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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 8 Review

Remember how Beyond the Spider-Verse coined the term “canon event?” A moment in a story where something happens that defines a character from that point forward. Most often, it’s a very traumatic event that can scar a character for the remainder of their story. And we’ve come to the moment where Aizawa experiences his own canon event: the day he lost his best friend, Shirakumo.

NO OP Is Serious Business

A great way to tell when things are about to get real in an anime is when it chooses to skip the OP or ED. That means that it needs the extra run time for whatever’s about to happen. And this episode seems to get this, as it opens up on as the Heroes of Present Mic’s work study are flying to fight a giant frog villain. And it manages to swallow all of their attacks and throw them right back at them like he’s Kirby!

The Canon Event

Things get worse from there as the sky darkens from storm clouds. Rain is often used to symbolize something very bad is about to happen, and the fact that it starts right after Aizawa and Shirakumo have what will be their final conversation is a great way of showing just how bad things are about to get. Sure enough, His Purple Highness and Midnight warm Eraser and Loud Cloud about the frog villains Garvey. And then things go to hell.

What follows next I can only describe as the equivalent of Batman taking on a Kaiju on his own. We know he’s going to win despite not having any powers, but it’s still scary to watch. And Eraser Head is having to fight this villain on his own, without any backup. But despite not having a flashy power or moves, he proves to be the right person for the job. Seeing him take down the frog villain is like something straight out of a video game, and I loved it.  

But once th dust settles, and the adrenaline wears off, the true cost of victory becomes clear. Canon event completed.

Aizawa Has Untreated Trauma

We knew that Shirakumo ended up getting crushed to death saving those preschoolers and their teacher. We knew that Aizawa had lost his best friend. But I think what makes this hard to watch is the fact that Aizawa tries to deny that Shirakumo is dead. He was imagining his voice cheering him on the entire time, telling him what he needed to hear. But that was all that it was; his imagination. And it hurts like crazy.

This actually makes what happens in the main series feel even worse. Knowing that Dr Garaki and All for One steal Shirakumo’s body and turn him into Kurogiri was a truly unholy action. I know it will be years before Eraser Head and Present Mic get closure, but even knowing that they will doesn’t exactly make me feel any better about Aizawa’s canon event.

Everything changed for Aizawa after his canon event. He had spent his entire life guarding himself from others, thinking that he was better off alone. But then Shirakumo started to pull him out of his shell, and he started to think that maybe he could open up to others. But the pain of losing Shirakumo made him backtrack, thinking once again that, “no, I’m better off a loner.” So despite his teacher’s objections and despite Present trying to reach out to him, as soon as he graduates, he leaves.

We get a montage of his life as the Pro Hero Eraser Head, and while he’s undeniably incredible as a hero, the show bares no bones when it comes to showing how lonely it is, and how it’s not doing him any good. Until the day he meets Knuckle, Koichi, and Pop.

The Naruhata Crew Helped him Heal

The episode ends back in the present day, as Koichi meet the Hotta brothers along with the reformed Kirihiton and that Octoid guy. They all decide to take the cat in as part of a cat cafe they’re planning on opening! And as they’re doing so, Eraser remembers back to his school days and how he started to open up to others. I like how the show uses this moment to tell viewers that this is when it hits for Aizawa. Without even realizing it, Koichi and the other goofballs got him to open up again. He’s starting to heal.

I haven’t read the whole ending to Vigilantes, as I want to enjoy the anime. However, I’m hoping that by the time it does end, Aizawa will be on track to becoming the teacher we will know him as in the main series. He deserves this happiness.  

I Give “A Sky With No Rain Left” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 5 Review

Where is Knuckleduster? After saving his daughter from being possessed by Queen Bee, the gruff Batman expy disappeared without a word to Koichi and Kazuho. Even if you haven’t already been spoiled by the manga, the fact that he’s one of the main characters makes it obvious that Knuckleduster would come back in the future. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was for us to see him again so soon! While he doesn’t reunite with the Crawler and Pop☆Step, we do get a look at what he’s been up to while he’s been away, as well as his past. Even better, we see Koichi and Kazuho team up with another beloved hero from the main series, Midnight! And I think that this episode makes knowing her ultimate fate in the main series hit a lot harder.

