My Hero Academia Season 8 has been nothing short of spectacular, earning widespread praise and easily standing as one of the best anime releases of this year. With the Final War arc concluded and with only a few episodes left, the series is moving steadily toward its grand finale. Originally confirmed to run for 11 episodes, Season 8 is now officially getting a special OVA, effectively serving as the 12th episode and giving Bones one last chance to address a major controversy surrounding the story’s ending that left fans divded and unhappy.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia.
For many fans, the manga’s biggest unresolved issue involved the romantic storyline between Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka the series’ central couple from the start, widely known as IzuOcha. The anime’s final stretch now has a rare opportunity to fix the chaotic handling of their relationship and give audiences the closure they were expecting.
When the My Hero Academia manga came to a close, fans were shocked and upset that creator Kohei Horikoshi didn’t provide a proper ending to the long teased relationship between Izuku and Ochaco. After years of subtle buildup, the manga’s Chapter 430 wrapped without resolving their storyline, leaving the fandom confused and frustrated.
To complicate things further, Horikoshi later released a special bonus chapter bundled with the final manga volume. This chapter confirmed that Izuku and Ochaco do get together and even start dating. But because the chapter dropped months after the official ending, many fans questioned whether it was canon even after the author explicitly stated that it was.
This is where the anime has the chance to finally settle and end the debate once and for all.
By adapting Chapter 431 directly into the main season, the anime can firmly reestablish the ending Horikoshi intended and eliminate any lingering ambiguity. With this change, the IzuOcha finale becomes canon in the clearest possible way on screen, in the official timeline, beyond any question.
Chapter 431 follows a simple but long-awaited story: after years of distance, Izuku and Ochaco finally reconnect. Their reunion takes place during Shoto Todoroki’s promotion dinner, celebrating his rise to the rank of Number 2 Hero.
Both characters are hesitant at first, unsure if they should express their feelings after everything that’s happened. But thanks to some chaotic encouragement from Bakugo and Toga in true My Hero Academia fashion the two push through their insecurities. The chapter culminates in a heartfelt romantic moment that officially brings the franchise’s biggest couple together.
It’s a payoff fans waited years for, and many felt it deserved to be part of the manga’s main ending rather than a postscript. Now, the anime seems poised to give it the prominence it always deserved.
Season 8 Might Not Be the End For My Hero Academia
Season 8 has delivered an exceptional adaptation so far, handling the series’ climactic arcs with emotional clarity and impressive animation. But the addition of the OVA raises an intriguing possibility: this may not be the final curtain for the anime.
If Episode 11 ends up adapting Chapter 431 (a strong possibility given its length), then the OVA could be setting up something bigger potentially a new My Hero Academia movie or better. Studio Bones has collaborated with Horikoshi on multiple films already, and the franchise has a major stage planned at Jump Festa, where major announcements are expected.
Even though the manga concluded with 431 chapters, the anime landscape for My Hero Academia may still have room to grow. With the series streaming on Crunchyroll and the final season drawing massive attention, a movie continuation, or even more supplemental content wouldn’t be surprising for us to see.
For now, fans can look forward to a proper, fully canon IzuOcha ending as the anime prepares to deliver the conclusion many hoped for since the manga wrapped.
What are your thoughts on Season 8 so far? Are you all caught up on My Hero Academia? Let us know how you are liking it in the comments down below! As always, stay tuned to Animemojo.com for more anime and manga related news!
Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life - a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered "quirk," Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.