My Hero Academia might not have cracked the formula to be a part of the Shonen Big 3, but it has a huge fanbase nonetheless. Kohei Horikoshi has written a story that rings true with otakus, and the struggle between good and evil portrayed in the story is often admired.
Another rival series, Black Clover by Yuki Tabata, belongs to the same genre and has some common themes of a protagonist born with no powers. However, the performance of both series is vastly different number-wise.
My Hero Academia‘s Popularity in North America is Reflected in the Sales Numbers
In a July 2024 interview with Viz Media, Kohei Horikoshi was congratulated on reaching 100 million copies of My Hero Academia in circulation worldwide. The English versions of the volumes consistently appear on the bestseller lists in North America, and it is a sign of huge global success. Horikoshi commented that the number doesn’t feel real to him as he credits it to the efforts of those selling and promoting the manga overseas.
According to the mangaka, it isn’t a one-person accomplishment, and he feels lifted by those who set up the distribution channels and decided to air the anime in other countries. The 100 million copies is a collaborative effort. Given how international readers strictly evaluate manga and stop reading it the moment they find it boring, My Hero Academia‘s huge sales can only mean that people have been finding it constantly entertaining.
Kohei Horikoshi humbly stated:
If that’s the case, then I’m glad. It means I’ve managed to create something genuinely interesting. This makes me happy, honestly.
-Kohei Horikoshi
The high ranking of each My Hero Academia volume is a testament to Kohei Horikoshi’s hard work, as the chapters never disappoint. The manga has seen huge sales historically and has cemented its place in the history of Shonen manga.
My Hero Academia‘s Rival Series, Black Clover, Couldn’t Crack the Code
Black Clover is another manga that has been doing relatively well; however, its numbers are nowhere near those of My Hero Academia. As of March 2024, Black Clover has over 19 million copies in circulation worldwide, as compared to the 100 million of My Hero Academia. In the USA, the Black Clover manga sold upwards of 2 million copies in 2021 and 2022.
In North America, the first volume of MHA had over 1.2 million copies in circulation by 2022 and the franchise as a whole has 10 million copies in circulation in the United States. But why is My Hero Academia so popular in North America to consistently rank among the bestseller list?
MHA is a mix of American superhero comics and Japanese Shonen manga. In fact, several illustrations of All Might look inspired by Western comic panels. The series also includes heroes from America, like Stars and Stripes. The Western audience is able to relate to the plot of My Hero Academia much more than that of Black Clover, which contains more traditional Japanese elements.
My Hero Academia and Black Clover are available to read on Viz Media and the anime will be streamed by Crunchyroll.
