When it comes to the world of My Hero Academia, mass media plays a significant role in shaping the image of both heroes and villains. The media’s portrayal can either make or break a hero’s reputation, which is why they are always trying to enhance their image. All Might is one such hero whose popularity is largely because of the mass media’s coverage. On the other hand, some heroes are more concerned with fame and money, than helping those in need. These heroes are hated by villains like Stain, who believe that true heroes are few and far between.
Among the villains, Stain’s ideology is to kill fake heroes to make way for the real ones. He considers All Might as the only true hero and the rest as attention seekers who are interested only in framing themselves positively through media. Stain’s strategy of using the media to build his image has emerged as successful in the series. Tomura Shigaraki, who is the successor of All for One and an archenemy of All Might, cannot keep up with Stain’s popularity. Although their motives are the same, both villains are in fierce competition with each other to gain popularity for their respective groups.
In My Hero Academia, mass media’s role is quite evident in shaping a hero’s or villain’s image. For example, when the UA high school is repeatedly attacked by villains and All Might retires, people start to doubt the heroism due to the media’s framing. This leads to an increase in the number of small-time criminals, which further causes panic amongst the public.
The character Eraser, who is a teacher at UA and has anti-populist views, is quite resistant to the media. However, when the school was attacked by villains and put the students’ safety in jeopardy, the media started to question the school’s safety measures. Eraser was asked to accompany the school for a press conference. During the conference, he dealt with many thought-provoking questions from the media, but he kept his calm and did not respond aggressively. Implying that media plays a crucial role in every society, including the fictional one displayed in the show, as an essential instrument for social control.
In conclusion, mass media plays a significant role in shaping the perception of heroes and villains in My Hero Academia. How the media portrays them and how they react to it determines their position and popularity amongst the public. The show accurately depicts mass media’s role in today’s society, where media plays a crucial function in shaping our perception of individuals, groups, and events.
