My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 5 Review
When most people think of anti-heroes, they think of someone edgy, cynical, and willing to do morally grey acts. However, this wasn’t always the case. Before the modern version, the anti-hero was usually someone not that confident and plagued by insecurities holding them back. Deku counts as a prime example due to his nervousness and initial lack of self-confidence. However, an even stronger example of a classical anti-hero might be that of Koichi…and Pop☆Step.
Koichi and Pop☆Step are the Classical Anti-Hero
Koichi is, by the judgment of his peers, a creep and a loser. Despite wanting to enjoy his college life, due to a misunderstanding, he botched his big debut. Though, to be fair, he should have better explained that the abandoned building he was bringing people back to for drinks was where his “penthouse” is located. As a result, he got stuck with an undeserved reputation that he desperately wants to shake off.
Like Deku years from now, Koichi is very much a classical anti-hero. He’s a genuinely good guy, but his lack of self-confidence means that he doesn’t give himself the credit he deserves. For example, he tells Pop☆Step the story of how he failed his hero entrance test due to being late. However, the only reason he was late was because he saved a child from drowning. In an ideal world, that kind of act would be enough to give him a pass. Since he has no self-confidence, though, he never fought this decision and laughs it off, much to Pop☆Step’s irritation.
Pop☆Step has even more reason to be mad about Koichi giving up on his dream so easily. The reveal that she was the kid he saved was a nice twist that reframes her relationship with Koichi. It also shows that, despite her outward confidence as an idol, she remains deeply insecure about herself. When she tries to bring herself to tell Koichi, she’s so flustered by Knuckleduster’s presence that she can’t bring herself to do it.
Meet a Modern Anti-Hero
In essence, each of the trio of vigilantes can be considered an anti-hero. Koichi and Pop☆Step serve as more classical anti-heroes due to their flaws, while Knuckleduster represents a more modern take on the archetype. However, they all get eclipsed in terms of being an anti-hero by a newcomer onto the scene.
When Knuckleduster is unable to help them out on patrol one night, Pop and Crawler are met by the Hardening Instant Villain they previously defeated. Hopelessly outmatched, the pair end up getting saved by someone new, a katana-wielding vigilante named Stendhal. After seeing how effortlessly he drove off the Instant Villain, Koichi thinks that Stendhal is amazing. As the audience comes to see, though, Stendhal is even more violent than the likes of Knuckleduster, as he later chooses to kill the villain rather than leave him for the police.
Those who have seen the main series should recognize who this character is by voice alone and know how dangerous he is. However, that will have to wait until the next episode. Stendhal is going to return, and his next target happens to be someone that the trio are familiar with: the guy with the spike Quirk they fought before. To make matters worse, that man turns out to be a potential lead on who is distributing Trigger, so they have to protect him!
The irony is palpable!
