My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission – Boku no Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission (2021)

Directed by: Kenji Nagasaki | 104 minutes | animation, action | Original voice cast: Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yûki Kaji, Tetsu Inada, Yûichi Nakamura, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Ryô Yoshizawa, Arisa Sekine, Megumi Hayashibara, Yoko Honna, Kazuya Nakai, Mariya Ise, Yuichiro Umehara

‘My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission’ is already the third film based on the successful ‘My Hero Academia’ series. Although predecessor ‘Heroes Rising’ was originally intended as the last film, a third film was of course not long in coming. After all, these are profitable films, with a loyal fan base. As long as these loyal fans keep buying tickets, the makers will do everything they can to get a new film on the go. Well, it’s not all that groundbreaking, but we can talk about an excellent piece of entertainment here. Everything that is nice about the anime series of the same name is once again incorporated into this film.

My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission is set during the fifth season of the anime series. This time, Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita) and his brave classmates are confronted by a terrorist group called ‘Humarise’. This organization aims to eliminate anyone with a superpower (‘Quirk’) in order to create a new world order. To resist this threat, dozens of heroes worldwide unite to take on Humarise. Then another problem suddenly crops up: Izuku accidentally becomes involved in an incident and is now wanted by authorities worldwide.

As with the previous two films, this latest addition to the ‘My Hero Academia’ universe works best for viewers who have read the manga or seen the anime series. If you are not familiar with this creation by Kōhei Horikoshi, you will probably be hopelessly lost. The world is only sparingly explained here. The background and underlying relationships between the main characters also remain shrouded in mystery. Outsiders will be especially confused by this. However, it is a pleasure for the fans. This is the target audience for which this film is intended.

The action and spectacle is the main draw of the ‘My Hero Academia’ saga, and this promise is once again delivered in ‘World Heroes’ Mission’. The fight scenes burst from the screen with their fluid movements and colorful animations. Every bit of action feels like a colossal burst of energy and intensity. There is always something going on and the characters are constantly moving. The film manages to keep the tension at a high level throughout the running time. There is invariably a sense of urgency and liveliness. For admirers of action-oriented anime, this is fine entertainment.

Anyone who is a fan of the ‘My Hero Academia’ saga will undoubtedly enjoy this film. The makers have followed the same reliable path as with the previous two films. That is on the one hand somewhat easy-going, but on the other hand the enthusiasts will have little to complain about. They get exactly what they want and will probably even hope for the arrival of a fourth film. And why not?