My Hero Academia is for women and children, they say
Recently, the production of the "My Hero Academia" franchise shared several photographs of a special screening of the film "My Hero Academia the Movie: You're Next", which quickly went viral on social networks. The event, which allowed attendees to "support" with banners, light sticks, and live reactions, featured voice actors Daiki Yamashita (voice of Izuku Midoriya) and Nobuhiko Okamoto (voice of Katsuki Bakugou), which attracted an enthusiastic audience.
What was most striking was that, in the photographs shared, the audience was composed almost exclusively of women and children, with no visible men. This led to intense speculation on social media about whether this is the franchise's core audience, with many netizens suggesting that women mostly attended to see the popular voice actors.
Since the special screenings were announced, it was known that voice actors would be present, which increased the interest of the public, especially among female fans. Many of the online comments highlight that a large portion of the attendees went to the event primarily to see Daiki Yamashita and Nobuhiko Okamoto, rather than for the film itself. This is not surprising, given that seiyuus (voice actors) in Japan enjoy great popularity and have a large number of devoted female followers.
On social networks, some users commented:
- "Almost all the women who came did so to see the voice actors, haha."
- "It's amazing to be able to watch the screening with the voice actors present!"
- "Both the actors' presentation and the film were the best, I had a lot of fun!"
- "A boy dressed in the uniform of the U.A. Academy! It's so cute, it makes me happy."
These types of events, known as "応援上映" (ouen jōei), are interactive projections where fans can express their emotions in real time and use visual elements such as banners and light sticks to "support" the characters on screen. The inclusion of voice actors such as Yamashita and Okamoto further increases interaction, creating a closer and more exciting environment for attendees.
These types of participations reinforce the fact that the franchise has managed to attract a wide and varied audience, from families to young women, who enjoy both the content of the anime and the closeness with the voice actors.
Source: Otakomu
