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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 13 Review

Once again, the day has been saved thanks to the heroes! And I mean all the heroes, including the Naruhata Vigilantes. The Scarred Man/Number 6’s terrorist attack was foiled, and everyone has been able to move on with their lives. But the passage of time brings change, and as Koichi is getting ready for life after college, he makes a decision that leaves Kazuho speechless. It also means that the next season of Vigilantes is going to be our last, sadly.

Captain Celebrity’s Return Home

Picking up from the fight between Knuckleduster and Number 6, their little clash manages to reduce what was left of the building to rubble. The last we saw of either them, they were clashing fists as the building fell down around them. The good news is that when the police comb the rubble, Knuckleduster’s body is nowhere to be found. That means that he made it out alive. Unfortunately, it also means that Number 6 escaped, with the police noting how his blood is barely human at this point. The last we see of him in the post-credits scene, All for One and Garaki are running their experiments on him, meaning that he will be back.

For the moment, though, life returns to normal for everyone. Captain Celebrity is praised for his actions in helping to save the Sky Egg, though his wife does get mad at him, regardless, for almost getting killed. And unfortunately, he has to take all the credit while leaving none for Koichi to keep the media off him, much to his friend’s dismay. Especially since Koichi himself is fine with not getting the praise.

It’s good to see a hero remain humble, but at some point, I think it crosses the line into low self-esteem. The problem is that since Koichi is unlicensed, he has to keep out of the spotlight or face legal trouble! Speaking of which, Naomasa now knows that Koichi is the Crawler thanks to Eraser Head. Since he and Pop have good intentions and are competent at helping others, he’s willing to look the other way as thanks for helping to save his sister. But it still sucks that Koichi isn’t getting treated like the hero he is! At least, not yet.

Two weeks pass, and Captain Celebrity recovers enough to finally return home. Much to everyone’s surprise, though, Makoto is going with him to study abroad and keep being his manager. And the look she gives Koichi as she’s leaving makes Pop☆Step so jealous! Yet she’s still unable to tell Koichi about her crush on him, so she has no one to blame but herself!

The Final Season of the Crawler

The final third of the episode then skips ahead to two years in the future. Koichi is now a senior in college and getting ready to graduate and look for a job. Even better, he’s now well-known and well-regarded in Naruhata as its protector. These two girls he says even get his name right and ask him for a photo! Overall, life is going well for Koichi, Pop, and everyone in Naruhata. But that’s when he drops a major bombshell to Kazuho: he’s thinking of retiring as The Crawler. And the panic on Kazuho’s face is so hard to look at!

I completely understand why Pop☆Step would panic about this. Being a vigilante is how the two met. Without it, they may no longer have a reason to hang out, and she’ll never be able to confess to him. Speaking of which, she’s had two years and she still hasn’t told him? She’s almost an adult, so if it’s the age gap, that shouldn’t be a problem soon! Beyond that, though, I get why she would be upset. Koichi has gotten to live his dream for two years now, and he’s ready to give it up? Shouldn’t he want to do this for the rest of his life? I know working a job is important, but shouldn’t he at least try to do what he loves for a living?

Regardless, it seems as though this summer is going to be Koichi’s final season as the Crawler. Which also means that the next season of Vigilantes will be the last. In other words, unless we get another spin-off series, this might be the last we see of My Hero Academia, and that sucks. It’s an entire universe of superheroes, and I’m sure that there are plenty more stories that can be told! But all good things must come to an end, or they end up like The Simpsons. I don’t know when the final season comes out, but I’m looking forward to seeing. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “Graduation and Career Path” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 11 Review

So, I know that these episodes came out a few weeks ago, but for whatever reason, the simuldub of MHA Vigilantes stopped out of nowhere. So I decided to hold off on the posts until the dubs came out! I’m really glad I did, though, because the dub is that good. Unfortunately, what isn’t good is the situation that Captain Celebrity is in. The Sky Egg is about to fall, 50,000 people are in danger, and all communication is cut off. If nothing happens, a lot of people are going to die. Captain Celebrtity needs to go beyond plus ultra anyone wants to get out of this alive!

Koichi Shines

By now, everyone in the Sky Egg can tell that something is wrong. The pro heroes have figured out that they’re under attack from a villain, but any attempts to call the outside are useless. The Scarred Man shut everything down with an EMP. The best they can do is keep everyone calm while the fliers find a way out.

