My Hero Academia, Vol. 34: United States of America

僕のヒーローアカデミア [Boku no Hero Academia] #34

by Kohei Horikoshi

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

All For One’s will has taken root in Tomura’s mind, and this new entity is now a global threat. Even so, the United Nations is hesitant to dispatch heroes to Japan, but Star and Stripe—the U.S.A.’s number one hero—arrives to tackle this menace head-on. In the skies over the Pacific, the combatants size each other up, each trying to gain an advantage, but there’s no telling who’ll be left standing after the dust settles on this epic duel…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Shonen, Young Adult, Comics, Superheroes, Action

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2022

About the author

HORIKOSHI Kouhei
Name (in native language): 堀越耕平
Associated Names:
Kouhei Horikoshi

Born 1986 in the prefecture Aichi, Horikoshi first attracted attention in the second half of 2006 when he entered Shueisha's 72th Tezuka Award for Newcomers with his one shot "Nukegara" and made it to the final six, where he gained himself an "Honorable Mention".
Various short stories in Shueisha's Akamaru JUMP followed over the years until he published his one shot "Oumagadoki Doubutsuen" in issue #2/2010 of Weekly Shounen JUMP.

Kouhei Horikoshi is a graduate of Nagoya University of Arts. He was previously an assistant to TANAKA Yasuki.

Zodiac: Scorpio

Pixiv: 堀越

Reviews

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 3 out of 5]

tbh this arc was pretty underwhelming😭

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this volume started out so damn strong, too. Stars, the hero from America, the strongest of all, but her battle, while it WAS awesome, with such huge stakes, I feel like she was done dirty.

Too powerful a character? Maybe. But to be dropped just like that was just evil. My opinion.

And then there was the big reveal a short time later. The traitor. Gaaahhh… I don’t know what to think about this. It’s also dirty.

So, yeah, I’m upset.

I can’t stop for the life of me, but yeah, I’m upset.

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was expecting more when I saw this new hero being introduced ngl 💀

[Afifa Afreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Mangas save me from life of misery and stress and near-fatal experience of anhedonia. That's all I'm going to say here.

[Joyly Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm just gonna keep crying from now on until this series ends

[MajesticalLion · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I'm guessing this volume covers the Stars and Stripes fight all the way through the big twist. MHA is one of the best Shonen ever written. The themes are incredible, and I think especially recently it's been getting a lot of hate for those themes. Particularly in regards to Class 1-A and the idea that Deku shouldn't be the Number One hero, but instead they should all make up a Symbol of Peace together. I've seen so many people say "Man. I miss when Deku was off on his own fighting villains. He was so cool. This stuff at the school is so poorly written and boring" and like... I thought we were past people not understanding the themes of MHA after the "You looked like you needed saving" debacle. MHA is about people coming together to save each other. Reaching a hand out to those in need. The All Might #1 hero society DOESN'T WORK. Deku continuously gets beaten to an inch of his life and puts himself in jeopardy because he tries to do everything himself. He won't work as a team, and he's taking on too much weight for one person to bare. AND PEOPLE WANT IT THAT WAY. I don't understand it. Deku needs Class 1-A. MHA. Needs. Class. 1-A.

[Mina ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about time to have a serious chat!

I heartily love this series as I love the story behind it but sometimes I think the author is trying more than anything to cash in on it.

You see, there are some volumes of My Hero Academia that, in my perception, are a winding. A way that the writer gotcha to profit more on fans and made it looks like the story is progressing.

Maybe it's just something in my head or maybe it's actually happenning.

Nevertheless, you can call me dumb but I'm still buying the next manga.

*ps: I'm feeling that after I read Nerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse my head has opened up to new possibilities and I'm feeling too more analytical. Which means that I'm noticing more things that before would pass unoticed. *

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star and Stripe deserved better 😭. Such a badass character with an awesome quirk. Was she overpowered? Maybe. Do I care? Nope, I loved her. Also the traitor reveal had me shook! A real misdirect for sure, though ironically enough my friend and I guessed it, but in a joking manner. We were surprised one of our more wild theories ended up panning out.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star and Stripe is an iconic character and I love her.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I had no emotional investment in the Star and Stripe vs Shigaraki battle, which kinda lessened the impact of it all, I did like how Cassie viewed All Might as her mentor and that her “meeting” him linked back to the beginning of the Two Heroes movie, which is currently my second favorite movie and I was delighted to make that connection! I’m a little confused as to how New Order “vanished”, I guess, in the end—maybe the anime will help clear this up for me?—but All For One didn’t get it which is good enough for me, phew!

