My Hero Academia Fans Aren’t Sold on the Controversial Name of All For One’s Doctor

My Hero Academia is often an escape for fans each week. The heroic story gives millions hope to overcome their situation by going beyond plus ultra. Of course, that doesn’t mean every fan is pleased with the story’s direction, and the most recent chapter of My Hero Academia proved that. After all, a certain name was revealed for All For One’s doctor, and it has international fans rising up.

For those who have not read the latest chapter, they should know the update has sparked the controversy soundly. The whole ordeal began after creator Kohei Horikoshi revealed his name, and it brought up some horrific memories of World War II.

As for the name, the doctor once known as Ujiko is going by a new alias. The man is said to be named Shiga Maruta, a Quirkless doctor who has followed All For One for years now. The name seems simple enough to Western readers, but the Japanese name translates to something controversial.

In Japanese, the name is written out as 丸太, and it has a dark history. The word in their language refers to victims of human experiments during World War II. The unspeakably gruesome acts were done by Japanese forces to those captured during the war including Korean, Chinese, and other foreign detainees. These acts of war saw little consequence once World War II settled, and there are those in Japan who aren’t even taught about the grotesque experiments in school. The fact that Horikoshi chose this name for the doctor has rubbed many the wrong way, and you can see their reactions in the slide below.

For now, there is no telling whether the doctor will get a name change, but fans hope it will happen. Others are less determined to see such a change as they believe Dr. Murata’s eventual capture in My Hero Academia might bring solace to those still effected by the word’s origins. So it is up to you to decide how you feel about this bubbling debate.

Where do you stand on this debate? 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.

Fingers Crossed

What Now?

Never Silence

Sympathy Please

Apology Wanted

R E S P E C T

Think Again

International Conflict