My Hero Academia Review

"All men are not created equal. This was the reality about the society that I learned at a young age of four."





Thus begins the journey of Izuku "Deku" Midoriya, a dreamer, who's passion and wish is to become like his idol and role model, the Symbol of Peace, the one and only All Might.





There was never a shadow of a doubt that My Hero Academia was slated to divide opinions among fans for all the not quite correct-- but inevitable reasons. Enter Izuku Midoriya, a cheerful but an extremely introvert middle school teenager who feels neglected by the society, not because of his depressive tendencies or anything but that he's a "Quirkless" among the more common ones born with "Quirks". Quirks are something which has become a norm in the world of My Hero Academia. Nowadays most people born on the planet consist of the 80% of the population which mysteriously develop supernatural powers titled as Quirks. Quirks can vary from the personalities to the genetics of the given person, and there is no clear explanation as to how the powers can manifest within a human's body. As quickly as one can comprehend it, this is the way of life portrayed in the series, and it revolves around Izuku, who is now one of those rare cases where there is no sign of a Quirk developing in his body.

Fans of the Shounen genre know all too well what to expect from the series. And for it to be coming with an ordinary premise that has been done multiple times within the genre (Which as I said earlier can divide opinions easily.), My Hero Academia certainly has its highs and lows. It gets off to a cheesy start with its nail-bitingly snail-like pace and has a nostalgic feeling to it, albeit the premise gets the better of it and it feels very underwhelming. At this point, it doesn't provide sufficient meat to the viewer and it doesn't come off as surprising if the viewer decides to drop the show. While the show picks up on it and precedes it by changing the momentum and present more material to the viewer, the inception of the series leaves a bad aftertaste which cannot be shrugged off. After the initial first four episodes, the series starts to change gears and while it becomes more battle-oriented, it also doesn't leave out the characters that drive it and adds more to them.





Once Izuku establishes his very own skill set after registering into the prestigious school of heroes, The Yuuei (U.A.) Academy, things look brighter for him and there's more insight into what creates and identifies him. The mid phases of the series are also where the rivalry between Izuku and his life-long friend and also an enemy, Katsuki Bakugo, is at its peak.  Izuku Midoriya takes the center-stage in the show accompanied by All Might, who Izuku thinks of highly and his childhood rival, Katsuki. Izuku is depicted as a very timid, a slightly eccentric but still, a cheerful boy who's one and only wishes is to be a hero like his idol. In a matter of thirteen episodes, My Hero Academia manages to flesh out the basic characteristics of Izuku as he tries to overcome bullies who ridicule him on being born without any quirks. The show doesn't shy away from flashing the reality across Izuku time and time again, which gives it a little more meaning to the trials Izuku has to overcome to become like the hero he always admired. Katsuki Bakugo, who Izuku dearly calls as Kacchan, is the exact but a superior opposite to Izuku. From a very early age, he is shown as someone who has immense pride in himself. This is only justified more when Katsuki's flashy quirk manifests. The middle stages of the show focus more on the one-off between Izuku and Katsuki and excel at presenting Katsuki's extreme pride in himself and him having a superiority complex. All Might can be said to be the most polarized character from the show. What starts as a superhero with generic drawings and whose power is not revealed, leaves a trail of identity behind which makes the viewer slowly draw in towards his charm and ultimately like him towards the end.

I have always been a fan of Studio Bones and their extremely quirky and exaggerated drawing style. My Hero Academia was a case of the two make a perfect couple. Put together with Horikoshi Kosei's Marvel and DC-inspired characters' art style, Studio Bones did what they do best at presenting the honest and fluid animations as they always have. While its a perfect ten on the visual aspect, it is also a subject of mere taste. Many are put off by the Americanized character designs and personalities. So in general, its a hit or a miss on the visuals.




Getting to the sound and auditory aspects of the show, the voice acting of the characters plays a big role in conveying the full material to the audience and it was no different with My Hero Academia. Yamashita Daiki's vocals are synced to perfection with Izuku's timid characteristics. He also does an excellent job at being rational and calm while doing the narration as well. Okamoto Nobuhiko's presentation of Katsuki was nothing short of a spectacle in the show. Katsuki's psyched up reactions are handled masterfully by the pumped up and convoluted voice of Nobuhiko. Not to say that Kenta Miyake's job as All Might was any easier. "There is no need for fear. Why? Because I'm here!" These lines always burst out the joy within me. "The Day" by Porno Graffiti was a perfect choice for the intro and for a classic battle shounen such as My Hero Academia and it will definitely make your blood boil. In a season filled with some amazing openings, The Day without a shred of doubt took the spotlight. "HEROES" by Brian the Sun was nothing short of amazing too. It was more centered around Izuku's character and him coming of age.





If you love shounen anime's, then My Hero Academia will deliver. There is no doubt about that, but its a matter of perspective. It has fights which are more tactically focused and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and has cool characters with some ridiculous powers. My Hero Academia has a wider prospect as a second season is officially announced. The first season is an answer to the potential to be good, and that answer is yes.