My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 breaks IMDb records: How Bones saved a divisive manga moment

Deku as seen in anime
Deku as seen in anime (Image credit: Studio Bones)

Since My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 has aired, fans have not been able to stop themselves from talking about this show. For anime-only fans, this installment is one of the most emotionally loaded episodes, which is so memorable that it should be part of the top top-ranking episodes in modern shonen anime. We know that it was an amazing episode as it has done the most rare thing in the world of anime, and that is received a 9.9 rating on IMDb. This is an exceptionally impressive score after also because few manga readers were originally critical of the plotline covered in this installment.

Still from the anime (Image credit: Studio Bones)
Still from the anime (Image credit: Studio Bones)

So the question arises as to why there was initially a divide and how the anime adaptation ended up being more loved than the manga chapter that struggled to get the same kind of attention when it was released. Without complicating things, the answer lies in execution, emotion, and the simple truth that animation can elevate even a controversial moment into something unforgettable. My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 might have been Studio Bones' best work to date.


The Kurogiri problem: Manga confusion vs. Anime clarity

The major criticism that manga readers had was how the creator treated Kurogiri's ending. In the manga, the moment felt abrupt when Deku was charging towards Shigaraki. The creator was not able to convey the emotional complexity of Kurogiri, and it did not fully land for many readers. Some fans thought he could be “healed,” or that Oboro might complete some redemption arc. But context matters:

  • Kurogiri is a reanimated corpse, like every Nomu.
  • His mist body was already disintegrating, held together only by his brace.
  • His loyalty was split and tearing what remained of his mind apart.

The manga implied all of this, but never slowed down to let the audience emotionally absorb it. The result? Fans argued about whether the moment was symbolic, rushed, or simply too vague.

The anime fixes that, and it shows in My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8. Studio Bones took a second and leaned into Korogiri's tragedy by working on the framing, music, and voice acting. So when he steps into Deku’s path in the anime, he is torn between loyalties. Interestingly, the episode makes this conflict painfully clear. That is why anime-only fans aren’t debating what happened; they felt what happened.


Emotional crescendos the manga could not deliver

Still from My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 (Image credit: Studio Bones)
Still from My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 (Image credit: Studio Bones)

Beyond the issue revolving around Kurogiri, My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 became popular because it leans into everything this series does best. From Deku’s run, which is animated with gorgeous momentum and accompanied by You Say Run, hits fans with a tidal wave of nostalgia.

Every point of this episode shows how much Bones has worked on because the anime did not just bring the manga chapter to life, but it went above and beyond to ensure that the gravitas of the situation is felt by everyone.

It is like when someone watches My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8, they should feel like they are part of the world and are witnessing Deku become the hero he was destined to be. In the end, that is the magic of audiovisual storytelling: what once felt rushed now feels operatic


Why is My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 winning over the crowd?

Deku and Shigaraki as seen in anime (Image credit: Studio Bones)
Deku and Shigaraki as seen in anime (Image credit: Studio Bones)

In the end, anime-only viewers aren’t burdened by the release pacing of manga chapters, unresolved expectations, or months-long fan debates. They’re seeing the story as a complete emotional arc, and Bones is delivering it with precision and heart. And My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8 works because it embraces the themes Horikoshi intended:

  • the burden of heroism,
  • the tragedy of corrupted lives,
  • and the power of community lifting one boy toward the impossible.

Whether you loved or disliked the manga version, the anime adaptation proves something important: execution matters, and sometimes animation can heal the rough edges of a controversial chapter. And if a 9.9/10 score tells us anything, it’s that fans aren’t just watching; rather, they’re feeling every second.

Edited by Nisarga Kakade