My Hero Academia: when 個性 means personality—and a superpower

The official introduction describes a society where extraordinary abilities called 個性 are normal and professional heroes protect people. Midoriya Izuku begins as 無個性, without such an ability, and aims for a hero course. In ordinary Japanese, 個性（こせい） means individuality, character, or distinctive personality. The English franchise term “Quirk” marks its special story meaning.

無（む） is a prefix meaning without or lacking, as in 無料, free of charge, or 無関係, unrelated. 無個性 in the fictional classification means having no Quirk. Outside the story, 個性がない can be a subjective and potentially harsh judgment that someone lacks individuality. Learners should not transfer the label casually to real people.

ヒーロー is written in katakana. 敵 is normally read てき, enemy, but official materials may present the special reading ヴィラン, villain. This pairing shows that kanji can supply meaning while furigana supplies a title-specific reading. It is a designed feature of the work, not a new general reading to use everywhere.

憧れ（あこがれ） is admiration or longing, 救う（すくう） is to save, and 責任（せきにん） is responsibility. These words help readers track the difference between looking up to a role and accepting its consequences. A cultural article should compare decisions and institutions rather than conclude that the series defines one Japanese ideal of heroism.

The official thank-you page dates serialization from July 2014 to August 2024. The anime staff page separately credits Horikoshi’s original work and the production team, including BONES FILM. The official introduction reports worldwide circulation above 100 million. Each is a different fact: duration, adaptation credit, and circulation.

For one officially available scene, list the ability name, its kanji or katakana form, the ordinary meaning of its components, and the special rule in the story. Then write an everyday sentence with 個性, 憧れ, or 責任. This keeps word learning useful beyond the fictional classification system.