Presenting an autographed checkee! Commemorating the broadcast of the 5th season of the TV anime "My Hero Academia"! Trilogy interview with Daiki Yamashita (Deku Midoriya), Kohei Amasaki (Neito Monoma), and Wataru Hatano (Shinyoshinininsho)

The fifth season of the TV anime "My Hero Academia," based on the popular comic by Kohei Horikoshi, will begin airing on March 27, 2021 (Sat) on 29 Yomiuri and Nippon Television networks nationwide!

Akiba Research Institute conducted a trilogy interview with Daiki Yamashita, who plays the main character, Izuhisa Midoriya, Kohei Amasaki, who plays the role of Neito Monoma, and Wataru Hatano, who plays the role of Shinyurugi Jintosha, to celebrate the broadcast of the fifth season of this work. They talked about everything from memorable episodes looking back on the series to date to the highlights of the fifth season.

The World of "Hiroaka" Expands with Each Series

───What is your enthusiasm for the 5th season?

Yamashita: The world of "My Hero Academia" has been expanding rapidly, and I felt that the expectations of the fans and viewers have increased with each series. I've been going through the postrecording sessions with a lot of enthusiasm, hoping to meet and exceed those expectations.

Amasaki: I've been a part of this work since the second season's "Yuuei Athletics Festival Arc," but I've been a viewer of the show since the first episode, so I'm very happy to be able to participate. Moreover, in the 5th season, Monoma has become more active and shows us various aspects of himself, so I feel both pleased and humbled.

Hatano: Shinsuyo has also appeared in the "Yuuei Sports Festival Arc," but unlike Deku and Monoma, he is not in the Hero Department but in the Regular Department. I had been told by various people that "Shinsozo is appearing in the original story again! So I was personally looking forward to the 5th season of the show.

Daiki Yamashita

─ Looking back on the series so far, are there any episodes that stand out in your memory?

Yamashita: In the fourth season of the previous series, the first half was a serious story in the "Hero Internship Arc," where the students were away from school, but the second half was the "Cultural Festival Arc," where the tension swung dramatically from the first half, so everyone was saying, "There's too much swing in the story... I'm going to catch a cold. We were all saying, "I'm going to catch a cold..." (laughs). But because of the first half of the story, we learned that being a hero is something that cannot be done with a little bit of determination. I was able to feel 100% the meaning of the title "Hero Academia. I think the fans are looking forward to the fifth season, which will be based on these things.

Amasaki: When Monoma made his first appearance in the "Yuuei Sports Festival Arc," I tried to portray him as a "mysterious strong guy," but after that his familiar black-heartedness started to ooze out (laughs). I had wanted to perform "Romeo and Juliet and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Return of the King," which was a performance by Class B at the school festival, since I read the original story.

Kohei Amasaki

Hatano: For me, it was the one-on-one battle between Deku and Kokoro at the sports festival. I was able to watch the scene on-air, and I could feel the combined skills of all the artists involved in the production, including not only our acting, but also the sound and drawing. I remember how happy we were to receive warm messages and feedback from viewers after the broadcast.

When I participated as a talk guest at a big anime event in the U.S. in 2019, people overseas also loved this work so much that they thought it was a "Hiroaka" event. They didn't know Wataru Hatano, but they seemed to recognize Shin Misao's voice and said, "Oh, it's Shin Misao! It's Soul Manipulation! I was very happy that they knew who I was.

Wataru Hatano

Growth" and "discovery" as a voice actor

───What was your impression of the story in the fifth season?

Yamashita: The first half of the fifth season focuses on the team battles between the students, and I thought this kind of development tickled my boyish heart. Class A has its own pride and determination that it cannot be defeated by Class B, so when I see the characters played by each of them, I say to myself, "Class A, do your best, and Class B, do your best! Class B, do your best! I feel that when I see the characters played by the different actors, I feel like, "Go Class A!

Amasaki: All this time I've been saying, "Class B is just as good as Class A! But we haven't had a place to prove it, so now we finally have a chance to show it off. As the actor who plays Monoma, I was also very happy, and was excited by the individuality and strategies of the members of Group B that were demonstrated in the battle.

Yamashita You reacted to everything (laughs).

Amasaki I really enjoyed the fifth season (laughs). (Laughs.) The scene at the end of the rivalry in which Monoma fights Deku and the other members of Group A depicts the core of Monoma, so I'm glad that everyone knows that I'll be playing that part.

Hatano: While Shinobu is calm and unaffected, Monoma is screaming by himself all the time. It was interesting to see the contrast between the two (laughs). (Laughs) Shinobu is participating in this year's competition as a guest, but he has been making efforts in places that everyone else can't see. I think he is very passionate about it, but he is not the type to show it on the surface, so he expresses it in his monologue and in his interactions with his friends. When I was actually dubbing, I found new ways to use his "personality". I think this is one of the highlights of the show.