The Scarred Man really thought this attack through. He’s tied down the heroes by having most of them stuck keeping the civilians calm. His bomber monsters already have CC on the defensive, and by the time the flying heroes reach them, it will likely already be too late. They’ve managed to put themselves in the best position to win. Thankfully, CC isn’t alone. Koichi is able to run interference and keep the pro hero safe.

Captain Celebrity is More than a Jock

At first glance, Captain Celebrity is a stereotypical jock, and he does have that personality. He openly admits that he likes being popular and well-liked by others, especially women. To him, it felt like the way things were supposed to be. But then, he met his wife, Pamela, the only person who didn’t look at him like he was God’s greatest gift on this planet. She even called him a balloon because he’s full of hot air! But his desire to get her to like him led to them falling for each other, and despite being polar opposites in personality, they got married.

It’s clear that Captain Celebrity loves his wife, but unfortunately, he’s still a big dummy. And that’s not just because of that stunt he pulled last episode. He kept angering her without meaning to, but even worse his good nature led him to be taken advantage of by people he thought were his friends. That’s why he had to leave for Japan for so long! The poor guy honestly doesn’t deserve that!

Thankfully, Koichi’s heroics were able to do the job! The other heroes start pouring outside to back them up, and it’s a who’s who of characters we’ve come to know. Eraser Head, Fat Gum, Ingenium, Best Jeanist, that dragon lady, Mirko! I know it’s not for everyone, but I like these kind of cameos. It looks like everything is gonna be good…but the CC loses all of his strength and starts falling!

Koichi, you Idiot!

And then Koichi jumps after him like an idiot! And then, the Scarred Man detonates the Bomber to break it free! It breaks the tower!

What a crazy episode! I really liked the flashbacks to Captain Celebrity’s life, but that ending was pretty shocking. Good thing I waited, since it means I won’t have to wait a week to find out what happens next! Go beyond, plus ultra!

I Give “Balloon Soul” a 3.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 9 Review

Don’t you just love parties? I may not be the most social of people in real life, but I’ve grown to appreciate the value of parties. People coming together to eat, drink, and celebrate while forgetting about their problems and stress! And it looks like Captain Celebrity is planning to end his time in Japan with a great big party, courtesy of Makoto and the Narufest folks! But there might be trouble in paradise.

Captain Celebrity is Going Home Soon

It’s already Christmas in Japan, and Koichi, Pop, Makoto, CC and the other Narufest folks all get together for a nice party. I just love seeing people enjoying themselves like this! But it’s also a sign of the beginning of the end for Captain Celebrity. In Japan, that is.

If you recall, the whole reason Captain Celebrity left America is because he was dealing with a ton of lawsuits. The good news is that Makoto and his legal team discovered that most of them were just people taking advantage of him and his good-nature. What a bunch of scumbags. More importantly, though, Makoto was able to smooth things over with his wife. Even better, the Captain had found out that he’s about to become a father! Life is good!

But then a monster controlled by the Scarred Man shows up and tries to abduct the three little girls that are part of the Narufest group. He saves them, but he takes the brunt of the attack to save the girls. As a result, his popularity skyrockets! He starts trending online like crazy, all his merch sells out, everything! That inspires Makoto to turn his farewell party into a big event at the Tokyo Sky Egg, a venue capable of holding 50,000 people at once! There will be a massive stage for Pop and the others to perform, and as we see in a montage, a bunch of Pro Heroes that we know get invites!

But there’s a problem that no one realizes: the Scarred Man figured out Captain Celebrity’s weakness.

CC Has a Weakness, After All!

As CC revealed in private, the main thing about his Quirk is that it creates a barrier around him to protect himself while he’s flying. That’s why he’s not affected by bad weather. In addition, he can extend this barrier to other people to protect them, but he has a limit. Keeping those girls safe meant he had to get himself injured in the process. And the Scarred Man figured all of that out.

The one upside to all of this is that Tsukauchi and Eraser Head’s investigation into the Villain Factory gets a major break. Thanks to Knuckleduster’s intel and records that Koichi and Pop provide anonymously, they learn more about the organization. It’s also nice to know that Midnight and Eraser are willing to cover for the two using legal loopholes like citizens’ arrest. They know they mean well and do good. Hopefully, that will stick for the time being!

