Analysis: The Success of My Hero Academia in Comparison to Bleach and Naruto

Fans of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga can gather from recent developments that the series is gradually approaching its conclusion. However, unlike other popular mangas such as Tite Kubo’s Bleach and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, this action-packed superhero manga will have a distinct Shonen manga ending.

Kohei Horikoshi is the author and illustrator of My Hero Academia, a Japanese superhero manga that has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since July 2014. The series has been compiled into 40 volumes and has sold over 100 million copies globally.

Please be aware that this article may include spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.

My Hero Academia: Long Epilogue Set for Manga Series

Deku, Iida, and Kaminaria as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Despite the events in My Hero Academia chapter 424, fans can rest assured that the manga series is far from over. While the final battle may have taken place, the story will continue to unfold with Izuku Midoriya and his friends as they pave the path towards a hopeful future.

The presence of Izuku Midoriya, Tenya Iida, and Denki Kaminari in front of U.A. High School in the manga series suggests that the students of U.A. will be the main focus as they go through their hero training program at the school.

Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of the manga, also made the announcement in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. In his comment, he acknowledged that the traditional writing conventions dictate a short conclusion (epilogue) for a story. However, he felt that My Hero Academia was unique and could not come to an immediate end after the battle. Therefore, Horikoshi revealed that the serialization of the manga would continue for a while longer.

Based on Shueisha’s track record of announcing the release date of a manga’s final chapter if it is set to release within five weeks, fans can confirm that the manga will continue to be serialized for at least five more chapters. Since there have been no announcements from the publisher regarding the final chapter, it can be assumed that the manga will remain under serialization for a while longer.

Kazui Kurosaki as seen in the Bleach manga (Image via Shueisha)

This was not seen in either Tite Kubo’s Bleach or Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga, as both series concluded shortly after the ultimate showdown.

After the climactic battle in the Bleach manga, the series concluded with just two additional chapters: one that resolved the aftermath of the fight against Yhwach and another that portrayed a time jump and introduced the next era of Shinigami.

Boruto and Naruto as seen in the Naruto manga (Image via Shueisha)

Additionally, the Naruto manga included two additional chapters that continue the story after the epic battle between Naruto and Sasuke. The penultimate chapter wraps up the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War, while the final chapter jumps ahead in time to introduce the new generation of Shinobi. This concluding chapter also serves as a teaser for the upcoming Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga series.

Therefore, with the anticipated lengthy epilogue that My Hero Academia manga is expected to have, Kohei Horikoshi will accomplish something that neither Tite Kubo nor Masashi Kishimoto, renowned creators of Shonen manga, have done with their respective series.