─ ─ It seems that the "growth" and "discovery" of each character will be a highlight of this storyline. By the way, when do you feel "growth" and "discovery" in your work as a voice actor and in your daily life?

Yamashita: Every time I work on "Hiroaca", I make discoveries through the characters. The way they approach things, the way they take on challenges, and even when they say "Oh no," how they say it is "Oh no" is very important. I feel that I grow as an actor every time I notice these new discoveries about the right balance in a play. In my daily life, I feel that I am growing by discovering new restaurants and eating delicious food, which energizes me (laughs). (Laughs.) Recently, I found a delicious Genghis Khan restaurant, and I would like to go there.

Amasaki: I've always been prone to sore throats, and I've always taken care of it, but one time I finally broke my throat. But at that time, I had a job that I had to finish, and when I dared to give it my all, something opened up, and since then I haven't broken my throat. That experience made it possible for me to do roles like Monoma, where I always have to shout loudly, without setting a limit for myself. And I like "Genghis Khan" too (laughs).

─ ─ Next, please tell us your recommendation for Genghis Khan (laughs).

Hatano: I once did a bus tour event in Hokkaido, and the grilled Genghis Khan I had at the launch of the event was really delicious! ......What were we talking about? (Laughs)

Yamashita I was talking about the recommended Genghis Khan and ...... my growth as a voice actor (laughs).

I'm sorry (laughs).

Hatano (laughs). I read "Heroaca" and often get emotionally involved in the scenes where the characters lose. I think it's the same with the mind control, and myself and all voice actors experience defeat when we fail an audition. I think it's the same for me and all voice actors. Every time I lose, I think, "I didn't make it this time, but I will make an effort to move forward step by step toward the next time.

New aspects of the characters are also noteworthy!

─ ─ What are the highlights of this season from each character's point of view?

Yamashita: This season, the spotlight is on Deku's "one for all" personality, and we are beginning to see the tip of its mystery. There are still many aspects of this "individuality" that have yet to be revealed, such as the personalities of previous successors, but we caught a glimpse of the shadow of this "individuality" through Shin Misao's "individuality" at the sports festival, and from there we were able to discover the inner power of this individuality. We will further discover our inner strength through this competition. In addition, as in the past, there are scenes where we analyze the "personalities" of the other students, and we analyze them based on the assumption that "if I were to fight or fight together with them..." In the past, we used to say, "If a professional hero were to fight or fight together with me, I would be a hero. In the past, I used to think "what if professional heroes fight together" and I realized that I am thinking of strategies based on myself. I think I paid attention to that aspect in my performance.

Amasaki: Ever since Monoma's first appearance, he's had a rivalry with Class A, but behind that rivalry he has feelings for Class B. In particular, he has a strong sense of the "individuality" of his fellow students. In particular, he understands the "individuality" of his friends and makes the most of it, and he shows his true value in this battle. I am also playing the role of a character who is getting more and more excited in other areas than fighting, and I am chasing after him so that I myself do not lose to him.

Hatano: After losing to Deku at the gymnastics festival, Shinsuyo learned what he lacked. At that time, he had a kind of guilt about his "brainwashing" character, and if you only hear the word "brainwashing," you might think of him as a villain, but it depends on how he uses it. In this season, he appears wearing a certain item, and I would like you to support him while paying attention to how the battle unfolds with such tactics.

─ ─ Finally, do you have a message for your fans?

Yamashita: There are so many points of interest this time that it's hard to choose! (Laughs) Everyone probably has a different point of view, so I hope you will find your favorite scene and discuss it with us. The cast and I are giving our all to each scene, so I'd be happy if you could share your thoughts and enjoy the show.

Amasaki: As for Monoma, this battle will reveal a new aspect of his "personality," and I think that watching it will help you to imagine what he will be like in the future. Also, please pay attention to the parts of Monoma that have not been shown before!

Hatano: What I found most amazing about this story is that after the battle, they recognize and praise each other's "individuality" and think about how they will grow. I felt that this was the best part of the story, as I was able to see it from Shinji's point of view, so I thought it would be a great way to enjoy the anime. I hope you will enjoy the story of these people who are constantly growing as they live their lives.

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kounosuke Yoshino)

Outline of Present Campaign

<Prize

In commemoration of the broadcast of the 5th season of "My Hero Academia," a checkerboard autographed by Daiki Yamashita, Wataru Hatano, and Kohei Amasaki will be given away to one lucky winner!

<Entry requirements

Application period: March 27, 2021 (Sat) - April 3, 2020 (Sat) 23:59
Number of winners: 1
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