It’s been just over 10 years since the first episode of “My Hero Academia” dubbed in English premiered for U.S. audiences. On Thursday at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the voice actors for the main characters celebrated the end of the show — and an eventful decade — with heartfelt speeches, an as-yet-unaired film clip, and live voice acting performances of some of the show’s most pivotal scenes.
The series, about students at a school in Japan that teaches super-powered teenagers how to become heroes, arrived in the boom era of Marvel Studios’ cinematic universe. It rapidly became a beloved global phenomenon in its own right, particularly due to how its fans — including celebrities Megan Thee Stallion and Michael B. Jordan — identified with the students of Class 1-A and the themes of the show: friendship and service.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles hosted two red carpet premieres of the show’s accompanying movies, including one on February 19, 2020. Days later, the world locked down.
During the anniversary panel, the actors — Christopher Sabat, Justin Briner, Clifford Chapin and David Matranga — reminisced about that particular period, telling moderator and longtime FUNimation/CrunchyRoll representative Lauren Moore that it was “surreal.”
Chapin, the voice of character Katsuki Bakugo, recalled the abruptness of going from an event packed with fans to the isolation of recording remotely from his home. He gave credit to the fans for inspiring him to continue the work.
“The energy of (the premiere) carried me through the pandemic,” he said.
At the time, the voice actors went from recording their lines in booths at the FUNimation studio to literally acting in their closets, soundproofed as best they could to muffle extraneous noise. To pass time, some voice actors began streaming playthroughs of video games on the platform Twitch for their fans; Briner (voice of Izuku Midorya) would occasionally host late-night sessions of the popular indie game “Hollow Knight.”
In the panel, Briner talked about the importance of creating a community, as Midorya did.
“Find your people and keep them close,” he advised.
Matranga, the voice of Shoto Todoroki, recalled an online meet-and-greet with a fan, whose family later jumped onto their call to tell him how much they loved the show.
“In that moment, I realized how much the show was bringing families together,” as a shared experience, he said. He would later see them again post-lockdown at an in-person event.
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The “My Hero Academia” panel presented to audiences a bonus clip set years after the events of the show. The actors also showcased their talent by performing scenes from the show, in tandem with clips projected onto the big panel screens for audiences.
Sabat, voice of All-Might, delivered the final message of the panel before the live performances.
The characters in the show grew and developed because “someone believed in them,” he said.
“Be that person to someone else.”