Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do some real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it's more like a vacation... until they're attacked by a villain with an unfathomable Quirk! His power is eerily familiar, and it looks like Shigaraki had a hand in the plan. But with All Might retired and citizens' lives on the line, there's no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes, and they're the island's only hope.
Heroes Rising delivers on its promise as a theatrical anime spectacle, with the climactic Deku-Bakugo team-up and the One For All transfer moment being genuinely exceptional highlights. The animation quality is a clear step above the TV series, with Bones animating some of the most fluid and kinetic action sequences in recent shounen anime — earning a well-above-average Cinematography score. The ending lands with real emotional impact, even if it partially resets. However, the plot is fairly standard 'isolated island, powerful villain, heroes must step up' fare with thin antagonist motivation, and Novelty suffers from being a by-the-numbers theatrical expansion of an existing franchise — competent but not distinctive in its conception. The acting (Japanese VA performances) is reliable and passionate but expected of the franchise veterans.