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Although the narrative of Kohei Horikoshi’sMy Hero Academiaended in August 2024, it still lives on in other projects and stories that are related to it in one way or another. The most recent example of this isSpider-Man: Octopus-Girl, which is based around the giganticSpider-Manuniverse from the widely popular Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man: Octopus-Girlfollows the story of Doctor Octopus, who ends up in a coma because of his battle againstSpider-Man. However, when he wakes up, he finds himself in the body of a young Japanese girl, Otoha Okutamiya, which completely changes his world. As he figures things out, his problems grow, and he finds different ways to deal with them.
Spider-Man is one of the greatest characters ever, and he also served as an inspiration for Horikoshi. However, now the newSpider-Man: Octopus-Girlalso draws a parallel withMy Hero Academiabecause of its creators, Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court, who also happen to be the creators ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, a spin-off prequel of Horikoshi’s work.
Spider-Manserved as a big inspiration for Kohei Horikoshi
During the release ofMy Hero Academia: You’re Next, Horikoshi was interviewed byComic Book, where he was asked about any particular hero that inspired him for his own series. The manga creator instantly started talking aboutSpider-Manand the iconic train scene fromSpider-Man 2starringTobey Maguire, and how it helped him understand what a hero is.
“That’s a tough question”: My Hero Academia’s Kohei Horikoshi Originally Saw Eiichiro Oda and Goku on the Same Level as the Greatest Heroes of All Time
Horikoshi stated:
This may be slightly different from the purpose of your question, but there is a scene in Spider-Man 2 starring Tobey Maguire, in which Spider-Man stops a runaway train. There, ordinary passengers see Spider-Man’s true face. But then a child hands him the mask he found and says, “I won’t tell anyone.”
I think that scene depicts the answer to the question, “What is a hero?” A hero is a person who helps ordinary people, and ordinary people who help them in turn.
According toKohei Horikoshi,Spider-Manis the perfect representation of a hero who is always present to help ordinary people but these ordinary people also help him in his endeavors.
He wanted to embed the same thought and mindset withinMy Hero Academiaand create a story based on a similar aspect. And it isquite evident from Izuku’s(My Hero Academia’sprotagonist) personality who has an unprecedented quirk but still needs help from the people around him from time to time.
My Hero Academiaonce again crosses paths withSpider-Man
It looks likeMy Hero Academia’sconnection withSpider-Manis not limited to just influencing and inspiring. Their worlds have crossed paths again in the form of the creators of the latestSpider-Manmanga,Spider-Man: Octopus-Girl,which started in June 2023. It is created by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court,who also worked onMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantesis a prequel manga that follows the story of Koichi Haimawari, an unlicensed hero who uses his Quirk to help others, which essentially grants him the title of vigilante. It has fifteen volumes, and the story finally saw its conclusion in 2022. Furuhashi was the writer of the series, and Court was the illustrator.
Kohei Horikoshi: American Comics Like Marvel and DC Only Have “Surface-level inspiration” on My Hero Academia
After concludingMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, both of them went on to createSpider-Man: Octopus-Girl, which in a way feels like a combined representation ofMy Hero AcademiaandSpider-Man’sworld. While the narrative is more focused on Otoha Okutamiya as Doctor Octopus and his struggles, the art feels similar to that ofMy Hero Academia.Thus, in a way, it makes a quite unique fusion of two completely different superhero worlds.
My Hero AcademiaandSpider-Man: Octopus-Girlare available to read on Viz Media.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
