My Hero Academia Concert Moves 8,000 Fans to Tears with Live Score, Anime Footage, and Cast Dubbing

The concert for the anime My Hero Academia, known in Japan as Hiroaka, featured composer Yuki Hayashi as bandmaster, performing with SPECIAL ORCHESTRA BAND: THE HEROES. Together, they played numerous pieces from the My Hero Academia anime score while famous scenes from the series were projected on a screen.

The event also included live dubbing of iconic scenes by three voice actors from the anime: Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya, Nobuhiko Okamoto as Katsuki Bakugo, and Yuki Kaji as Shoto Todoroki. Across the daytime and evening performances, approximately 8,000 fans attended.

Live Music and Cast Performances Recreated Iconic Scenes

The first part of the concert covered Seasons 1 through 4, while the second part followed the story from Season 5 through FINAL SEASON, also known as Season 8.
The concert opened with “You Can Become a Hero (Kimi ha Hero ni Nareru),” played during the scene in Season 1 where Deku meets All Might, the Symbol of Peace. When the music began, Daiki Yamashita appeared and performed Deku’s crucial line, “Can I become a hero even without a Quirk?” The venue was immediately drawn into the world of My Hero Academia.

The second song was “You Say Run,” one of the most recognizable pieces from the My Hero Academia soundtrack. As fans were surprised to hear the signature track so early in the concert, Yamashita and Okamoto performed live dubbing for the famous scene in which Quirkless Deku rushes to save Bakugo from the Sludge Villain. The powerful performance of “You Say Run” and the two actors’ delivery excited the audience.

The concert then followed Deku’s training with All Might, his entrance exam for U.A. High School, and his confrontation with Bakugo after enrolling. During “Runaway Evil (Bososuru Akui),” the scene shifted to the League of Villains attack led by Tomura Shigaraki. Yuki Kaji appeared on stage and performed Shoto Todoroki’s imposing lines as Shoto defeated the villains at once.

The Concert Followed Major Arcs from the Anime

The program then entered the U.A. Sports Festival arc from Season 2. Following “Explosion King!! (Bakusatsu Oh!)” during the cavalry battle and “A Kind of Brightness That Is Hard to Face (Chokushi Dekinai Urarakasa)” after the Bakugo versus Ochaco Uraraka match, “Your Power (Kimi no Chikara)” began during Deku and Shoto’s first confrontation. Yamashita and Kaji appeared on stage as Shoto released the fire power he had sealed away, delivering the famous line, “I want to be a hero too!” The important moment for Shoto unfolded alongside the live band performance.

Season 3 began with the Forest Training Camp arc and the Kamino Incident arc. The concert included “A Rival Is Written as a Friend (Rival to Kaite Tomo to Yomu)” during Deku’s desperate battle against Muscular to save Kota, “All For One’s Power,” a track filled with the fearsome presence of the Demon Lord All For One, and then “Trinity.” During the scene where Deku, Shoto, Eijiro Kirishima, and others rescue Bakugo from the villains, the band and all three cast members appeared together on stage for the first time. The band, cast, and footage became a literal trinity in the performance.

When “All Might with U.A. Students” depicted the conclusion of All Might’s battle with All For One, the concert moved to the popular Episode 61, “Deku and Kacchan 2,” with “Katsuki and Izuku.” Okamoto portrayed Bakugo carrying the burden of responsibility for All Might’s retirement, while Yamashita performed Deku accepting that pain. Together with the music, the scene drew the audience even more deeply into the stage.

The program then moved into Season 4. The battles to save the captive girl Eri during the Hero Intern arc and the Shie Hassaikai arc were portrayed through “What Must Be Protected,” “I Will Become Your Hero,” and “Might,” closing the first part of the concert.

The Second Half Built Toward the Final Battle

The second part opened with a talk segment featuring Yuki Hayashi, Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, and Yuki Kaji. Hayashi, who has created music for My Hero Academia since Season 1 ten years ago, said, “While making the music, I have also been fighting in my own way.”

In response, Yamashita said, “Over these ten years, I felt that the staff, cast, and music have all fought and built this series together.”

When asked about the highlights of the second half, Hayashi explained that as the concert approached its climax, some scenes would be accompanied by different music from what was used in the anime itself. He said fans might feel something different from when they watched the anime, raising the audience’s expectations even further.

In the Joint Training Battle between Class A and Class B from Season 5, Kaji delivered Shoto’s determined line, “Burn yourself to become the person you want to be (Onore wo Moyase Naritai Ore ni Narutameni),” backed by “Go Beyond Even Further (Soreike Sarani Mukouhe).” The concert then portrayed the emergence of Deku’s Quirk Blackwhip, as well as the hidden past and awakening of Tomura Shigaraki, Deku’s villainous counterpart, through “Successors,” “Symbol of Fear,” and “Paranormal Liberation Front.”

