Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia is jam-packed with references to pop culture, and those references are one of the big reasons the series has become such a huge hit across the world. Horikoshi clearly knows his movies and comics, and often slides in hilarious little jokes into many chapters in the series. Fans have noticed shout outs to franchises like Aliens in the past, but the latest chapter of the series has a hilarious nod to Toho’s famous Godzilla franchise.
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The cover page for the latest chapter in the series hilarious features an image of famous Toho Kaiju Mothra, but has Midoriya’s face instead. This lines up with the anime’s April Fool’s Day joke that placed Bakugo in the role of Godzilla. You can check them both out below.
Deku vs Kacchan is no more, Mothrariya vs Bakuzilla is where it’s at pic.twitter.com/51vus1M3x2
โ โ๏ธRooโ๏ธ Bakugou sucks (@Color_Division) March 31, 2019
Dubbed “Mothrariya” and “Bakuzilla” by fans, these illustrations are also in celebration of the series’ recent film announcement. Further proving just how much knowledge Horikoshi has of pop culture, he celebrated the recent announcement of the series’ second big film with a sketch depicting My Hero Academia’s characters dressed as various figures from My Neighbor Totoro, Predator, and even Hellraiser.
The series will be releasing its second big movie later this year. But that won’t be the only major return this year as Godzilla will be coming back with a huge sequel featuring Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Rodan. Directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe, Bradley Whitford, among many other talents. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters May 31 with Godzilla vs. Kong scheduled for a 2020 release after.
The synopsis for Godzilla: King of the Monsters reads as such, “The new story follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.”
My Hero Academia will be returning for its fourth season later this October, and it’s one of the most anticipated returns of the year. Season 3 left the series on quite a few cliffhangers, so fans will be there day one to see what comes next.
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