The Cast of My Hero Academia: You're Next Go Beyond Plus Ultra on Red Carpet

Dynamic duo Daiki Yamashita and Kenta Miyake return to LA for the U.S. premiere of My Hero Academia: You're Next. Previously, the pair came together alongside the voice actors of the movie's two central characters, Mamoru Miyano and Meru Nukumi, at Anime Expo. Instead of only being able to watch the first fifteen minutes, they now had the opportunity to watch the whole movie, side by side, with a packed room at the Egyptian Theatre.

Opening to an impressive 895 million yen in its first three days in Japan, You're Next is expected to be greeted with open arms during its North American theatrical release. When the guests arrived on the carpet, Miyake and Yamashita were all smiles as they greeted eager fans who waited all day just to see them. There, both voice actors gave their best “Plus Ultra” calls after catching up with Anime News Network.

What was it like working with Director Tensai Okamura, who is known for working on darker tone stories, especially in this movie with a character like Dark Might?

Miyake: This is a movie where the director really puts passion into it, and I think it really comes through. Dark Might is cool, but it's a little complicated.

Yamashita: Rather than being a bit more dark, I would say that the director went for a more fantasy and romantic side of things. The biggest example is the relationship between Giulio and Anna. With some of the other movies in the series, there were things more on the friendship level. But between Giulio and Anna, for this particular movie, it seemed like there was a bit more romance.

How do you feel voicing a villain character who is fighting Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki instead of being on their side?

Miyake: Everyone is so strong, but as the villain this time, I had to make sure that I was showing off and that I wouldn't lose to them.

How do you feel about fighting Kenta Miyake's villain character rather than working together with him in his usual role as All Might?

Yamashita: With All Might and Dark Might being voiced by the same individual, I was really worried when I first heard the story. “Can I actually get the power to fight him?” But then came Miyake-san's acting skills. His performance is able to differentiate between the two characters. Even though their appearance and voice are similar, because he was able to magnificently play this villain character, it was so much easier for me to take over my role as Deku fighting against Dark Might. So, towards the end, when Deku got his final Smash, I was able to give it my all.

Have you ever watched a movie with an American crowd? Are you excited to hear how loud fans cheer?

Miyake: First and foremost, I'm so thankful for all the fans. They always bring all the energy, so I'm looking forward to experiencing that in a theater setting.

Yamashita: So back during Anime Expo in July, we got to see fifteen minutes of this movie during the MHA panel. At that moment, the crowd was really riled up and it wasn't the full movie yet, it was only a snippet. Even then, I really felt all of the fans' energy, so I'm really looking forward to that level of excitement today.

What would you say to convince fans, who haven't seen the latest season, to see this film?

Miyake: When you watch this movie, you'll either fall in love with MHA even more, or you might want to become a villain too.