Young AFO's voice brings My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan fandoms together

Modified Sep 24, 2024 04:44 GMT

My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan fandoms unite after Young AFO voice reveal (Images via Bones and WIT)

My Hero Academia season 7, episode 18, marked the defeat of numerous heroes at the hands of AFO. While the episode itself was action-centric, the reveal of AFO's new voice actor was one of the most anticipated moments. Hiroshi Kamiya, the iconic voice of Levi Ackerman and hugely popular from the Attack on Titan series, made his debut as the voice of young AFO.

Although the decision to change AFO's voice actor was unexpected, Hiroshi Kamiya's involvement managed to unite the fandoms of both series to some extent, making the voice actor change a major topic of discussion within the community.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia series.

My Hero Academia: Levi Ackerman returns to voice Young AFO

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AFO growing younger over time was one of the most unexpected twists during the War arc of My Hero Academia, and its adaptation on screen was one of the most anticipated moments of season 7. The decision to change the voice actor as AFO's age changed was revealed in My Hero Academia season 7 episode 18, with Hiroshi Kamiya announced as the voice of young AFO.

Kamiya has been a voice actor for a long time, with some of his most iconic roles being Araragi Koyomi from the Monogatari series, Levi from Attack on Titan, and Yato from Noragami.

Fan reaction to Hiroshi Kamiya debuting as young All For One

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The anticipation for All For One getting younger and changing forms was high among anime watchers, especially due to the mystery surrounding a possible voice actor change as AFO transitioned through different ages. Fans took to social media to express their surprise at Hiroshi Kamiya, the voice actor known for Levi Ackerman, being cast as the younger AFO.

Some fans even drew parallels between Levi’s feud with Reiner in Attack on Titan and AFO’s confrontation with Gigantomachia, humorously noting the continuity of Levi’s rivalry. Additionally, fans pointed out that both Levi and Eren are present in My Hero Academia, as Yuki Kaji, the voice actor for Eren, also voices Todoroki in the series.

"Levi still destroys Reiner in another universe lol," One fan said.

"Now we got Eren and Levi in MHA," One fan mentioned.

Other fans highlighted that the change in voice actors means that all language versions will undergo similar transitions. As a result, many expressed that John Swasey, the English voice actor for AFO, will be missed. Viewers also took the opportunity to praise the high production quality of My Hero Academia season 7, episode 18, and noted how the episode integrated the series’ movies into the actual canon.

Young AFO as shown in the anime (Image via Bones)

"I assume that means AFO's dub VA will change too. I'll miss it." Another fan wrote.

"YOOOO, that animation is SMOOTH! I DIDNT EXPECT THEM TO POP OFF FOR MACHIA LIKE THAT! Thank you Bones! 😭🙏🔥🔥🔥." Another fan said.

"If anyone is still somehow insisting that the movies arent canon, just shove this episode in their face," One fan claimed.

My Hero Academia season 7 episode 18, titled It's A Small World, was released on September 21, 2024. Episode 19 will be released on September 28, 2024. The season is slated for 21 episodes, with a renewal for season 8 expected soon.