So while most of this volume was the fight and outcome (which if it had been the whole thing I probably would have rated this three stars), the part I really…”enjoyed” while suffering alongside everyone else was the reveal of the UA spy. I did accidentally spoil myself on who it is while researching the anime but despite that it was so heartbreaking to watch it play out, and the pain and disbelief on Deku’s face broke my heart, my poor baby!

What I didn’t expect in the slightest out of that scene was the brief Hagakure face reveal! Now I don’t normally upon seeing characters think of things like cute or pretty, but I did for her as she really is both, I love her design! Wish we’d seen her under better circumstances though. 😭😭

And Hatsume’s crazy as always, lol! I hope she never changes because she’s a riot and I love her.


‼️Content‼️

Language: hell; dammit; sh*tty (1); damn; freakin’; bullcrap; crap; screw; “nutsack face”; frickin’; dang

Violence: injuries and blood (PG-PG-13/R); fighting with weapons, superpowers, and hand to hand (PG-PG-13/R); a woman crumbles away; a skull crumbles away in a “vision”; a body keeps blasting apart and reforming (PG-13); a body in a pool of blood (PG-13/R)

Sexual: a teen guy is a pervert; a girl’s shirt opens in the front all the way down to her stomach; shirtless guys; a girl lands on top of a guy and her breasts end up smashed against his face

Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; death and grief; two bodies melded into one; explosions

[IvyInThePages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.6 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3.5/5
Cover: 3.75/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Genre: Shonen/Fantasy/Scifi
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yeah

Hated|Disliked|Meh|It Was Okay|Liked|Loved

This volume wasn't as great as I hoped it to be. I don't even get why they even introduce the hero on the cover. Literally makes NO sense. Just send her in, her quirk a cancer, puts it in someone else and is down for a bit. The only good to come from this volume is the twist and one comedic relieve panel.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's a small price to pay."

... I really should have just figured there would be nothing but emotional pain since a couple of volumes ago.

Even though I knew about the outcome of the fight, thanks to the anime (and spoilers), it still was a punch to the gut. Although, I admit, I think I preferred the manga version of Star and Strip vs. Shigaraki. (But it has been a while since I watched the anime... I really ought to go back and watch that action sequence.)

[Mizuki]

Pre-Review: I swear I will finish this volume some day...

More to come.

[Leila ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viene lenta la cosa, eh.

2 de 5 estrellas.

[Córdelum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que en este tomo se desaprovecha muchísimo a un personaje increíblemente chulo, es la razón por la que le bajo la nota con respecto al resto de tomos. Pero no puedo bajarla más porque esta historia me encanta.

[Yaiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, sin palabras con todo lo que está sucediendo!!!

[Mirqculous_fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryczałam jak bóbr! Bober!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Anushka Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting Star to single-handedly defeat Shigaraki but COME ON! She's at the cover! How can she end up dead in the first battle!? This is so upsetting!!!

And what's up with this volume?
Star's death wasn't enough!?

We find a traitor in Class 1-A !?

They say bad luck or bad news always come in pairs of three. I shudder to think what could be next.
*fingers crossed*

[Theresa Harms · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why is the entire battle between Shigaraki and Stars and Stripes being explained to me like I'm five??? Too many word dumps of information in this one, and the big reveal within class A falls flat... the new hero being introduced with so much hype led me to expect more from them. overall a pretty boring volume ahhhhhh

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slows down pretty significantly towards the middle but I feel like that short breathe of relief may be needed considering what is coming. Can't say I was shocked by the twist toward the end of this volume but I think it was handled well and I'm excited to see what comes of it.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic introduction of Star and Stripe as we get a bit of international intervention and the repercussions of this epic encounter between the forces of good and evil. The volume concludes by preparing these youngsters for a devastating and imminent war as a window of opportunity opens wide.

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

pain. so much pain. and sorrow.

[Mathilde Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow a LOT happened in this volume. The reveal was WILD!! I'm so glad I managed to avoid spoilers for that one. The fight between Star And Stripe and Shigaraki was also really cool, can't wait to see it animated.

[m.・゜゜・・゜゜・． · Rating 5 out of 5]

new order is such a ridiculous power bro. i actually felt my heart ache at the idea that it just died… lost such a seminal quirk

[Riley F · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

[♡ Alisa Doe ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I didn't get the UA traidor spoiled for me bc I loved the way the whole reveal was drawn and done <33

[Maribel Maricela · Rating 5 out of 5]

uraraka and nejire's haircuts 😌

Jan 26 2022: so im currently caught up kinda lol

[Michael Laxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t wait to see the fight animated.

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caught up and excited for what’s to come. I feel the end is near 🫨

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE WOMEN.