Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Viz’s various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of one title a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.
This week, Robbie checks in with “My Hero Academia.” If you have thoughts on this or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!
My Hero Academia chapter 324
Written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
To say things have been rough for Midoriya in these past few chapters would be an understatement. In fact, these past few chapters have just been about trying to get him back to UA so he can get some rest (and maybe a new uniform).
Well, this chapter continues that, but it’s not so much about Midoriya as it is the people in his life, like Uraraka, and the people he’s saved. In fact, chapter 324 explores Uraraka’s drive to be a hero, and where her admiration of them comes from. It’s a reminder of how a hero’s strength comes not just from their ability to punch bad guys, but to bring hope and help people smile – something that Midoriya has been having a little trouble with lately.
Kohei Horikoshi accomplishes this by seamlessly weaving a dramatic speech and her own flashbacks together, connected by internal narration. It all builds up to a dramatic yet cathartic moment (which will be a spoiler for a key moment as I discuss it).
Early on, at the start of the series, we were given a narration where Midoriya tells us “This is the story of how I became the greatest hero.” Yet this chapter flips it around after reminding us of that key moment.
First, it refers back to the moment where he was first accepted into UA and was told “this will be your hero academy,” bringing us as readers along with the characters on a flashback to that key moment in the story. Then, it shows us characters that he’s saved, reminding us of all that Midoriya has done as a hero so far, rushing forward to support him.
These two steps create an emotional buildup that hits hard and true, all leading up to rephrasing and reframing the “greatest hero” setup. It’s no longer the story of how one character became the greatest hero, but rather: “The story of how we all became the greatest heroes.”
Boom. Emotional catharsis achieved.
This moment lands, and it lands hard. I can’t remember the last time a chapter of “My Hero Academia” managed to create such a perfect emotional moment, but it absolutely nailed it this time. The pacing, the combination of narration, flashbacks, speech, and crowd reactions, and the exceedingly emotional artwork all come together in a moment of manga perfection.
Of course, Horikoshi’s art remains strong throughout the entire chapter. In fact, since most of the chapter is spent with characters talking and creating powerful emotional moments, the art has a lot of heavy lifting to do, and needs to be cleaner than the action sequences it more recently delivered.
Well, that’s perfectly accomplished as well. Horikoshi has always done an impeccable job using the art to convey the atmosphere and express the characters’ emotions, and chapter 324 is a case study of how well that works. The crowd shots, the tears welling up in the characters’ eyes, the emphasis placed on smiles, and an impressive amount of detail and shading all work together to help these key moments land even harder.
Look, it shouldn’t be a surprise by now that “My Hero Academia” is good. Really good. A series doesn’t reach the levels of hype and fandom size that it has without earning it, and this chapter reminds us of exactly why. If you’ve been following this series at all, this chapter will hit hard, and in all the best ways.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – A powerfully emotional chapter that hits the readers on every level. This chapter is a reminder of why “My Hero Academia” is as popular a series as it is.
