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“Next, it’s your turn.”
Four movies in, My Hero Academia has its feature film installments down to a science and the anime’s continued success makes it no surprise why they continue to turn out these extra special cinematic celebrations.
There’s a similar quality, structure, and tone to all four My Hero Academia movies where a grandiose villain with radical motivations causes wide-scale chaos. It’s interesting to note that there’s been a larger wait between each My Hero Academia movie as they’re not creatively hollow endeavors that are being rushed out for an easy cash grab. There’s clearly a lot of love and passion present in each of these films (even if they occasionally step on each other’s toes) that matches the level of excellence and increased expectations that have been present in each new season of the series.
My Hero Academia’s seventh season has confidently headed forward into its endgame as the heroes’ ultimate clash against All For One and Shigaraki intensifies. My Hero Academia: You’re Next features an exciting and subversive storyline that looks like it might be able to conjure the same intensity as its current season. You’re Next has the most striking storyline for any My Hero Academia feature film that hits even harder in the context of the anime’s lawless final seasons. My Hero Academia: You’re Next tells a powerful original story that showcases the weight of words and how public heroes can be a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, You’re Next – while an above-average My Hero Academia movie – doesn’t fully realize its potential.
Set between My Hero Academia’s sixth and seventh seasons, You’re Next pulls from a crucial plot point from the series and turns it into a terrifying catalyst. Dark Might is a deluded villain who views All Might’s retirement speech as a personal invitation to take over society and usurp his role as the world’s greatest hero. You’re Next’s central antagonist subscribes to anime’s longstanding tradition of evil doppelgängers. This trope has been done to death in the shonen genre, but Dark Might stands out because of his disturbing, skewed interpretation of All Might’s heroic message.
Dark Might may look nearly identical to All Might – which is genuinely creepy and an element that You’re Next perfectly employs – but he’s guided by the warped philosophy that All Might was so revered as a Pro Hero because of his raw power, rather than his values. Dark Might takes advantage of this power vacuum and his own advantageous transmutation Quirk to create a Battleworld-esque fighting arena that becomes a floating prison for Class 1-A’s best and brightest.
You’re Next’s story revolves around these heroes – led by Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki – dividing and conquering as they’re separated from each other and forced to take on Dark Might’s delusional lackeys before they’re able to battle him themselves. This is an effective enough structure that facilitates constant combat and gives everyone in the cast something to do. The heroes’ usefulness is never in question here, but it’s You’re Next’s original characters that suffer under scrutiny.
Giulio, Anna, and the rest of You’re Next’s allies have tragic backstories and they’re characters that the film makes the audience care about, but they’re all one-dimensional ciphers who few fans are going to think about once You’re Next’s credits roll. Dark Might’s supporting villains are even more forgettable and just come across as empty cannon fodder to pad the runtime and distract the heroes until the movie is ready to head into its climax.
There are character and storytelling issues in play in My Hero Academia: You’re Next, but, if nothing else, this is a beautiful film to look at. Studio Bones always brings its A-game with My Hero Academia’s movies and there are some stunning visuals throughout the film’s fight sequences – particularly the altercations that begin and end You’re Next. All this helps accentuate the movie’s excellent battle choreography and inspired Quirk combinations and counters. The movie shifts between tense one-on-one clashes and gripping group fights that solidify why My Hero Academia is one of the decade’s best action anime. You’re Next contains some of the franchise’s most sumptuous battles and it’s hard to not get lost in the movie’s animation.
You’re Next’s biggest shortcoming is that it ultimately doesn’t do enough with what’s actually a fascinating premise for a movie. My Hero Academia has gotten tremendous mileage out of the ripple effect of one person’s actions and how heroes and villains can be inspired by the most incidental of decisions. All Might has always been a formidable beacon of hope who has played a direct role in Midoriya and Bakugo’s evolution into the heroes that they are today. The idea that his inspirational words could also have toxic ramifications that actively hurt and endanger society is rich material for My Hero Academia: You’re Next to explore, even if it’s already been examined in smaller doses in the series through characters like Stain. This makes it all the more important for You’re Next to stick the landing, which it doesn’t necessarily do. It raises tantalizing ideas and complex themes, but the movie is more interested in heightened action sequences and generic “might makes right” resolutions than really wrestling with the full weight of Dark Might and what his existence truly represents.
You’re Next had the potential to be the series’ strongest movie, especially during a point when superhero culture as a whole is making more subversive and reflexive decisions that bravely relitigate the nature of heroes, villains, and what they represent. What’s even more frustrating is that My Hero Academia is no stranger to these themes and they’re elegantly unpacked in the anime’s fifth and sixth seasons. It’s unfortunate that You’re Next falls short in this regard and inevitably feels like another standard My Hero Academia movie that more or less follows the same beats as its predecessors rather than truly disrupting the status quo.
This is the problem with anime movies that are forced to coexist with an ongoing season and strive to tell canonical stories, albeit ones that can’t go against what the primary narrative establishes. You’re Next – along with the past My Hero Academia movies – tells a massive story, but one that still comes across as frivolous and extraneous because it needs to be, by necessity.
To this point, My Hero Academia: You’re Next is extremely unlikely to draw in any new fans. It tells a story that really only connects with the established audience and they’re the film’s target demographic. This isn’t necessarily unexpected or even really an issue for a series that’s four films and seven seasons deep. You’re Next knows to just play the hits and how to get its dedicated fans cheering. It’s a decision that’s understandable, but still limits the franchise’s potential. This may feel like splitting hairs and something that’s more of a concern for My Hero Academia’s first movie. That being said, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Detective Conan, and even Pokémon are franchises that are even bigger and more successful that find a way to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to telling cinematic stories that appeal to long-time fans and complete newcomers alike.
Despite these concessions, My Hero Academia: You’re Next is still an exceptional anime movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen. It’s learned from some of the mistakes that were made by the franchise’s previous movie, World Heroes’ Mission, and is My Hero Academia’s second-best film behind Heroes Rising. It’s a movie that could still shine a bigger light on more of the series’ rich cast of characters beyond Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki and take the time to properly appreciate the lofty ideas that it raises.
At nearly two hours, You’re Next is not a short film and its length is felt, especially in the final act. The proceedings would benefit from tighter pacing and different priorities regarding what receives so much attention. You’re Next also doesn’t do itself any favors by kicking off with what’s arguably its best fight sequence and then struggling to match those theatrics by embracing the idea that bigger is better. Those who are looking for flashy action sequences, beautifully-animated superpower spectacles, and rewarding character moments will leave You’re Next satisfied. However, audiences who are hoping for a little more or a challenging narrative that rises to the occasion and rivals its themes’ stakes will be left asking “What’s next?” after You’re Next.
My Hero Academia: You’re Next is playing in select theaters on October 11, 2024.
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