My Hero Academia Series Review [Spoiler‑Free]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up in a world where having a superpower was considered normal? If you have powers, also known as quirks, you can go to school to become a hero. But what if you were born without a quirk, and yet still desperately wanted to be a hero? Welcome to My Hero Academia.

I also did a first impression on the first episode of My Hero Academia (Spoiler Free), which you are welcome to check out.

Story

If you have seen any shounen anime series, you can tell that My Hero Academia has a similar feeling in the way it presents itself. A shounen can contain a lot of action that tends to focus on both overarching plots and characters. The voices, atmosphere, characters, and even the story feels very driven towards an action-based narrative. While some series fail at this, My Hero Academia establishes its plot well and builds on characters by focusing in on them slowly, but surely.

Due to its run of only 13 episodes, the pacing of My Hero Academia can be a slow one as it states its mechanics, world, and characters bit by bit. While it may seem like it drags along at times, this does give us the opportunity to savor important plot points that could come up later on. My Hero Academia makes good use of world building by showing us the supernatural powers known as quirks. By using a show and tell method, we gain a good understanding of these quirks and how they’re used. The same method is used for explaining the hero system and how kids can become heroes by applying and attending U.A. High.

Characters

One of My Hero Academia‘s flaws is that it introduces numerous side characters who do not get enough screen time to be fleshed out. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t focus on them. My Hero Academia keys in on these characters by having them participate when the plot is progressing, which is a good utilization of storytelling. Their actions can vary in what the plot demands, whether it’s to take down some robotic fodder or to defend against villains. When it comes to the main protagonist, Deku, there is great characterization. By having Deku struggle due to being quirk-less, we can see his agony of feeling worthless, even while he still tries to be a hero. It feels relatable and believable at the same time.

Art & Animation

With the art and animation being done by Studio Bones, the quality of the work on My Hero Academia looks fantastic. If you know the studio’s track record, then you know that they excel when it comes to animation. Their action scenes are top notch and you can see that in this show. Whenever heroes are fighting against villains, you can see the fluid movement of their attacks. The same goes for the quirks as the animation helps bring out their unique abilities and effects.

The art is just as good as the animation since the character designs resemble that of the original manga. Each character looks unique enough to pique your curiosity, which is especially true with the sinister-looking villain. Backgrounds are well-drawn to fit the atmosphere and location as they add realism to the situation.

Music

The music is composed by Yuki Hayashi, whose previous works include Death Parade and last season’s Kiznaiver. It contains tracks that are fitting for a superhero themed anime like My Hero Academia. There are moments when the instruments raise the dynamic of the melody to give off the feeling of a superhero arriving to save the day. Other times, the tone and melody changes to a spontaneous sound to fit any battles or action going on. The best part about the music is that it can even slow down the tone to reach a sound for emotional moments that happen. My Hero Academia‘s soundtrack adds to the enjoyment value of each scene.

Final Thoughts

My Hero Academia has been a blast for me. After hearing that it was getting an anime adaptation, I felt a rush of excitement, since I’ve read the manga. Even with my excitement, I do feel My Hero Academia should have had more, but did not due to its 13 episode limit. Despite the show’s flaws of pacing and characters, it does a good job with its quirk mechanics and establishes a solid plot with character involvement. And with the announcement of a season 2, I can forgive and understand the flaws it has. Being a long-time fan of Viz Media’s Weekly Shounen Jump, I am glad to see My Hero Academia got an anime!

It will be exciting to see what it has in store for us in the future. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say that next season will be even better than this one. That is something I can promise you all!