Extending their rights to a series past the usual US/Canada markets, FUNimation Entertainment have announced they have acquired the exclusive international rights to My Hero Academia. To be specific, these rights cover home entertainment, video on demand, merchandise, and broadcast distribution of the series – formed as part of an agreement with Toho Co. Ltd.
Episode 1 of My Hero Academia will begin streaming via FunimationNow in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland in April. It is currently unknown if they will also be working in regions such as Australia and New Zealand, or if a company like Madman Entertainment will still be working with the series – if at all.
My Hero Academia is based on the superhero manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Kouhei Horikoshi. In less than two years since first appearing on the pages of Shonen Jump, it has sold more than 3.7 million copies, and is finally receiving an anime adaptation. This adaptation is being produced by the animation studio BONES, who have been behind shows including Space Dandy and Cowboy Bebop.
Gen Fukunaga | CEO and Founder of FUNimation
We’re extremely pleased with this expansion of our partnership with Toho following last year’s successful theatrical release of the ‘Attack on Titan’ live action movies. The excitement around this new series is palpable. Fan response to the anime will quickly rank ‘My Hero Academia’ among top anime classics such as ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ ‘One Piece,’ and ‘Naruto.
Mike DuBoise | EVP and COO of FUNimation
Toho and BONES both enjoy an incredible reputation for producing extraordinary shows for anime fans. With the launch this week of our completely new mobile apps for iOS, Android, Kindle, and Windows 10 devices, FunimationNow will be the destination for fans to discover and stream subbed and dubbed episodes of the most anticipated, new show of the spring season, ‘My Hero Academia.
For more information on this show, check out its official synopsis below:
My Hero Academia – Official Synopsis
There’s a new hero in town! “My Hero Academia” is a superhero origin story that soars to the top of the class!
Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not going to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies. Now, the only thing standing between him and his first class is the academy’s formidable entrance exam—nothing a little private tutoring from the world’s mightiest hero can’t solve.
