ANIME NYC 2021 | "My Hero Academia" Live Concert
It’s not every day when anime conventions are given the chance to showcase a popular series’s soundtrack live. My Hero Academia is one anime that has a plethora of styles in its score, from simple piano and raucous ska to epic symphonies. With composer Yuki Hayashi in presence, it was the chance to showcase the best of this franchise’s music in one neat package. At Friday night’s biggest event at Anime NYC, the sound that came out of Hall 1D was as loud and exciting as a climactic heroic battle.
The band took to the stage to loud applause and some minor mic issues. But once it was all set, the orchestra jumped into the first song: the powerful “You Say Run”. The combination of hard rock and string arrangements was on-par with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance. Following that was the All Might theme “Watashi ga Kita!”, as it blared with patriotic fire! Hayashi then took the stage, showing his love and gratefulness for the fans of My Hero Academia.
Hayashi then discussed his work penning the Two Heroes song “New York”, but not before telling a funny story about its creation. Because of the storyboards, it was tough to write the song because he couldn’t tell where it was, until he saw the Statue of Liberty. However, he soon found out that the Statue of Liberty in the film wasn’t in New York, but rather Las Vegas! It was his first time revealing this fact, which he decided to do for the Big Apple crowd.
“My Hero” then took over the speakers, with rap lyrics twisted around an electronic rock melody. Soon the three main guitarists took center stage, as they showboated their skills to a psyched audience. But it was the saxophonist and trumpeter who stole the show during this moment. Once the string section was brought back in, it was their chance to show their impressive chops for the excited crowd.
Anairis Quiñones (Mirko) and Zeno Robinson (Hawks) then hit the stage, sharing their love for the series and their experience performing their characters. With a Plus Ultra, the performance continued with plenty of flare and impressive arrangements. Voice actor Robbie Daymond (Flect Turn) popped by, praising the orchestra while talking about his love for the series and its bad guys. A medley of villain tracks soon kicked in, demonstrating the contrast between the sounds of good and evil.
Band introductions led to some quick-and-fun chops from each instrumentalist, ending with a shoutout to the orchestra. Their talents were on display during a performance of “You Can Be a Hero”, which captured the heart of My Hero Academia’s soundtrack. The entire band kicked back in with more heart-pumping sounds that showcased the determination of the heroes on-screen. The main performance concluded with the song “My Hero Academia”, a perfectly powerful song that captured what was a perfectly powerful night of music.
Of course, it wasn’t the true ending, as the crowd demanded an encore! After thanking everything who helped to make the show happen, Hayashi reappeared to announce that work on music for Season 6 of My Hero Academia has yet to begin, as he’s still trying to find the perfect mood to showcase the new season. Hayashi took to the keyboard for the final two songs of the night, with vocalist AmaLee assisting with her goosebump-inducing range.
As the final note of “Hero Too” echoed through the hall, it was soon overpowered by the well-deserved cheers of the crowd. This wasn’t just a night of My Hero Academia music, but rather a showcase of the strength a soundtrack can bring not just to a show, but to those listening. In other words, this performance was a New York Smash!
