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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 11 Review

Many people don’t like bees. They may be important to the global ecosystem, but the sight of an angry swarm of bees can terrify a person. And given how the bees used by Queen Bee are spreading Trigger amongst the people of Naruhata, there is good reason not to like these bees. With Narufest approaching and Pop☆Step getting a real shot at a big break, Queen Bee can’t be allowed to ruin everything. But can Knuckleduster stop her in time?

Let the Training Begin

Having agreed to take part in the upcoming Narufest, Pop☆Step and Koichi are introduced to the rest of the performers by Makoto. Unfortunately for Kazuho, she gets off on the wrong foot with some of them when Feathers, a pop duo, mocks her for her appearance, making her feel even more nervous than she already was. Thankfully, they’re the only ones who are of any issue, with the rest, being either indie band members, or a high school group, all act professionally. Beyond one of the high schoolers and band members falling for each other on the spot, everything seems to go smoothly.

Go, Pop!

Makoto’s strategy for the actual performance is fairly straightforward, as it will have Pop take center place amidst the song and dance routine. However, while this means she’ll get the most attention, it also means she won’t be able to move around much. That effectively denies her the use of her Quirk, which is one of the main reasons she’s gotten so popular. She does take to learning the music with gusto, though, but then everything changes when one of the members of Feathers injures her ankle. That’s when Pop makes a big decision. For the sake of the performance, she agrees to let the injured member take center stage. She will help cover her with her bouncing around during transitions.

This can be seen as a moment of maturity for Pop☆Step. She wants to be a successful idol more than anything, but she’s able to recognize her own limitations and is willing to work around them. That, in turn, endears her to the other performers, and by the day of, everything looks set for a memorable performance. Some familiar faces like Present Mic and Midnight even show up to make guest appearances, a move that makes fans of the main series very happy!

There’s just one problem: Queen Bee.

QUEEN BEE MUST BE PUNISHED!

Underneath her laid-back demeanor, Queen Bee has proven that she is very much a ruthless villain. Working with All for One was a dead giveaway, of course, but the last two episodes really cement how ruthless and cold-hearted she can be. Even if one doesn’t count the fact that she’s injecting people with Trigger against their will, the last episode revealed that she killed a couple. And to make matters worse, she kidnaps that Eel fan of Pop, and injects him with even more Trigger, turning him into a mini Kaiju. Thanks to that, power in Naruhata goes out on the day of Narufest, and not even Eraser Head is enough to contain the crazed fan!

That’s not even the half of it. The climax of this episode reveals just why Knuckleduster has been so obsessed with hunting down Hachisuka. She is actually his daughter, Tamao Oguro! To be more precise, Queen Bee is the name of the person who possessed his daughter. And like any good dad, he’s determined to save his kid. So determined, in fact, that he brought a stun gun to get rid of Queen Bee.

Get Queen Bee

It might seem overkill, even for Knuckleduster, but given how dangerous and elusive Queen Bee is, it really isn’t. And with the villain willing to wreck Narufest for the heck of it, she needs to be taken down now! Koichi and Kazuho are counting on Knuckleduster to come through for them!

The next episode is likely to be the last of the season, and if it is, I hope that we get to see a good show get put on. Knuckleduster, it’s time to play exterminator! End this!

I Give “The Day of” a 4/5

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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!

I Give “Judgment” a 4/5

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