Challenges of Adapting My Hero Academia to Live-Action

The Challenge of Capturing My Hero Academia's Huge Cast

My Hero Academia boasts a huge cast of characters, and the manga and anime do a fairly decent job of balancing them. Horikoshi's story gives adequate attention to supporting players, whether they're Izuku Midoriya's classmates at U.A. High or the Pro Heroes he looks up to. Unfortunately, a live-action adaptation is unlikely to take this approach, even in a TV format. Netflix shows tend to have anywhere from eight to 10 episodes per season, while the My Hero Academia anime typically boasts more than 20 installments per outing (with season 1 being a 13-episode exception).

My Hero Academia's Class 1-A and All Might posing in front of U.A. High

Given the shorter seasons, Netflix's My Hero Academia adaptation will need to make cuts to the original story. These are likely to come from the supporting characters' subplots, meaning viewers won't get to know Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and the Pro Heroes as well as they do in the original story. Additionally, such a large ensemble may be confusing for newcomers, another incentive for Netflix to cut back.

Image shows Deku clutching his chest while his eyes look determined into the frame. His friends from Class 1A behind him ready to anything.

Challenges in Condensing My Hero Academia's Story

In addition to its supporting cast presenting a challenge, My Hero Academia's story is fairly long for a live-action show or movie. It's unclear whether the streamer intends to make movies or a TV series, and there's no word on how long it intends to keep its adaptation going. However, some parts of Deku's story are likely to meet the chopping block. Given how almost every manga and anime arc contributes to his growth, choosing what to get rid of will pose another challenge.

Deku and All Might standing in front of a blue sky in My Hero Academia

Adapting the Aesthetic and Quirks of My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia draws its inspiration from comics, and its colorful aesthetic is a testament to that. From Deku's bright green hair to the almost-always blue sky in the background, the anime has a unique look that just won't be possible to recreate in live-action. The real world isn't anywhere near as colorful as Deku's, but it's difficult to envision the backdrop of My Hero any other way. Netflix's adaptation will need to find a way to stand out without this aspect of the anime, which could prove an obstacle for the streamer.

Gang Orca in My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is set in a world where most people are born with Quirks, or powers that give them extraordinary appearances and abilities. The manga and anime introduce a wide array of Quirks throughout their runs, and some of these will be difficult to capture in live-action. While CGI can go far for Deku's use of One for All, Bakugo's explosions, and even Todoroki's fire and ice, physical Quirks like Tokoyami's are unlikely to look as good in the Netflix adaptation. Capturing characters with a bird head or the appearance of a whale is going to be difficult in the first place, but such players will also require near-constant CGI. And even characters with otherwise ordinary appearances have Quirks that may not look great in live-action. Kirishima's hardening or Mirio's permeation are going to require a lot of effort to look seamless in this format.

Tokoyami from My Hero Academia unleashing Dark Shadow