Mixer Time

The episode starts with Eraser Head and Tsukauchi discussing the Villain Factory’s latest means of distributing Trigger: college mixers. They’re using attendees to spike the drinks with a weaker dose of the drug to help find candidates for Next-Level Villains. Since Eraser Head isn’t the most social person, though, they turn to someone who’s better suited to go undercover: Nemuri Kayama, aka the hero Midnight!

I never paid much attention to the popularity of various characters in My Hero Academia, but I think that Midnight was one of the more popular female characters. Not so much because she was well-written or crucial to the overall story, but for the fanservice. How Horikoshi got the go-ahead for her dominatrix theme is beyond me, but I’m worldly enough to understand why it appeals to some people. Even better, the first half of this episode does her plenty of justice by showing off how good a people person she is while undercover at a mixer with Kazuho.

How is Having Kazuho at this Allowed?

That’s the part I don’t entirely get. Somehow, Midnight got Kazuho, someone who can’t be older than a high schooler, into going undercover with her. Even if Pop’s a vigilante hero and idol, bringing a minor to an event like this with legal adults feels a tad reckless. Honestly, I think the story did that to touch on the subplot about her crush on Koichi, since he and the guys from the Mad Hatters are the ones attending the mixer! The irony is that he never even learns it’s Kazuho in disguise, and she has to watch as he gets attention from the other girls.

I will say this: the twist about the wallflower with the eyes obscured by bangs being the culprit was a nice twist. It helps that she’s doing all this because she’s a yandere for her friend and doesn’t want anyone else to have her. What others would see as messed up, though, Midnight sees as sweet…even if she knocks everyone in the place besides Pop out with her Quirk.

Again, I can see the appeal behind Midnight. This episode had her giving off major soft dom vibes. However, she’s not the main highlight of the episode: it’s Knuckleduster. HE’S BACK!!!! FOR A SHORT WHILE, ANYWAY!

KNUCKLEDUSTER IS BACK!!

Despite accomplishing his goal of saving his daughter from Queen Bee, Knuckleduster hasn’t given up his vigilantism. He just decided to go to the places where he couldn’t take Koichi or Kazuho, travelling internationally on the trail of Trigger. In his first appearance since the first season, we see he’s still being a Batman expy by getting intel on Trigger distribution from a dealer in Hong Kong. After that, he returns to give a friend on the force the intel, but not before going to see his daughter while she’s in the hospital.

This is where Knuckle proves that he’s always been a good dad. He’s more understanding of what she wants in life, doesn’t yell at her unless he has to, and both are on better terms. She still plays guitar to annoy him, but he doesn’t seem to care. Endeavor could learn a thing or two from him.

Knuckleduster Had a Quirk Once

Most importantly, though, this episode confirms what was already hinted at: Knuckleduster was once the hero known as O’Clock. And I think the anime does a good job with dropping hints about this. The fact that Knuckle doesn’t have a Quirk anymore. The Scarred Man’s scar mimicking the one Knuckleduster has on his face. Everything lines up perfectly, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. All for One stole Knuckle’s Quirk and gave it to the Scarred Man. That’s why he tells his cop friend that the only way to stop him is to shoot to kill. He knows how dangerous his own power is, and thus says that with certainty.

I do wish that Knuckleduster had decided to meet with Koichi and Pop☆Step, but again, there are things that he has to do alone. It’s nice to see him, regardless. Plus, it looks like the next episode is going to be covering something much more interesting: the school days of Eraser Head, Present Mic, and their friend who will one day become Kurogiri. That is something I’m looking forward to seeing! Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “The Man Returns” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia S2 Ep 3 Review

If there’s one benefit that Vigilantes has over My Hero Academia, it’s that its more low-stakes story enables it to focus more on the slice-of-life aspects of being a hero. Most great superheroes at least attempt to have a life outside the costume, and it’s those moments that helped to humanize them. Or, in the case of that mysterious speedster villain, show how far removed they seem to be from humanity as this episode focuses on those ups and downs of the game of heroes and villains.

