My Hero Academia disappoints with its 'important announcement'

The "My Hero Academia" franchise has been a worldwide phenomenon since its debut in 2014. Created by Kohei Horikoshi, this series has stood out for its rich narrative, character development, and unique approach to the superhero genre within the realm of manga and anime. With more than a decade in serialization, the story of Izuku Midoriya and his fellow UA Academy members has captivated millions of fans around the world.

Today, the franchise had promised a major announcement as part of multiple projects planned to celebrate the manga's conclusion. These projects include the final compilation volume, a fanbook and artbook scheduled for 2025, as well as a special exhibition that promises to be a must-see event for fans.

However, the "secret project" revealed today has turned out to be a disappointment to many. Although the manga's ending left a split impression between those who deemed it "adequate" and others who saw it as "a disappointment," there seems to be general agreement in considering today's announcement as truly disappointing.

The announcement in question was in two parts:

The first and most criticized was an upcoming ad in the popular American newspaper New York Times. Many fans expected something more meaningful and directly related to the history or future of the franchise.
The second part of the announcement is a character popularity poll, open to fans around the world. Followers can vote on the official website of the poll among dozens of characters divided into ten different categories, daily until September 30. The results of this survey will be published on December 3.

Although this survey demonstrates the global reach of the franchise, it is not what fans expected, especially considering the promise of a "major announcement after the end of the original work." Fans were hoping for a more substantial reveal, such as a new anime project, movie, or even a new spin-off series that would continue to explore the "My Hero Academia" universe.

Over the years, "My Hero Academia" has released several anime adaptations, movies, video games, and a wide range of related products. Each new project and release has been enthusiastically received by its fan base, which has faithfully followed each chapter and episode. The series has been praised for its ability to address complex issues such as justice, sacrifice, and personal growth, all framed in a world where superheroes are the norm and villains pose constant challenges.

With the manga concluded and these projects underway, fans of "My Hero Academia" continue to eagerly await new developments that do justice to a series that has left an indelible mark on the world of manga and anime, despite its controversial ending.

"Perhaps the real heroes were the surveys we did along the way."
"Apparently there will be two stages of voting, the preliminary 'Main Stage' and then the PLUS ULTRA Stage. The winner of the first place of the 'Main Stage' will get a special video about that character. The first three characters of the Main Stage will compete in the 'PLUS ULTRA Stage'. Whoever wins the character popularity poll on the 'PLUS ULTRA Stage' will get a new special Horikoshi artwork and also a bronze statue of the winner. I got this from aitaikimochi on Twitter. It's pretty obvious who will be in the Top 3 and ESPECIALLY the Top 1."
"Why would they say it's a big announcement if it's a popularity poll?"
"Talk about a big disappointment, lol."
"No, the real big announcement is yet to come, trust me (a lot of self-deception)."
"I had low expectations, very low, and I'm still disappointed. This didn't need as much anticipation, they could have announced this along with the final chapter."
"Wow, what a big disappointment."
"I GOT UP EARLY FOR THIS?!"
"One thing no one mentions is that it says the winning character will get a 'special movie,' but I'm not sure if that means something animated about them or just some manga edition with their best moments."
"Imagine announcing three final popularity polls three years in a row."