Our flattest apologies, with Japanese-style bowing, to the fans for the few shortcuts that follow. “My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission”, an animated film which hits 300 screens this Wednesday, is one of the most anticipated of its kind since it is the third feature film from the license, itself adapted from manga and a series.
Don’t panic for latecomers. You can follow it without ever having heard of the previous episodes. The film tells how a mysterious organization sees Quirks as a danger and wants to eradicate them from the planet. At this point, it is good to specify what an “Alter” is: an extraordinary power, which some humans possess, such as throwing fire or ice, or seeing certain parts of their body transform into weapons… some use their Quirks to do good – including our friends from the Hero Academia, the superheroes of the film – others to do evil. So the organization begins to hunt down the Quirks, even if it means destroying entire neighborhoods of large cities where they are supposed to be.
Fights, destruction and science fiction
One would expect the film to be all fights, explosions and fights. Not only. Because “My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission” compiles the very essence of the “animated” genre: fights and destruction, therefore, technology, a little mysticism, science fiction, but also beaches almost bucolic, a great story of friendship, an important social dimension, a struggle for good and evil, an initiatory journey, nice little animals… and even songs!
Ditto on the form: almost all the graphic aspects of Japanese animation are visible, 3D which dazzles the eyes with terrifying monsters, remarkably refined landscape paintings, full-screen calligraphic onomatopoeia, bizarre characters who fly in the field, colorful costumes … We are even entitled to the classic fascination of the Japanese for Europe and France: two sequences take place in Paris, one showing the Arc de Triomphe, the other the Eiffel Tower.
In the end, we want to advise all those who have never seen this kind of film – except for viewers sensitive to stroboscopic effects and high volume, because the characters often scream – to give it a try. The fans are won over in advance and have already reserved their place.
EDITOR’S RATING: 3.5/5
« My Hero Academia : World Heroes Mission », Japanese animated film by Kenji Nagasaki. 1h44. From 7 years old.