Although anime crossovers in full animated form aren’t as common as they are in comics, characters from different anime series often meet in digital media like video games. Recently, an artist combined two popular franchises, but didn’t anticipate the backlash. The controversy stemmed from bringing together a very small detective and a powerful superhero.
Earlier this year, Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan, drew both his own character and Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia as a special collaboration. This artwork celebrated the 30th anniversary of Case Closed and the 10th anniversary of My Hero Academia, both occurring in 2026. However, the collaboration sparked some upset among fans in China. This stemmed from a past controversy in 2020 where a villain’s name in My Hero Academia led to the series being removed from several Chinese platforms, prompting an apology from the series creator, Kohei Horikoshi. As a result, Aoyama faced criticism from fans due to this previous issue.
The My Hero Academia China Controversy Explained
In 2020, the anime My Hero Academia faced criticism due to the original name given to a villainous doctor. This doctor, who worked with the main villain All For One, was initially named Maruta Shiga. The name “Maruta” was problematic because it referenced a horrific human experimentation program carried out by the Japanese army during World War II. These experiments involved terrible acts committed against people of all ages and sparked strong condemnation from China.
After a public outcry, the creator of My Hero Academia, Kohei Horikoshi, apologized and changed the name of a villainous doctor. He explained that he chose the name “Maruta Shiga” because he wanted the character to feel connected to the villain All For One, taking part of All For One’s family name (Shigaraki) and modifying it. He admitted the first name “Maruta” was simply chosen because of the character’s shape and that any unintended negative associations were purely coincidental. Horikoshi expressed sincere regret for the offense caused and promised to be more careful in the future to avoid similar issues.
The team-up between the small detective and the hero with One For All wasn’t officially sanctioned by Shonen Jump, but that didn’t stop Aoyama from facing criticism. Even now, My Hero Academia isn’t very popular in China because of this decision. However, with the story complete, it still remains a significant anime series.
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Via ANN
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2026-02-11 19:17