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Warning: Contains spoilers for My Hero Academia: You’re Next.My Hero Academia: You’re Nextis the latest, and presumably final, movie in theMy Hero Academiafranchise. While preparing for the final battle against Shigaraki, Izuku and his friends are forced to fight the Gollini Family, a European crime family led by an evil All Might doppelganger named Dark Might, and their plans for the world are all centered around the mysterious Anna Scervino and her one-eyed butler Giulio.
My Hero Academia: You’re Nexthas been marketed as the biggestMy Hero Academiafilm to date, and for the most part, it does plenty to deliver on that. While there are some shortcomings in the writing that are typical of theMy Hero Academiafilms, especially with the new characters, overall,the writing, characters, and visual aesthetic ofMy Hero Academia: You’re Nextmake it one of the best films in thefranchise. TheMy Hero Academiamanga endedaround when the film premiered in Japan, and there couldn’t be a better complement to the manga’s ending.
My Hero Academia’s New Characters Are The Best & Worst Part Of The Movie
Why My Hero’s New Characters Are A Mixed Bag
As with previous movies,My Hero Academia: You’re Nextis built largely around its original heroes and villains, and the ones introduced here are excellent characters for the most part. For starters, while the Gollini Family isn’t all that developed compared to the villains of the anime,My Hero Academia: You’re Nextspends enough time on the Gollini Family to give them all unique and engaging personalities, with Deborah, Paulo, and Bruno especially standing out in that regard. That made every villain feel like a fully realized character, and they were all fun to watch because of it.
For the heroes, Giulio was also a great addition to the cast. Not only was it refreshing to see a movie character participate in the fighting for a change, but between his great character design, tragic backstory, and the fun dichotomy between his polite demeanor and his violent behavior,Giulio is one of the most entertaining original characters ever introduced in aMy Hero Academiafilm. Much of what was great aboutYou’re Nextcame from the great writing surrounding Giulio, and it made for a strong and dynamic arc for the film from start to finish.
If any original character detracted from the film, however, it was Anna Scervino. The story is structured in a way that prevents Anna from doing much as Izuku and Giulio attempt to save her, but with how little time is spent on her as a character while she’s either brainwashed or losing control of her Quirk,Anna Scervino is the least interesting part ofMy Hero Academia: You’re Nextfor being little more than a typical damsel in distress, and since so much of the film revolves around her, her presence drags things down far more than it should.
My Hero Academia: You’re Next Has Some Of The Best Action In The Anime
A Gorgeous Film From Start To Finish
My Hero Academia’s films are known for their impressive artwork and animation, and fortunately,You’re Nextis no different in that regard. Every scene in the film features a lot of great artwork, animation, and overall direction, the film’s opening theme essentially just being an excuse to show off what viewers are in for, and it all builds intoMy Hero Academia: You’re Nexthaving two separate, but equally gorgeous climactic fights against Dark Might. From a purely visual standpoint, the film is one of the best in the franchise, and it’s plenty of fun to watch just for that.
A lot of why the film looks as good as it does stems from its director, Tensai Okamura. While Okamura has only recently gotten involved withMy Hero Academia, he’s a seasoned director with decades of experience; most notably,My Hero Academia: You’re Next’s Tensai Okamura famously created both2003’sWolf’s Rainand 2007’sDarker than Black, two of Bones’ most celebrated projects that are also known for their stunning direction and animation. Okamura is one of the most talented and experienced animators associated with Bones, and his work is undoubtedly the biggest reason why the film looks so good.
My Hero Academia’s New Movie Has One Of The Best Villains In The Anime
Why Dark Might Is Such A Great Villain
Another big selling point ofMy Hero Academia: You’re Nextis its main villain,Voldo Gollini i.e. Dark Might. Befitting his role as an evil version of All Might, Dark Might constantly uses the over-the-top mannerisms of All Might’s hero persona like dramatic posing and gratuitous English, even when it doesn’t make sense and everyone else is trying to be as serious as possible. Add in a Quirk just as overpowered as One For All, andDark Might works as a villain for how well he flips All Might’s goofiness on its head to be a wonderfully over-the-top villain.
Even better than Dark Might’s personality, of course, is where he stands as a villain ideologically. Dark Might is under the mistaken belief that All Might was a great hero simply because he was strong, something he’s repeatedly told is wrong, sofighting Dark Might forces Izuku and his friends to directly reinforce All Might’s ideals and stop them from being perverted. The film doesn’t dwell on that as much as it should, but what is done with it goes a long way toward making Dark Might one of the best villains in the entire anime.
My Hero Academia’s New Story Perfectly Plays Into Its Final Arc
How My Hero Academia: You’re Next Fits Into The Story
One of the major points ofMy Hero Academia’s final arc is the heroes needing to take a final stand as the world falls into chaos, and with the film revolving around a new group of villains trying to use the chaos as an excuse to take over,My Hero Academia: You’re Nextdoes a great job of extending the main story of the final arc. The film also references where it fits into canon far more often than previous films, and that practice does a great job of further emphasizing that idea.
That idea is also another reason why Dark Might is such a great villain for the film. Dark Might’s goal of becoming the new Symbol of Peace is a call for society to regress as opposed to move forward, something at the heart of the final arc’s story, sofighting Dark Might is another way forMy Hero Academiato reinforce the idea that hero society needs to change. The film hits the thematic elements ofMy Hero Academia’s final arcon all fronts, and overall, it’s great to watch it play out.
While the characters and overall writing might not get as much depth as they could, with the depth they are given, combined with the flawless animation and thematic elements,My Hero Academia: You’re Nexthas one of the best handlings of action and story of anyMy Hero Academiafilm to date.My Hero Academia: You’re Nextis great for anyone who wanted the series to go out with more of a bang, and any fan of the series would be remiss to pass it up.
My Hero Academia: You’re Next
Cast
In a world where heroes and villains clash, Deku faces a powerful new threat in the form of Dark Might, an evil doppelgänger of his mentor, All Might. As a mysterious fortress begins devouring entire cities, Class 1-A must rise to stop this unprecedented danger and uncover the villain’s true motives.
