The Individualist Appeal of My Hero Academia to Americans
My Hero Academia (MHA) is a manga and anime series by Kōhei Horikoshi, first released in print in 2014. The series follows Izuku Midoriya (Hero Name: Deku), as he works to achieve his dream of becoming the number one hero like his idol, All Might. In this society, 80% of the population is born with a quirk: essentially a superpower, ranging from superhuman strength, to creating objects with body fat, to copying the quirks of others. At the beginning of the series, Deku is unfortunately quirkless, but still has dreams of becoming a hero (a sought after occupation). After a critical encounter with All Might, Deku is selected to become his successor and inherit his quirk, something that he had no idea was possible. With this new power, he is able to get into his dream school, U.A. High, and pursue his goals.
MHA has reached immense success in both the United States and Japan, however, popularity polls have made it clear that its success in each country can be attributed to different aspects of the show. It is clear that Americans have a love for superheroes, and I concede that that factor increased the popularity of the show in the US. However, I believe that at its core, MHA was popular with American audiences because they focused on its individualist aspects, while its popularity with Japanese audiences can be attributed more to a focus on collectivist elements.
Midoriya is clearly disadvantaged at the beginning of the series, but with a stroke of luck and a ton of hard work, he is able to work towards his ultimate goal. This, in addition to the concept of hero rankings as a whole, would certainly appeal to an audience with individualist values. It almost echoes the ideals of the American Dream, where working hard continuously will hypothetically guarantee your success in the future. On the other hand, a Japanese audience seeking collectivist values would focus on things like the social order enforced by heroes.
Looking briefly at character popularity polls, in the most recent iteration, Katsuki Bakugou (deuteragonist and bully) is rated first for both countries. However, Eijirou Kirishima, a less important member of Midoriya’s class, is rated second in the US, over Midoriya himself. Kirishima represents values of “manliness” and being unique, which again appeals to US viewers. Kirishima is rated fourth in Japan for the same poll, for being a generally well liked character, but after the protagonist and tritagonist.
