Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Blu-ray Movie Review

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a must-see motion-picture event for die-hard fans of the My Hero Academia anime. Based on the manga by Kôhei Horikoshi, the latest chapter in the franchise is one of the most epic journeys in the saga to date. Produced by animation studio Bones (Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater), no fan should go without seeing the intense follow-up feature-film to the great My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. Following the non-stop events of the action-packed season four of My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is an exciting new adventure.

The rules of the game continue to change as long-time Hero Academy rivals Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita) and Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto) find themselves joining forces to fight against their biggest threat to date: the perilous villain, Nine, who is determined to form a new rule in society where those with special and unique Quirks hold more power than those with average-or-weak Quirks. The League of Villains and Nine pose a threat to the future of superheroes. Can All Might ultimately help save the day – defeating Nine – or is it all up to Midoriya and the unique power of One For All?

The animation remains one of the greatest strengths of My Hero Academia. While the series is always consistently impressive on a visual level, the feature-film Heroes Rising seems to crank things up to eleven. The art work is even more robust and detailed than it is during the series run. The budget is unquestionably bigger and the animators have brought forth their best effort in expanding on the universe created for the anime series.

Background art is highly detailed and impressive to behold while the character designs remain just as vital as always. The entire experience is thereby an exhilarating one from start to finish. Featuring art direction by Kazuo Nagai (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, The Sky Crawlers) and cinematography by Mayuko Furumoto (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Mob Psycho 100), the artistry of the film is immense. There is a sense of wonder in every frame.

The action scenes in My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising are some of the best viewers will see in the entire course of the My Hero Academia saga. The story builds to an epic battle against the ruthless villain Nine. The fight scenes are complex and beautifully choreographed. The animators did an outstanding job of bringing these fights to life with impeccable energy and vitality. Viewers will be completely immersed in the action while left on the edge of their seats. The action never misses a beat.

The experience is further heightened by the exceptional music score composed by Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Haikyuu!!) and it makes a firm impression from the beginning. The music is robust, exciting, and action-packed. The character moments are not forgotten but the heart-beat of the action remains a vital component. The music swells to epic proportions as the epic conclusion of the story is reached. These moments take the journey to a whole new level. Hayashi has outdone every previous My Hero Academia score with this impeccable effort.

Edited by Kumiko Sakamoto (My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone), My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a exciting experience that will have viewers compelled through to the end. There is no sense of the film needing to be cut down or extended further. The pacing is spot on. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is another exceptional effort by Sakamoto. The precision is remarkable.

One of the most essential elements of My Hero Academia is the engaging storytelling. Despite being an action-driven franchise, My Hero Academia remembers to wear its heart on its sleeve. The screenplay by Yôsuke Kuroda (My Hero Academia, Honey and Clover) remembers to balance character scenes with action-adventure beats and the story is wonderfully interwoven. The last segment of the film is non-stop energy and yet the screenplay never loses sight of the heart behind the story. An excellent effort.

Kenji Nagasaki (My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes) returns to the director's chair. The talented filmmaker once again proves why he is the most capable filmmaker behind-the-scenes with My Hero Academia. Nagasaki makes sure to propel the excitement and drama behind the story. Throughout the entire experience of viewing My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, I was impressed by how everything seemed so grand in scale. The stakes were certainly raised. The end result is a must-see film that no fan of the anime series should go without experiencing.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray in North America from Funimation Entertainment, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The My Hero Academia saga is such an exhilarating visual experience that one wants the absolute best presentation to showcase the amazing artistry of the animators. The encode on this release fits the bill with exceptional color reproduction and plenty of pizzazz.

The encode is an impressive one that manages to reproduce the action-scenes without missing a beat: there are no glaring issues with compression artifacts or similar anomalies to report. The crisp high-definition imagery brings the action home. The only minor nit-pick is some slight banding in a few scenes, but otherwise this is a top-notch transfer from start to finish. Fans will be enormously pleased.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with two lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound (with English subtitles). The surround sound stage makes a splash with exceptional use of the rear speakers. The English dub makes full use of the fun, explosive, and dynamic surround-stage to create a more immersive experience. The surrounds are consistently active throughout the entire presentation. The action scenes carry great weight with impressive depth and detail in the sound-mix. The music score is similarly well reproduced from beginning to end. While either lossless audio option will provide fans with a satisfying experience, experiencing the epic feature-film in surround sound is a real treat that shouldn't be missed.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The exclusive steelbook edition features the same outstanding front-art which is found on the standard edition (but without any extra text to take away from the visual splendor). The back art features an iconic pose with My Hero Academia heroes. The inside art is downright impressive (matching the disc art). This is a high-quality matte finish steelbook. The print quality is satisfactory. Steelbook obsessed fans of the beloved action-adventure anime franchise will want to add this cool collectible edition to their collection.

On disc extras are as follows:

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising - Behind the Scenes with the Cast (HD, 15:56) is a special extra featuring a discussion with Justin Briner (voice of Deku), Colleen Clinkenbeard (ADR director/ voice-actor for Yaoyorozu), Maxey Whitehead (voice of Katsuma), Clifford Chapin (voice of Bakugo), Monica Rial (ADR director/ voice-actor for Tsuyu), and Dani Chambers (voice of Mahoro). For English dub fans who want a behind-the-scenes experience with the voice-cast of My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, this is worth a look.

My Hero Academia Promotional Videos (HD, 2:46)

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a blast from beginning to end. The filmmaking is top-notch and the production expands on the anime series with an even bigger, bolder style for this feature film outing. The animation is top of the line. The fight scenes are intense and engaging. The music is essential. The direction is exciting and will have viewers on the edge of their seats. The Blu-ray has a top-notch video-audio presentation and comes highly recommended.

Fans of cool steelbook editions should consider this special version a must-own. The art work on the design is top-notch. Don't miss it.