My Hero Academia has once again found itself mired in controversy and fan backlash, after sparking major outcry earlier this year. First, it was the reveal that the true name and identity of a major villain in the series (Dr. Ujiko) was making reference to Japanese war crimes during WWII; now, angry fans have dug deeper to spark a conspiracy theory that the birthdays of major characters in My Hero Academia are secret references to key fascist leaders from WWII’s Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan), who happen to share the same birthday dates.
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Not surprisingly, those already triggered by the WWII refrence in Dr. Ujiko’s real name are now doubly-angry about what they view as a intentional pattern of disrespect from My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi. However, it’s not all negative: even as this latest controversy has circulated on media, and entire wave of My Hero Academia fans has banded together to start the hashtag “#WeSupportYouHorikoshi” to let the famed mangaka know just how much love there truly is for him within the fandom.
Scroll below for the positive vibes of My Hero Academia‘s #WeSupportYouHorikoshi outpouring:
Too Ridiculous
Woke up, login on twitter to see what’s happening. I see #WeSupportYouHorikoshi ( Which I do) But check in to see why that’s trending so early.
โ Mr. Lutbarg (@MrLutbarg) February 13, 2020
And it’s because there’s people that are mad over Bakugo’s revealed birthday apparently…
The level of ridiculousness is outstanding pic.twitter.com/aME56YEIVr
The best part is definitely seeing anime / manga fans who spot the #WeSupportYouHorikoshi trending topic and try to piece together what’s going on. As you can see above, many are left feeling underwhelmed and/or annoyed that the fandom is getting so triggered over this.ย
LEAVE HIM ALONE
can yโall let the man build the universe he wants to with characters he wants to in peace. ITS JUST A BIRTHDAY LEAVE HIM ALONE. #WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/K639vjFztg
โ allieโท ๐ค๐ฆข (@ddaeng8__) February 13, 2020
This is a pretty intense example of the pendulum swing a bitย tooย far the other way, but the sentiment is valid.ย
#NotMyFandom
As much as I love MHA I seriously dislike this fandom so much… I really hope Kohei Horikoshi doesn’t quit his job…#WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/OuqLSCrNZy
โ DOOM shill #HAILNOLAN (@geek_access) February 13, 2020
This issue is making one thing clear: there are a lot of people who rock withย My Hero Academiaย but feel no need to wear the label of “Fandom” – for this exact reason.ย
Don’t Quit!
We really appreciate your work Horikoshi. Please dont quit#WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/EDrUCmMDyR
โ iEquation (@RANGOWW) February 13, 2020
One of the biggest fears in the My Hero Academiaย fandom right now is that these non-stop “controversies” and all the outrage/harassment they’ve inspiredย will make Horikoshi quit as the mangaka ofย MHA, or end the series prematurely. Valid concerns, judging from the climate of anime fans in 2020 so far…ย
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things…
#WeSupportYouHorikoshi
โ แดแดสษด (@johndoflaming0) February 13, 2020
Y’all dont deserve this series pic.twitter.com/enLgbdqdAk
A lot of fans are frustrated by the continuing pattern of fandoms taking a series that has risen to high heights, and finding any kind of way to knock it down. (See Also: Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc…).ย
Not Real Fans
To the MHA “fans”#WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/e83Q3DCNQq
โ Phuckeury๐ (@Phuckeury) February 13, 2020
It’s becoming a bigger topic within fandoms but let’s state it again for the record: getting so triggerd over a show or movie that you attack and threaten the creators doesn’t make you a “fan.” And being a “fan” doesn’t automatically endow you with rights to attack anyone else that doesn’t fit into your view of fandom.ย
Not The Only Ones
#WeSupportYouHorikoshi MHA “fans” need to chill. Your oversensitivity was funny at first, but now it’s getting annoying.
โ ใ Daitomodachiใ (@daitomodachi6) February 13, 2020
The man might quit because y’all got upset over a character sharing a birthday with a dictator? Then I guess you need to cancel these characters too. pic.twitter.com/ZySrQkI3CW
There is arguably a lot of selective facts in this “proof” that Horikoshi is conveying some secret fascist doctrine throughย MHA. A little more digging has turned up the coincidence that there are numerous anime characters that also share significant dates with bad people. We cancelling them too?ย
SMASH That Hate
dont let those rude people get to your an amazing person and those bullies arent your fans! โค๏ธ
โ Riko Hitsuya (@RikoHitsuya) February 13, 2020
DETROIT SMAAAAAAASH THEM AWAY!!!๐๐๐#WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/xYhj9x7ztg
A lot of fans have reminded Horikoshi of the very lessons he taught them throughย My Hero Academia‘s story, characters and themes. Internet negativity trying to crush you? DETROIT SMASH IT out of your way!ย
Keep Doing You
Just to let you know, there are some fans out there that appreciate & support your work. We know youโre a good person at heart, & you donโt deserve this type of harassment from no one. Keep doing what you do best, I love MHA & my friends & family do too. #WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/OSAdblkgGg
โ Giovanni Brooks (@Giovanni_Brooks) February 13, 2020
As this fan reminds Horikoshi, he needs to keep on doing him, and ignore the haters. Solid life advice for us all.ย
Positivity PLUS ULTRA!
What a good way to start a morning!
โ Chibi Reviews (@ChibiReviews) February 13, 2020
Keep it up everyone! #WeSupportYouHorikoshi pic.twitter.com/idSFb0JhRM
If all of this backlash and negativity is getting you down, just keep it in perspective that this article is all about howย My Hero Academiaย fans took it upon themselves to push aย positiveย sentiment to becoming a trending topic. That’s something to be happy and proud of.ย
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.
