This week marked the end of the long-running superhero manga My Hero Academia. While we've had a few weeks to prepare for the end, the release of the final chapter 430 was still an emotional conclusion — not just for readers and fans but for all who have been involved with the project.
Now that the final chapter of My Hero Academia has been released, series creator Kohei Horikoshi has posted his final author's note. Here's what he said:
"I was so glad to be in Jump! I'm so glad for everyone who read my series. Thank you so much."
The message was short and sweet, but Horikoshi actually spoke with Oricon in Japan prior to the final chapter's release. In the interview, he offered a bit more insight into what he was feeling as the manga approached its end after an impressive 10-year run.
"I'm surprisingly sad. I feel like I can finally reach the goal," Horikoshi revealed.
Since its debut 10 years ago, My Hero Academia has grown into a massive franchise that also includes a highly successful anime series, multiple movies and spin-offs, video games, merchandise, and more. The manga itself has sold over 100 million copies, to which Horikoshi responded: "I don't really understand it (laughs). I didn't feel like 'Yay!' or anything. It was really just 'Why?' It might have just continued for a long time."
"I didn't consciously aim for it, and I didn't expect it at all," he said when asked about the series' global popularity. "It feels like what I drew just happened to be accepted by people overseas with different cultures. It's quite mysterious."
My Hero Academia began serialization in Shueisha's Shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in July 2014, offering a unique take on the superhero genre. Set in a world where superpowers, known as Quirks, have become commonplace, the story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy with dreams of becoming a superhero but born without a Quirk. Recognizing Midoriya's potential, All Might — the world's greatest hero — bestows his Quirk on Midoriya and helps to enroll him in a prestigious high school for superheroes in training.
Over the last 10 years, My Hero Academia not only entertained readers, but also inspired and influenced many manga creators. Following the series' ending, many industry veterans took so social media to pay their tribute to the series.
For those interested, the entire My Hero Academia manga is available digitally online via Viz Media.