I Give “Farewell Party!” a 3/5

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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 4 Review

When you’re a hero in a place full of heroes, team-ups happen pretty often. It’s what they do. When you’re a vigilante, and you have to team up with a licensed hero, though, things can get complicated. By this point, several pro heroes know about Koichi and Kazuho’s vigilante activities. However, since they’re relatively responsible with their Quirks and help cover places they can’t, the pros have let them do what they want. Until, that is, Koichi almost crosses a line to becoming a threat to public safety with his Quirk. And in front of Eraser Head, no less. He’s lucky that the newest experiment of the Villain Factory shows up, or he would be in huge trouble!

Koichi, Why?

In the last episode, Koichi discovered something cool about his Quirk: he can use it to fire repulsion blasts. Since that led him to break his own window, he and Pop agreed he shouldn’t do that again…is what Pop thought! In reality, Koichi keeps practicing this new move in secret until Kazuho busts him and gives him another scolding. And I’m with Pop on this one; he shouldn’t use his Quirk like that!

In the world of MHA, you need an actual license to fire Quirk-based projectiles. Heroes like Eraser Head, Midnight, and Ingenium have been willing to look the other way with the duo because of how helpful they’ve been, but this is a step too far. Koichi could end up in jail for this. Unfortunately for him, he’s forced into a solo situation where he has no choice but to use this new talent: another next-level villain shows up. And then Eraser Head.

Ever since Narufest, Eraser Head has been regularly patrolling Naruhata to find the source of Trigger, much to the dismay of the small-time crooks turned pharmacists known as the Hotta Brothers. I couldn’t resist letting out a giggle seeing him show up just to drink coffee. Either he’s really that inconsiderate, or he’s doing it just to annoy them, and I’m pretty sure it’s the latter. Fortunately, that means when this new villain, Octoid, shows up and sends Koichi running, Eraser Head is there to help.

The bad news? Not only does Aizawa see Koichi use that “shooty go blam” power, as Koichi puts it, but his own powers don’t stop Octoid. It’s all physical. Thus, their only option is to team up to take down this threat.

Another Team-up of Heroes

Having read a lot of comics growing up, I know for a fact that a team-up between street-level heroes is pretty common. In most cases, it helps them take down much larger and more powerful enemies. And seeing the four, plus that other mantis guy, Kirihito, team up to fight Octoid feels a lot like one of those comics. Unfortunately, their efforts almost end up being in vain when Octoid manages to escape from their trap. And as it turns out, Koichi’s new move isn’t that effective. All it did was make the villain angry and make Eraser Head want to bring him in. This should be an important lesson, Koichi: either get good and responsible with that move, or don’t use it.

In the end, it’s not even the group that stops Octoid. It’s the Scarred Man (or Scarred Speedster, as I call him.) We could already tell that this mystery man was dangerous and bloodthirsty, but he takes it up a notch in this episode. When Octoid cuts his face, he crashes out and almost beats the villain to death in response! That is the kind of behavior you see from an unhinged serial killer! Octoid is lucky that he’s alive to be taken to jail!

In the end, Koichi manages to walk away from his team-up with Eraser Head, with the hero deciding not to take him in. He even covers for him by saying he doesn’t know Koichi when they run into each other alongside Tsukauchi. Such is the life of a hero, though. I’m looking forward to seeing Koichi develop further as he continues to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “A Rational Man” a 3/5

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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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My Hero Academia Vigilantes S2 Ep 2 Review

Even when they’re not trying to find it, it seems like trouble seems to find Koichi and Kazuho. All they wanted was to have a nice day trip to do some idol stuff to promote Kazuho as Pop☆Step. Instead, this crab girl cop managed to drag right into the middle of a sting op looking for Trigger being sold using the venue as cover! But since they were just caught up in everything for once, this episode doesn’t really focus on our two vigilantes. Instead, our attention lies firmly with the heroes and cops sting op, and the member of the organization that’s distributing Trigger.