LOL, All Might is So Adorkable

The episode opens up in what has to be both the most fantastic yet silliest way possible: All Might stopping three giant Kaiju in Okinawa, before leaping back into the sky on his way. Keep in mind, Vigilantes either takes place around or just before the time he and All for One have the fight that almost kills them both, so this is when the hero is still in his relative prime. And he’s as good as we think he was…and just as adorkable when he’s not on duty.

I really liked seeing the meetups between All Might in his civilian guise and Officer Tsukauchi. They have a relationship like Batman and Commissioner Gordon, with Tsukauchi being one of the few who knows who All Might really is. Seeing the hero panic when he sees Tsukauchi’s injuries and sheepishly giving him gifts from grateful citizens is incredibly heartwarming. They are as close as friends can hope to be, and it’s clear it goes both ways. After all, Tsukauchi gives All Might his own gifts and, while not seen in the anime, it’s shown that he handles all the paperwork for the spontaneous acts of heroism that he does. Tsukauchi is a good friend to have in the force.

Or, if you’re Makoto, a big pain. Naomasa knows that his sister knows the real identities of PopStep and the Crawler, and he disapproves of their vigilantism. But Makoto refuses to sell them out. Even worse for him, she’s so smart that if he says the wrong thing, she’ll learn things that are meant to be kept private. For example, using the gift bag he got from All Might, she figures out he knows someone at his agency. That’s incredibly close to the truth, and he can’t afford her getting in over her head!

It still makes what he does next funny, though. He uses the bath salts All Might got for Makoto for himself, and is embarrassed by how nice everyone thinks he smells.

Who is this Guy?

As all this is happening, we see the mysterious speedster who attacked the idol event training and talking to All for One. At the same time, the cops are busy looking for more info on this attacker, and they come to a surprising revelation. As it stands, this attacker’s Quirk is very similar in nature to a hero that hasn’t been heard from in a while: O’Clock. They were also a speedster and part of the last generation of heroes, but they dropped off the face of the earth years ago. This new O’Clock is too young to be the original, and there is the potential for a Quirk to appear twice in different people. However, given how this villain is working for All for One, it’s more likely the Quirk was stolen and given to him. Either way, that’s not good.

Koichi’s New Move

Meanwhile, Koichi and Kazuho resume their vigilante activities as Koichi continues to experiment with his Quirk some more. He already learned he could use Slide and Glide to stick to objects like Spider-Man, but in this episode, he learns a power that not even Spidey has. He can use his Quirk to fire propulsion blasts from his palms like he’s Iron Man! At first, he’s happy to find something that can help fight offensively, and is eager to show off to Kazuho. As soon as he does, though, he breaks one of his windows. Which is something that Knuckleduster would do, not him.

They both agree that the power is too great.

Don’t Be Like Knuckleduster

It’s nice to see how even though they both miss Knuckleduster, they haven’t forgotten about his faults. Well-meaning as he might have been, Knuckleduster was still a very uncouth, violent, and inconsiderate guy who roped them into this life against their will. Neither of them wants to be like him, and so they use him as an image of what not to be. As Koichi puts it, he’s still teaching them something even after leaving. It’s funny, but still sweet.

There wasn’t a lot of action going on in this episode, but I don’t think that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Like I said, the lowkey stakes means that the show can focus more on the everyday lives of the characters. And one thing I’ve learned about writing a good Shonen manga is that the supporting cast needs time to grow. That way, they can support the main protagonist so they don’t have to carry the story. The next episode, though, looks to be focusing more on one of the coolest characters in the franchise, Eraser Head. Considering how he’s like another Batman for MHA, I’m looking forward to learning more about him. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “Public and Private” a 3/5

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