My Hero Academia is now airing on Cartoon Network in Japan for the first time. The channel, operated by Discovery Japan, premiered the TV anime on Friday, November 6, and is running it as a weekday block with 2 episodes back to back each evening. Check out the official post down below:
The post opens with Izuku Midoriya's line, "This is the story of how I became the greatest hero," and notes that the manga has passed 100 million copies in circulation worldwide. The 30-second promo attached to it marked the channel premiere.
The Cartoon Network Japan Schedule
Discovery Japan's announcement lists the broadcast details:
- Premiere: Friday, November 6 at 6 PM JST, which was 2 AM MST
- Regular slot: Monday through Friday, 6 PM to 7 PM JST, with 2 episodes back to back
- Reruns: 11 PM to midnight JST
- Run: 13 episodes, 30 minutes each
The 13-episode order matches the length of the anime's first season, which introduced Izuku, All Might and Class 1-A at U.A. High School. Cartoon Network Japan is carried on SKY PerfecTV!, cable services and IPTV across the country, and Discovery Japan says about 7 million households can watch it.
A Channel Known For Western Cartoons
Cartoon Network describes itself as one of the largest animation channels in the world, seen in more than 192 countries and about 400 million households. In Japan, its schedule mixes classic Western shows like Tom and Jerry, The Powerpuff Girls, The Amazing World of Gumball and Adventure Time with Japanese series such as Blue Lock. My Hero Academia now joins that lineup. In the United States, the English dub of My Hero Academia aired on Adult Swim's Toonami block starting in 2018, and Cartoon Network Japan's announcement does not mention plans for other regions.
Discovery Japan's release summarizes the story: in a world where about 80 percent of the population has a superpower called a Quirk, Izuku Midoriya is born Quirkless but dreams of becoming a hero. After meeting the No. 1 hero All Might, he inherits the Quirk One For All and enrolls at U.A., an elite school for training heroes, where he grows, battles and builds friendships with his classmates.
10 Years Of The My Hero Academia Anime
The Cartoon Network run arrives during the anime's 10th anniversary. Kohei Horikoshi's manga ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 10 years, and Bones animated the TV series, which premiered in Japan in April 2016 and concluded with its final season. The franchise has stayed busy since the series ended, as laid out in What's Next For MY HERO ACADEMIA Now That The Anime Is Over?
The official anime site lists several new projects this month alone. Bandai Namco has opened pre-registration for My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble Mobile, a phone version of the battle royale, covered in My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble Is Coming To Phones As Bandai Namco Opens Pre-Registration.
Hero Plaza also added a newly drawn visual called "In the Spotlight" on November 9, and a second collaboration with Tough Gummy candy was announced on November 2. Earlier collaborations announced for the anniversary include a fair at the Keio Department Store in Shinjuku and an event at the Umeda Sky Building's Floating Garden Observatory in Osaka.
The anime will also appear at Jump Festa 2027, where a My Hero Academia Jump Super Stage is scheduled, with details posted on October 19.
Crunchyroll released the official trailer for the final season:
Would you want to see My Hero Academia added to Cartoon Network in your country, or is it best left on streaming and Toonami-style late-night blocks?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.