My Hero Academia is among the biggest anime/manga phenomena of the last decade. The legend of Deku inheriting All Might’s powers and attending UA High captivated fans worldwide. As the series concludes, some wonder if MHA is losing its momentum.
A few things may be behind a perceived decline in the superhero franchise’s popularity. We’ll break them down:
The Long-Running Shonen Curse
One problem maybe is that My Hero Academia is obviously very long running by now. The anime debuted in 2016 and the manga in 2014. A long-running Shonen series finds it difficult to maintain such tremendous anticipation and a devoted fan base.
This has happened to other big names like Naruto, Bleach, and The Promised Neverland before, too. They dominate and amass huge fanbases… only for interest to wane and criticism to mount as they prepare for their final arcs and conclusions. Fair or not, keeping fans invested for 5-10+ years of monthly manga chapters or yearly anime seasons is an incredible challenge.
This effect seems to be impacting My Hero Academia now as well. Outside of when new manga chapters or anime seasons drop, there’s noticeably less consistent online discussion and buzz compared to MHA’s peak years. It received no major anime awards nominations this year either.
The Final Arc Itself
More specifically, many fans have criticized the way writer Kohei Horikoshi has structured the story in these final chapters. The long-awaited hero-villain war spans various subplots and characters, shifting focus from the climactic Deku vs. Shigaraki showdown.
By cutting back and forth between different battles, some readers feel it has disrupted the intended Rising Action -> Climax -> Resolution momentum that a final arc should build towards. This storytelling choice may be sapping some of the excitement and hype.
Animation Shortcomings
Another factor could be the quality of the anime adaptation itself. While the current Season 6 garnered praise, fans noted a decline in animation quality in earlier seasons like 4 and 5 compared to the stellar debut.
If the highly-anticipated final war arc suffers from shortcomings in the animation and art departments, that could breed further disappointment and disillusionment with the franchise. Viewers may be less forgiving of production mistakes during such a pivotal story beat.
The Next Big Thing Effect
Keep in mind too that My Hero Academia has become buried under more successful titles in recent years and is simply up against stronger competition. Television series including Spy x Family, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Demon Slayer have also become popular television shows among the general public.
Human nature dictates that many fans will eventually shift their focus and hype to the “next big thing” in anime instead, even if MHA has not dropped in quality. My Hero Academia may be struggling to remain the zeitgeist-defining phenomenon it once was in the face of new challengers
Not All Bad Though
While those are some potential factors behind MHA’s perceived drop in hype, it’s not all doom and gloom. The manga is still a consistent top seller, showing that millions remain invested in seeing how Deku’s journey concludes.
The recent movie My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission was also a box office smash worldwide, grossing over $38 million. So at least on some level, the love for My Hero is still clearly there from a sizable dedicated fanbase.
Only time will tell if the final arcs of the manga and anime can rekindle that same level of universal acclaim and fervor that once surrounded All Might and Class 1-A. But for now, some fans are wondering if MHA’s best days are behind it as they look towards whatever the next big anime sensation will be.
