It goes without saying, but My Hero Academia is having a really hard week. The franchise was on the up days ago, but the release of its most recent chapter derailed things a bit. The update revealed the real name of the doctor who worked under All For One, but its context left some fans horrified. Now, the series is being quickly barred in China, and its ban just got worse.
Videos by ComicBook.com
According to new reports from overseas fans, it seems a major streaming service in China has put the breaks on My Hero Academia‘s anime. The licensor Bilibili has pulled all four seasons of the anime off its site. The platform is one of China’s biggest when it comes to streaming, and its takedown of My Hero Academia comes after its manga was closed.
Yesterday, reports went live which confirmed both Bilibili and Tencent had taken down the manga for My Hero Academia. The series are no longer available on the sites’ online libraries, and Bilibili said the title was taken down in accordance with China’s policies.
It also seems like My Hero Academia‘s gaming prospects are being challenged. Not long ago, a brand-new mobile game based on the anime went live, and it reeled in many fans. Unfortunately, the game has temporarily shut down since its developers are Chinese.
For fans, this worsened response has left many stunned while others worry over My Hero Academia‘s revenue. It should not be surprising to hear China brings in lots of money to the manga industry and beyond. Still, other huge titles like Attack on Titan have been banned in China and are still thriving. Whether this ban is permanent or not, My Hero Academia will carry on despite this controversy, and fans are hopeful the title will avoid any more hiccups in the future.
What do you make of this growing controversy? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime.
My Hero Academia was created by Kohei Horikoshi for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a world where everyone has powers, even though he was born without them. Dreaming to become a superhero anyway, he’s eventually scouted by the world’s best hero All Might and enrolls in a school for professional heroes.
