Season 1 Review: My Hero Academia
Well I got sucked into another Japanese anime, this time about a school for superheroes. It's all through the eyes of one character really, Izuku Midoriya, who doesn't have powers in a world where like 80% of the people have them. But he isn't deterred, no matter how much he's picked on and made fun of, he wants desperately to be a superhero, and this is despite his own mother giving him no hope in that feat.
The superheroes are much like in The Boys, where the more popular you are, the more money you make. I guess from advertising and just doors of life being opened up by being a top super of this World. All Might is the Superman of this show, the big super that looks unbeatable, he reminds me of Narutos Might Guy sometimes, I don't know why, maybe the way he talks, or just how he deals with things.
Izuku coincidentally gets smacked right into the world of supers, when a sludge monster tries to take over his Body after trying to escape All might, who a little whole before got his ass kicked. This brings in Might to do the same and this is how Izuku and Might Guy meet. This was the road that changes everything for Izuku.
As I shred through the first season with no expectations and at the time maybe 10% of me actually wanted to watch this at all, I suddenly got pulled into not just the fights, but the story and the emotions of it all. Izuku, despite being bullied, despite no faith that he could become a hero from even his own mother, despite everything, it was like fate took over and realized that he needed to become a hero, that all that he went through made him strong enough inside to have what it took to be a super.
It's also amazing that even when he gets his power that it's taking forever to figure it out. He can use it once and then almost immediately after becomes useless. Slowly he learns how to control some of it, but not enough to not become a liability. His real powers though is that he, despite not being able to control the powers, that he would rush into battle or do anything to save someone, even if it meant dying. There's moments throughout the show depicting this, it's something he's done since he was little.
His dynamic with his teacher is great and slowly you see his teacher be impressed and proud of what Izuku is becoming, he even inspires the best out of people. His other power, I believe, is his knowledge. He's a fan of supers, he writes everything down. So all their moves, powers, strengths and weaknesses are found in notebooks he wrote up. Strategy is another thing that seemed to come easy to him, which shows in one of the last episodes of season one.
The Vegeta/Sasuke of this show is Katsuki Bakugo, a kid Izuku looks up to and used to be close friends with until Katsuki got his powers, then he became a dick. He's really emotionally unstable, but he's a natural fighter, he just loses his shit easily. He needs to be better than everyone else, but sees once he gets into U.A. High-school that there are others stronger, which makes him pissed. His emotions get the better of him during a test as well, during a exercise that pitted Heroes vs Villains, his two man teams Job was to protect a fake bomb, Izuku's was to get the bomb. Katsuki said fuck it and went right after Izuku to fight and beat him down since he thought he somehow manifested in his head that Izuku lied to him of having powers when they were younger and tried to make a fool of him. Yeah, he goes on these Zuko like tirades sometime, with a small dabble of Vegeta. I like it.
Katsuki vs Izuku's brief fight is awesome, if this was pro wrestling they were both made to look strong. In the end Izuku showed his ability to adapt despite being outgunned and deceived Katsuki which ultimately helped the heroes win the exercise. It was a fun little segment.
The end was dope as hell as well. It showed that despite all the kids ages and levels in their class, that they were all powerful in their own right and held their own, without going Superman.
It also gave a glimpse of what's going to happen after the attack to kill All Might with a created monster that can finally withstand the blows he can dish out, the battle was pretty sick. It showed how powerful All Might is, but also showed how weak he's becoming. He did what a hero should. It also Gave Izuku another chance to save him and almost sacrifice himself so All Mights secret wouldn't be known.
There was a lot to take in the first season and I didn't spoil most of it here, because going in with no knowledge of anything made the show ten times better.
I'll give this season a 8.5 out of 10
It past all tests for me to be a new anime addiction. The characters are great, the plot and story arcs are good so far, the development of Izuku has been superb thus far and makes you care about him, I actually love All Might, as well as most of the side characters so far. It reminded me of loving the entire class of Narutos, I hope my cares for them end up being the same.
So, My Hero Academia, have you seen it, did you like it, and what did you like about season one?