The eighth episode (167th episode overall) of the eighth and final season of the TV anime series " My Hero Academia, " based on the manga by Kohei Horikoshi serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), "Final Season 8," titled " Izuku Midoriya: Rising," aired on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV on November 22nd, featuring Rody Soul, played by actor Ryo Yoshizawa. Rody is an original character who appeared in the 2021 anime film "My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission," and he encouraged the main character, "Deku"Izuku Midoriya, to "do your best." Yoshizawa, who plays Rody, provided a comment.
In "Izuku Midoriya: Rising," Deku defeats the Demon King All For One, encouraged by his classmates in Class 1A at U.A. High School, other heroes, and people all over the world. As people from all over the world cheered for Deku, Rody appeared on screen.
This is the first time in about four years that Yoshizawa's character Rody has appeared in the film, and Yoshizawa expressed his delight, saying, "I was just so happy. Ever since the movie was released, I had heard that the character Rody Soul was extremely popular, and I thought that as a My Hero Academia fan, I couldn't be happier to be able to appear not only in the movie but also in the TV anime."
Regarding the recording, he said, "It's been four years since I last played Roddy, so I watched the movie again and reviewed it before doing the dubbing. I had this feeling that the expression in the original should be one of 'passion'. Looking at the monitor, Roddy doesn't look like he's thinking, 'Deku's in trouble! Do your best!', but rather an expression of great trust that says, 'Deku can do it'. I get the feeling that he's worried, but also has great trust and believes, 'Deku will be fine'. On top of that, on set, we recorded in a variety of patterns to vary the emotions, and I realized once again how difficult it was. Sound director Mima (Masafumi) directed me on how to act in a way that would get close to the emotions and express my inner self. It was difficult, but he explained it in an easy-to-understand way, so I feel like I did a good job."
"It was the most exciting scene in the climax battle, so it was a big responsibility. I hoped that it wouldn't get in the way of voicing Roddy. I thought it was important to see how well my own voice fit into the world of My Hero Academia, so I did my best," he said passionately, adding about the appeal of the show, "There are so many things I could talk about, I don't think I could stop (laughs), but I feel that the way the humor is used is excellent. I love the tension of the laughs, and I think the humor that doesn't interfere with the seriousness also leads to a sense of security when watching. And then, of course, it's the 'connections'. Deku and the other heroes have a big unexpected impact on the people they meet while doing their hero activities. These connections come back to haunt them later. Without even realizing it, they have an impact on so many people because they were living their lives with such dedication, and when I see scenes like that, I cry a lot, and I'm moved by the connections between the characters. I think the connections between people are the greatest appeal of this show, and also its theme."
Finally, he said, "I never thought I would be able to take part in the final season, and the story that Rody appears in is full of incredible action scenes that, even when I read the manga, I wonder how they could express them, so I think that when I watch the anime, I will be so moved that I will cry. My Hero Academia is a truly special work to me, so I would be happy if many people would watch it."
In addition to Rody, "Izuku Midoriya: Rising" features original characters from the film, such as Melissa Shields played by Shida Mirai, the siblings Shimano Mahoro and Mamoru Miyano played by Kurosawa Tomoyo and Terasaki Yuka, and Giulio Gandini played by Miyano Mamoru. The scene, which was also depicted in the original manga, created an exciting development that connects the original manga, TV anime, and film.
"My Hero Academia" was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from July 2014 to August 2024. Set in a world where approximately 80% of the population possesses 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 eighth season, "FINAL SEASON," is currently airing every Saturday at 5:30 pm on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV. The series will conclude with "three more episodes."
