Suwabe and Yoshino Discuss the "Aizawa Student Arc" Behind the Scenes at the 'My Hero Academia' x 'Vigilantes' Joint Stage 【Event Report】

A joint stage event for My Hero Academia, which celebrates its 10th TV anime anniversary this April, and Vigilantes, which is approaching the final episode of its second season, was held at AnimeJapan 2026 on Saturday, March 28.

The "My Hero Academia x Vigilantes AnimeJapan Ultra Stage 2026" featured Daiki Yamashita (Deku) and Shuichiro Umeda (Koichi), along with Junichi Suwabe (Eraser Head / Shota Aizawa) and Hiroyuki Yoshino (Present Mic / Hizashi Yamada), who play pivotal roles in both series. The cast engaged in a spirited discussion that fully immersed the audience in the "My Hero Academia" (MHA) world.

Behind the Scenes of the 'Vigilantes' Dubbing and Thoughts on the "Aizawa Student Arc"

The talk began with a focus on Vigilantes, which reaches its Season 2 climax in two days on Monday, March 30, led by Shuichiro Umeda (Koichi). Reflecting on the scene in the currently airing "Tokyo Sky Egg Arc" where Koichi saves the heroes, Umeda shared a passionate recording secret: "In the scene where I shout 'KGDDDDD!!', I was so frantic that I think I might have added one more 'D' than what was in the original manga," drawing laughter from the crowd.

The discussion also touched upon the "Aizawa Student Arc," a highly talked-about episode in Vigilantes depicting the U.A. High School days of Aizawa, Shirakumo, and Yamada. Yoshino looked back on his approach to the role: "When MHA first started, I was directed to perform in a way that didn't put me on the same eye level as the students. However, in Vigilantes, I had to play a young student again, which presented its own challenges."

Suwabe added, "I had read the manga and hoped to perform this arc someday. Both Aizawa and Yamada had their backbones filled in, which added real depth to the characters. If you watch Vigilantes and then revisit the MHA episodes, I think you'll find it even more emotional (emo)."

Yamashita also shared his impressions: "I was happy to learn about the characters' pasts. The characters in MHA fight while carrying many burdens, but being able to learn the foundation of what makes them strong deepened their characterization even further."

Suwabe further commented, "In MHA, Aizawa is a person who has made up his mind, in a sense. Perhaps it's because of his past experiences with hesitation that he can now sincerely face students who are struggling with their own doubts."