The second key visual for the "Kohei Horikoshi' My Hero Academia' Original Art Exhibition," an exhibition of original art from Kohei Horikoshi's popular manga "My Hero Academia," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), has been released. The visual, titled "Heroes vs. Villains," features Horikoshi drawing a hero and villain facing off against each other.
In preparation for the exhibition, Horikoshi wrote a handwritten message: "The manga started being submitted digitally halfway through the 10-year serialization, but my line drawings are still analog, so I think we'll be able to show you a fairly authentic version of the original. Also, with My Hero Academia, the storyboards and the original manuscripts were often completely different, so by showing the storyboards as well, I want to make this an exhibition that gives you a sense of what the serialization was like to a certain extent, and gives you an idea of what the mangakas were thinking when they were drawing. We're working hard to make it enjoyable even for people who aren't interested in My Hero Academia, so please come and see!"
It was also announced that visitors would be given a special gift of tabloid-style stickers (5 types in total) depicting the fierce battle between the main character Izuku Midoriya(Deku) and his friends. One sticker will be given to each visitor at random. It was also announced that the special gift for those who purchase a ticket with merchandise will be a collection card set featuring the original key visual "Hero vs. Villain".
The first batch of goods announced include the "Men's Non-no Complete Collection Fifth Edition T-Shirt" (5,500 yen), "KATSUKI MEMORY" (7,700 yen), "Pukupuku Pouch - Roki-kun with Undifferentiated Inside and Out" (2,200 yen), and "Acrylic MEGA Figure W Deku & All Might" (7,700 yen).
The original art exhibition will be held at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) from June 21 to August 31. In addition to Horikoshi's handwritten manuscripts, valuable materials from the digital drawing production process will also be on display. The exhibition is also scheduled to travel to the Osaka venue in the fall of 2025.
"My Hero Academia" is a manga that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from July 2014 to August 2024. Set in a world where about 80% of the population has supernatural powers and quirks, the story follows Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, as he strives to become the greatest hero. The comics have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
The anime is also gaining popularity, and the final chapter, the eighth season of the TV anime, “FINAL SEASON”, will be broadcast in the fall of 2025. The TV anime “Vigilante: My Hero Academia ILLEGALS”, based on the official spin-off, will be broadcast on TOKYO MX, Yomiuri TV and others from April 7th.
