Today is October 27th, which means the English dub of the newest My Hero Academia film, Heroes Rising, has officially launched on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital. Before you check out the new movie, we wanted to bring you some exclusive content from our recent conversation with two of the most popular voice actors in the series.
Both Clifford Chapin (Attack on Titan), who plays Bakugo, and Justin Briner, who voices Deku, recently sat down with us to give us some insight into their characters. We talked about their favorite fighting styles, the rivalry that Deku has with Bakugo, and plenty of other interesting things.
We even get their thoughts on fans "shipping" their characters together, which is a lot of fun. Listen to our chat with Deku and Bakugo voice actors Justin Briner and Clifford Chapin via the podcast player below.
Anime fans will find our interviews with other legendary voice actors such as Joshua Seth (Akira, Digimon) and Robbie Daymond (Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy XV) embedded along with the transcript.
4m 36s
Nick Brooks
Deku and Bakugo have the best rivalry in anime, in my opinion. Do you think that there are some rivalries that theirs is easy to compare to?
4m 51s
Justin Briner
They are similar to many of the famous rivals. What actually sets them apart is there's this element of humanity and childhood memories. It makes their rivalry feel real and lived in as opposed to, say if someone came from far across the world or the universe and now I'm going to fight against you forever! It feels natural. I think that's why it's so rewarding to see that initial hostility being worn down and replaced by trust and honesty. It's really fun and dynamic. Already we've seen how it has matured into something greater than it used to be.
5m 43s
Clifford Chapin
I completely agree. If there's anything that I think sets us apart, it is the back-story and the growth from that back-story. There are some fantastic rivalries throughout anime and not to take away from them because they all are the icons of that for a reason, but what makes Deku. Bakugo's relationship and rivalry so powerful and poignant is that it has gone through so many different waves. They were friends, and then one of them excelled, and one of them didn't excel at all. And then sudden growth and challenge, and all these things are so real to experience. Like, wait a minute, how did we get here all of a sudden, the confusion of It. All of that is based on realism that even when it's a show about people who have superpowers, it still feels like these are real people, and what they're going through is real. I completely agree with what Justin said.
7m 3s
Darth Lexii
What is your favorite fighting style of your character or any other character?
7m 12s
Clifford Chapin
It's interesting because, with Bakugo, I find the most exciting moments for me are when he works with someone else. For lack of a better term, Bakugo's fighting style is bombastic. He's able to rush in, lay down a barrage of attacks, and what not; that when you see him coordinate with someone else, it's much more spectacular than what he can do on his own. Even in the first movie in Two Hero's, there's the moment where his nitroglycerin sweat gets on another guy, and Todoroki lights him up; that moment's awesome. In Hero's rising, it's that to the nth degree, with all of the amazing team-ups he has with Deku, seeing the X catapult for the first time, and all of these other amazing moves. I do like it when his fighting style is elevated further by the assistance of another person.
8m 33s
Justin Briner
I think it's nice to watch Deku's personal growth because where he started was all that he knew was being a clumsy replication of All Might, which it just didn't fit for him. He kept hurting himself and getting people in trouble around him. Now I like to see that he's adapted it to his own. I finally feel like the One For All quirk is becoming his tool to use properly. I think that's pretty rewarding.
9m 1s
Nick Brooks
My Hero is all about legacy and potential; at the end of the day, where do you guys see your characters in the next ten to fifteen years as they become full-fledged heroes?
9m 15s
Justin Briner
Based on how things are going for them now, I think they will go on to be heroes, and not necessarily team up, but they'll be able to alleviate the stress that is around their relationship.
9m 30s
Clifford Chapin
I've joked in the past, but I would love to see My Hero Academia progress into My Heroic Higher Education or My Heroic First Job Application. To see how all of those things continue onward. I would love to see the world continue to grow and see the characters grow within it. Where will they be in 10 years? I don't know. But, in the real world, My Hero is proving time and time again to be a special show to the audience, and I think its impact will be great in the world as a whole on anime and in general.
10m 19s
Darth Lexii
I know your characters have been "shipped" together - what do you think of the prospect of Deku dating Bakugo, and do you think that would work?
10m 35s
Justin Briner
I would say I'm far from the arbiter of that sort of thing. What's fascinating to me is to hear about everyone else's interpretation. The beautiful thing about a text of any media is that there are so many different decoder rings you can use to find out what it means to you and how you understand these relationships burgeoning between the characters you would enjoy. I think that all the community's passion is a testament to how loved these characters are by everyone.
11m 16s
Clifford Chapin
Not really. It's mostly all going to be the same as that. My job as the actor is to tell the text as faithfully and accurately as I can. What people interpret from it is their interpretation. To go into it with an unbiased is the only thing I could hope, and hope I do it justice. Wherever the story may go, that's the direction I will follow it. And the movie's out on the 27th on Blu-ray and home video. I hope everybody gets a copy because it's amazing. I can't wait for you all to see it.
*This interview is edited for clarity. Darth Lexii and Comic Brooks co-host.*
The number one hero anime is back for a battle beyond anything fans have ever seen! 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.
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising hits Blu-ray, DVD, and digital today!