Fans Were Moved to Tears During Emotional Scenes

From Season 6’s Paranormal Liberation War arc, the battle between heroes and villains accelerated. The concert continued through Deku’s battle against Tomura Shigaraki and his fierce clash with Lady Nagant, a former hero who had fallen into villainy.

During the direct confrontation with Shigaraki, “Revengers” was performed, and Yamashita delivered an intense performance that captured Deku facing Shigaraki head on. The Lady Nagant battle was accompanied by the fast paced “The Last Wielder.” Yamashita showed a different side of Deku, portraying his fight using a simulated 100 percent of One For All while desperately appealing to Nagant, who still retained the heart of a hero.

Later, during the scene where Deku’s classmates try to bring him back from his lonely fight, “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done” was performed. Okamoto and Yamashita portrayed Bakugo apologizing to Deku and pleading for everyone to fight together. Many audience members were seen shedding tears.

Final Season Moments Brought the Concert to Its Climax

The concert then entered the Final War arc from Season 7. The battle between Tomura Shigaraki, whose consciousness was mixed with All For One, and America’s No. 1 Hero Star and Stripe was heightened by the performance of “STAR AND STRIPE.”

Next, Shoto Todoroki’s desperate battle against his older brother Toya Todoroki, also known as Dabi, was expressed through “We’ll put a stop to them for sure” and Kaji’s performance that balanced stillness and intensity. “We’ll be everyone’s heroes Plus Ultra ver.” accompanied Bakugo Katsuki’s use of his special move Howitzer Impact Cluster against the overwhelmingly powerful Tomura Shigaraki, with Okamoto’s live dubbing energizing the venue.

The program continued with “Quintuble,” paired with the conclusion of the Todoroki family story, followed by “OCHACO URARAKA VS HIMIKO TOGA,” reflecting the connection between Ochaco Uraraka and Himiko Toga. The concert finally moved into its climactic section.

The FINAL SEASON part featured Bakugo’s extraordinary battle against the rejuvenated All For One. As “Butterfly Effect” began, Okamoto appeared and performed Bakugo’s awakened, exhilarated lines.

Then came the final battle between Deku and the heroes against the Demon Lord All For One. The emotional scene where Deku’s classmates rush to his side in a moment of crisis was elevated by “WE ARE HERE!” The indispensable My Hero Academia scene in which Deku rises against All For One with everyone’s cries of “Do your best!” behind him was performed with “You can do it!” Yamashita appeared on stage as if receiving the audience’s cheers just like Deku in the story, shouting a powerful “SMASH!!”

The concert then moved into the epilogue. “Great Hero” was performed over the scene in which Deku, now a teacher at U.A. High School after graduation, encourages a boy who dreams of becoming a hero. Yamashita delivered the line once spoken to Deku by All Might: “You can become a hero.” The venue responded with thunderous applause.

Encore Ends with “Plus Ultra”

Responding to the audience’s applause for an encore, Okamoto delivered Bakugo’s line, “Everyone at U.A., we’re going to kill them with sound!” This led into “Hero too,” the Class A stage song from the School Festival arc in Season 4, performed with vocals and bringing the venue together once more.]

Finally, the concert performed the My Hero Academia signature song “You Say Run” again. The finale ended with the phrase that represents the entire series, “Go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!” shouted together by the performers and audience, bringing the concert to a close amid loud applause and cheers.

Comments from the Cast and Composer

Yuki Hayashi said that at My Hero Academia IN Concert, his Quirk of forgetfulness was fully displayed. He forgot his mobile phone during the rehearsal the day before the show and even mistimed his exit from the stage during the daytime performance. Although he said he felt like he wanted to vanish into dust, he also gained an unforgettable memory: seeing so many fans listen to their performance with shining eyes, watch them, and shed tears. He said it was a concert that made him want to see that sight again.

Daiki Yamashita said the concert was incredibly exciting. He reflected that My Hero Academia has always walked alongside the music created by Yuki Hayashi, and that the songs feel like friends who stay close to each character. He said it was truly fun to stand on stage and perform together with those friends, adding that the next stop is Osaka and that he will enjoy it with everything he has. He closed with “Go beyond! Plus Ultra!!”

Nobuhiko Okamoto said that although he had appeared in soundtrack concerts before, this was his first time doing live dubbing in such a setting. He had long wanted to act alongside this wonderful music and was deeply happy that the dream came true. He said that while listening to the music backstage and feeling the ten year journey of the series, his emotions rose so high that he even forgot about his next job and gave the performance his all. He said that if even a little of Kacchan’s soul reached the audience, nothing would make him happier, adding, “Hiroaka is the best!”

Yuki Kaji said that performing live dubbing for the first orchestral concert at the time the anime reached its conclusion felt like all the memories from the past ten years had returned at once. Acting while feeling the overwhelming power of the music throughout his body was very exciting, he said. He called it the best event, one that could only be experienced on that day and in that place. He thanked Kohei Horikoshi, Yuki Hayashi, and Shoto Todoroki for the wonderful opportunity, adding that he would like to do it again.

Source : ORICON NEWS