Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

My Hero Academia: Season Six, Part One Blu-ray Movie Review

My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 continues the thrilling action-packed adventure of the epic anime series. Featuring animation produced by BONES (Carole & Tuesday, Fullmetal Alchemist). The series remains one of the most popular and endearing anime series. Created by Kōhei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia comes from producers Hiroya Nakata (Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanzawa, The Misfit of Demon King Academy II), Kazutaka Yamanaka (Yowamushi Pedal, Akame ga KILL!), Mirei Tsumura (My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, Spy×Family), and Sōichirō Saitō (Raven of the Inner Palace, Spy×Family). Executive produced by Kazutaka Yamanaka (Jujutsu Kaisen, Dr. Stone: New World), My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 amps up the action with episodes 114-126.

It’s time for new adventures with the gang of heroes. Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita), Ochako Uraraka (Ayane Sakura), Tomura Shigaraki (Kouki Uchiyama), Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto), and Shoto Todoroki (Yuuki Kaji) have new journeys in store for themselves. The stakes of the game are higher – surpassing previous missions.

The superhero students find themselves going up against the epic Paranormal Liberation Front. The confrontation leads to unexpected powers awakened in Shigaraki. Dekku becomes the target in sight and an epic battle stage is set for new twists and turns in the action-packed adventure of My Hero Academia. Who can emerge as the heroes of these new games?

The characters are at the heart of the series and why My Hero Academia is such a massive success. My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 continues the journey with the cast of characters and that make the series an overwhelming success. The central protagonists have plenty of charm and it is easy to be inspired by the journey of the characters as the cast works on building up their superhero powers (becoming better heroes than ever before). The character designs by Hitomi Odashima (Jewelpet Happiness, Eiga Jewelpet Sweets Dance Princess) and Yoshihiko Umakoshi (Berserk, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes) help to bring the cast of characters to life in a compelling way.

The animation is outstanding and is one of the best strengths of the production. The series features excellent art direction by Shigemi Ikeda (Inuyasha, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes) and Yukiko Maruyama (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax, Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon). The chief animation direction by Hitomi Odashima (My Hero Academia the Movie -Heroes: Rising-, Blue Exorcist) gives the production a more sophisticated style for an action-anime series and it does a good job exploring the series balance of character and action-packed adventure. The animators for My Hero Academia do a great job building on the series formula and making the exciting adventures all the more engaging for fans. The line art is exquisite and the background animation shines in a number of respects – the crisp and inventive designs make the world-building quality of the story something all the more intense.

The cinematography by Takashi Sawa (Star Blazers 2199, Carole & Tuesday) shines bright with the series and showcases the great efforts of the animation team. My Hero Academia is a colorful and vibrant anime series. The production has a nice balance of bright aesthetics and darker color tones for the darker, grittier elements in the action series. Sawa handles the cinematography with finesse and the results are splendid. My Hero Academia achieves a bold and engaging aesthetic.

The score composed by Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master) is energetic and action-packed. The music composed by Hayashi is fast-paced and exciting, providing a strong backdrop to the series fight scenes. The epic battles unfold with a greater sense of fun because of the original score. The music is uplifting when it needs to be – which is quite often, in fact – and also dark and menacing when danger looms on the series.

Written by Yōsuke Kuroda (My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, My Hero Academia The Movie: World Heroes' Mission), My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 continues to showcase the series as a great entertainment. The story delves further into the universe of the characters. The journey of learning to become better superheroes gives something of a Harry Potter vibe with the school energy being a little reminiscent of Hogwarts (and Hogwarts emphasis on magic) but with the school on My Hero Academia oriented towards building superhero powers instead. The series has some intense character moments and dangerous villains to face off against (with the script building on these elements).

Directed by Kenji Nagasaki (My Hero Academia The Movie: World Heroes' Mission, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes) and Masahiro Mukai (Hyperdimension Neptunia, Space Dandy Season 2), My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 delvers more of the fun action-adventure fans have come to expect. Audiences who have been following along with the saga will be thrilled to continue the journey – exploring new heights of action-packed mayhem as the stakes are raised in the sixth season of the beloved fan-favorite anime. My Hero Academia became a phenomenon for a reason and the series delvers the right quotient of action- packed excitement to keep action fans entertained.

My Hero Academia: Season Six, Part One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation on the release is excellent looking with crisp and colorful animation. The animation looks outstanding and line art and background animation is superb. The quality of the animation shines with encoding that capably highlights the series and the work of the animation team. The action sequences are fluid and engaging looking and compression looks great. Crunchyroll has done a solid job with the presentation. One of the best things about the Blu-ray disc format is that it continues to reward fans with superior video encoding compared to streaming video platforms. The bit-rates tend to be higher and the encoding is thereby superior to streaming platforms. For videophiles seeking to eek out the absolute best picture-quality possible, Blu-ray offers a superior option compared to streaming and fans will appreciate the picture-quality gains provided by the format. Though it might not always be a night and day difference with some productions, there's a sense of joy in knowing one possesses a superior presentation.

My Hero Academia: Season Six, Part One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Masafumi Mima (Attack on Titan, Cardcaptor Sakura) is well presented on the release and capably showcases the audio design in a worthwhile manner. The score is well reproduced on the release and is also well integrated into the sound mix. The English dub includes a surround sound presentation with a more immersive mix with the rear speakers offering more immersion – with action scenes showcasing a bit more punch and the score being a little more enveloping in the soundstage, too. Sound effects come through with clarity. The lossless encoding provides a solid clarity boost over streaming platforms (which only provide lossy audio quality on streaming services). For audiophiles seeking the absolute best audio quality possible, Blu-ray continues to be the best way to experience your favorite films and television series – the lossless encoding making a solid difference for those who expect the best of the best for the presentation.

My Hero Academia: Season Six, Part One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first press of the release comes with an o-card slipcover.

OVA: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training – Part 1 (HD, 23:21)

OVA: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training – Part 2 (HD, 23:22)

Promo Videos (HD, 5:15)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:31)

My Hero Academia: Season Six, Part One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Hero Academia: Season 6 Part 1 provides more action-packed adventure for fans of the mega-hit anime series. Franchise devotees won't want to miss a chance to add the latest installment to their growing anime Blu-ray collection. The series remains exciting and fun with memorable characters engaging in intense and epic battles. The Blu-ray release provides excellent video and audio. The release also includes some bonus features (including two OVA episodes). The first print run of the release also includes a limited-edition o-card slipcover. Recommended.