Well, it's finally over. After 10 amazing years, Kohei Horikoshi's superhero manga My Hero Academia has come to an end.
The long-running series concluded today with the release of Chapter 430 in the combined 36th and 37th issues of Weekly Shonen Jump. While not unexpected — as the manga's planned end was announced weeks ago — it was still an emotional goodbye for everyone, including those in the industry.
With the series ending, the My Hero Academia franchise posted an emotional video highlighting artwork from key moments in the "story of how we all became the greatest heroes."
During its 10-year run, My Hero Academia has expanded into a major franchise, spawning a very successful anime series adaptation, numerous movies, spin-offs, and merchandise. The franchise has also received critical acclaim for its storytelling and has had a major impact on the industry as a whole.
With the manga ending this week, many industry veterans have taken to social media to pay their tribute to the series.
"Now you can play Pokemon GO as much as you want," joked One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. "Thanks for 10 years of hard work." His message was accompanied by an illustration of Smoker that was inspired by fan art drawn by Kohei Horikoshi 22 years ago at the age of 15, which was used as Chapter 1122's cover art.
"Without My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen would not have ever begun," added Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami. "Congratulations on the completion of the series!!"
"Thank you for your hard work on My Hero Academia over the past 10 years! Being serialized in the same magazine is the pride of my life," said fellow Shonen Jump author Yuto Suzuki (Sakamoto Days).
There have been countless similar messages and tributes posted by others in the industry who were both inspired and influenced by My Hero Academia over the years.
Written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia began serialization in Shueisha's Shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in July 2014. The series offered 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.
Readers in North America can catch up on the entirety of the My Hero Academia manga digitally online via Viz Media. All 430 chapters of the manga are now available online.
Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…
Have you had a chance to read the final chapter of My Hero Academia? Let us know your thoughts on the ending below!