My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Horikoshi, Kohei. 2015. MY HERO ACADEMIA. VOL. 1, IZUKU MIDORIYA: ORIGIN. California: Viz Media, LLC. ISBN 9781421582696

PLOT SUMMARY

Fourteen-year-old Izuku Midoriya is alive during a time when everyone, well almost everyone, is born with a superpower known as a “quirk.” Unfortunately for him, he is in that small percentage of people who do not have a quirk. However, as he grows up he decides that he is not going to let that stop him from becoming a hero. After a few helpful friends, he is able to get into the hero High School and begins his training for becoming a hero. Now that he has a quirk, he must learn how to control it in the continuing of the series.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This was my first time ever reading a Manga book and it was so difficult to understand and not read things out of order. Once I was able to get past that, the book became enjoyable. Horikoshi does a good job of making the story relatable to teens even though in real life we don’t have superpowers, but still gives off the idea of determination. Not letting someone else tell you that you are not good enough for something you want. Good message showing determination through the main character Izuku.

It took a minute to really appreciate the artistic style in the book as I was focused on the words and reading, but once I was able to understand it a bit, I was able to look at the illustrations. They are fabulous! Horikoshi follows the Japanese style of drawing but really puts a focus on the characters' facial expressions. You were able to determine the mood on each page based on the character's detailed expressions. This type of Japanese drawing reminded me of comic books or comic strips with the background expressions such as “zoom,” “boom,” and “bang.”

I really liked how he included pages in the story that went off script and just focused on the character at that time. For example, on page 171, he gives a brief biography of Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head) letting the reader know about their appearance, their likes and dislikes, their personality, and their superpower. It was almost like a new chapter and that was the introduction to it. He did this for multiple characters throughout the book.

REVIEW EXCERPTS / AWARDS

School Library Journal (November 1, 2015)

Fourteen-year-old Izuku Midoriya lives in a world where 80 percent of the population is born with superpowers called "quirks." These people make up the heroes and the villains in society, and everyday life consists of epic battles in the midst of the city. Izuku desperately wants to be a hero himself, but unfortunately he is one of the 20 percent that lack any supernatural talents. In a chance encounter with All Might, one of the greatest heroes of all, Izuku has an opportunity to change his luck. He learns that All Might's power is inherited, meaning that he can pass it down to a worthy successor. With his dream finally coming true, Izuku takes All Might up on his offer and begins his superhero training at the exclusive hero academy U.A. High School. But he soon learns that having special abilities doesn't come as easily as he hoped. This is a high-energy series debut with a typical cast of manga characters: the determined protagonist, the loose cannon frenemy, the narrow-minded perfectionist, and the sweet, gentle female friend. Horikoshi's artwork is solid, the characters are distinct and expressive, and readers really get a sense of the sweeping, high-octane atmosphere of Izuku's world. A slight cliff-hanger ending builds anticipation for the second volume. VERDICT Though the market is currently saturated with an onslaught of superhero-themed literature, this is a highly entertaining manga with plenty of appeal. A nice addition to any manga collection.

CONNECTIONS

Other books in this series:

  • Horikoshi, K. MY HERO ACADEMIA. VOL. 2, RAGE, YOU DAMNED NERD. ISBN 9781421582702

  • Horikoshi, K. MY HERO ACADEMIA. VOL. 3, ALL MIGHT. ISBN 9781421585109

  • Horikoshi, K. MY HERO ACADEMIA. VOL. 4, THE BOY BORN WITH EVERYTHING. ISBN 9781421585116

Similiar Manga style books:

  • Kishimoto, M. NARUTO. VOL. 1. ISBN 9781569319000

  • Kamantani, Y. NABARI NO OU. BOOK 2. ISBN 9780759530362

In the classroom:

  • ELAR - This would be a fun activity to pull a page or two from the book and have students create new dialogue based on the illustrations.


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