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Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Bones
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
My Hero Academia Final Season Release Date Confirmed
My Hero Academia's eighth and final season will release in 2025.