“My Hero Academia Art Exhibition Highlights: 5 Zones & Life-Size Black Deku”

“Five Zones Revealed at My Hero Academia Art Exhibition, Featuring Life-Size Black Deku [Photos]”

“Details Revealed for Kohei Horikoshi’s ‘My Hero Academia’ Original Art Exhibition in Tokyo, Running from June 21 to August 31 at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO”

“My Hero Academia” is a hero-action manga series by Kohei Horikoshi that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) from 2014 to 2024. Set in a world where special abilities known as “quirks” are the norm, the story follows Izuku Midoriya (aka Deku), who inherits the powerful quirk “One for All” from the legendary hero All Might. As Deku trains at the prestigious U.A. High School alongside fellow aspiring heroes, he faces off against dangerous villains threatening society. The TV anime adaptation began in 2016 and has reached seven seasons as of 2024. Currently, the spin-off anime Vigilante: My Hero Academia ILLEGALS is airing.

The upcoming exhibition will feature Horikoshi’s original handwritten manuscripts and production materials used in the digital drawing process, along with personal commentary from the author. Divided into five themed zones, the exhibit offers an immersive experience covering the 10-year journey of My Hero Academia.

Zone 1, titled “From Dream to Reality,” will showcase the growth of the heroes—from their earliest school days to the intense “All-Out War” arc—highlighted by key story moments and original manuscript pages. Visitors can also read Horikoshi’s behind-the-scenes thoughts and reflections from that period.

Exhibition image
(C) Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha

Zone 2, titled “The End of a Hero-Saturated Society,” focuses on the story leading up to the “Second Decisive Battle.” This area will feature original drawings, including both finalized digital manuscripts and numerous hand-drawn materials used during the creative process. One of the highlights is a life-size figure of “Black Deku,” created based on an original sketch by Horikoshi. For the first time, visitors will also be able to view the 3D modeling data used in the figure’s production.

“Black Deku” 3DCG data (1)
(C) Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha

“Black Deku” 3DCG data (2)
(C) Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha

Original rough sketch by Kohei Horikoshi
(C) Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha

Zone 3, “Heroes and Villains, the Final Battle,” depicts the devastation of the “Second Battle” in a panoramic space. Amidst the buried rubble, you can look back on the final battle between heroes and villains with commentary from Horikoshi.

Exhibition image
(C) Horikoshi Kohei/Shueisha

Zone 4, “Connecting and Spinning Feelings,” will display the conclusion of the deadly battle between Shigaraki Tomura and AFO (All For One). There will also be a large panoramic photo spot featuring Horikoshi’s key visual, “Hero vs. Villain.”

Exhibition image
(C) Horikoshi Kohei/Shueisha

Zone 5, titled “Records of the Everyday Life That Boys and Girls Regained,” will showcase original line drawings from episode No. 431, featured in the final volume of the manga.

In the merchandise corner, fans can purchase exclusive items, including the official exhibition catalog (2,970 yen), which compiles the highlights of the Tokyo exhibition and features an in-depth interview with Kohei Horikoshi. Additionally, a 1/7 scale figure based on the life-size “Black Deku” will be available for order—exclusively at the venue.

Below are full comments from the creators involved in bringing the “Black Deku” figure to life:

[WATANABE × REN (prototype)]

[“Black Deku” Creator] Sculptor: WATANABE×REN
(C) Horikoshi Kohei/Shueisha

This time, creative director Yusuke Watanabe (WATANABE) shared a message on behalf of the production team:

“We started by carefully studying the original sketch drawn by Horikoshi-sensei and used all of our experience to bring it to life as a three-dimensional figure. When you stand in front of this life-size 1/1 scale figure at the venue, we believe each person will see and feel something different. With that thought in mind, we’ve poured our hearts into its creation, with the support of many passionate people. Whether it’s the manga, the anime, or the merchandise—Deku and the other characters truly live in all of these worlds. We hope you’ll feel that presence when you see this figure. Please look forward to it! Even further—Plus Ultra!”

[BANDAI SPIRITS Co., Ltd.]
“We are truly honored to be part of this amazing project. Right now, we’re working closely with a great team to create a figure that captures the essence of ‘Black Deku’ exactly as Horikoshi-sensei envisioned. We hope that everyone who visits the exhibition or picks up the figure will feel that powerful atmosphere. Please stay tuned!”

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