Crab Girl Almost Ruins Everything

As we learned at the end of the last episode, Monika Kaniyashiki, the idol that Koichi and Pop met at the idol event, is actually an undercover cop. And honestly, I can totally understand why she was chosen for the job. Being an undercover cop requires a fair amount of acting skills and charisma to pull off, and Monika’s goofy nature makes it easy for her to win the confidence of strangers. She was able to talk the seafood workers into letting her inspect their goods with no effort. On top of that, she’s a good detective. She was able to figure out that the Villain Factory was using cooling packs in the packages to smuggle Trigger. Unfortunately, it seems her goofiness is genuine, as it ends up putting Pop in danger once she blows the cover on the Villain Factory’s agent.

Who is this Guy?

The scarred man that Fat and the police face is someone we’ve seen before. He was the one who retrieved that last bee from Queen Bee’s hive after Knuckleduster killed them. At the time, it looked like he was some kind of speedster, which seems pretty rare in the MHA-verse. As this episode shows, however, it’s not actually a speedster power. Instead of providing raw speed, the man’s Quirk lets him speed up his brain and perception of time to the point where they can think and react faster than everyone around him, to the point where everyone else is moving in slow-motion. In other words, he just thinks and acts faster than everyone else than actually being faster.

As if to emphasize this, Tsukauchi manages to get a shot off on the Scarred Man that someone like Flash or Quicksilver could avoid. They don’t need a cooldown, which means it’s not a true speedster power. But even so, this guy was able to get away with a classic villain move: distraction. He makes the crab robots the workers were using go berserk and self-destruct, destroying all the evidence of the Villain Factory’s ops. More importantly, it puts Pop☆Step in danger since she’s piloting one of them due to Monika bailing to do her actual job.

Koichi Saves the Day

Good going, crab girl! You almost got an innocent bystander killed! Thankfully, she, Fat Gum, and Koichi were able to prevent a tragedy from unfolding.

As a lover of superheroes, I have to give the anime props for having Fat Gum and Monika perform a fastball special. However, they wouldn’t have been able to save Pop in time if Koichi hadn’t used his new ability to get to her in time. Granted, Monika the crab girl was the one who saved her, and Fat was able to tank the damage. But Crawler was able to get Pop clear of the blast. So, I’d say it was a team effort. And Kazuho did thank him afterwards.

So, the heroes and police didn’t get anything useful, and the villain got away, but no lives were lost. Koichi and Kazuho were able to fly under the radar once again, but their luck might not last much longer. Tsukauchi learned that his sister is acting as their agent/manager. And given how she’s knowingly aiding two vigilantes, that puts him in a bit of a bind. The next episode is going to be plenty awkward.

I Give “Crabtastic Rampage!” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia S2 Ep 1 Review

My Hero Academia may be over, but we still got a few years and a few more seasons of the spin-off prequel, Vigilantes. I know it wasn’t written directly by Horikoshi, but like the man himself, Vigilantes shows that it understands the superhero genre pretty well. In this case, it’s through the eyes of heroes who work closer to the streets, given in the form of Knuckleduster, Koichi, and Pop☆Step. As someone who grew up adoring street-level heroes like Spider-Man, the show really captures what it’s like to be a friendly neighborhood hero, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. As it turns out, Koichi and Kazuhiro can’t stay out of trouble even when they try, as they’re about to get roped back into the conflict over Trigger.

Koichi is a Wall Crawler Now

It’s been a while now since Knuckleduster up and left Koichi and Pop☆Step, but the two have been getting by well on their own. Koichi is continuing his unauthorized hero work as the Crawler, but publicly, he’s acting as Pop’s manager. In this case, he’s acting as Pop’s manager, as she’s been asked to appear at a local idol event in Naniwa, but he ends up missing the train. Until, that is, he discovers another application for his Quirk: he can stick to surfaces.

Once again, I love how My Hero Academia wears its influences on its sleeve. If Deku was inspired by the likes of Spider-Man, but on a global scale, then Koichi is inspired by the friendly neighborhood aspects as well as his powers. That second part becomes all the more blatant with Koichi’s new ability directly mimicking the webhead’s wall-crawling abilities. That, and Koichi seems to have the infamous Parker luck, as he winds up having to intervene when he runs into another familiar Pro Hero, Fat Gum. He wins him over by saving his takoyaki, but what neither realize is that they’re both going to be at the same venue. The difference is that Fat Gum is part of a sting operation involving Trigger.

Why can’t they stay out of Trouble?

Even though Knuckleduster managed to stop Queen Bee, the distribution of Trigger hasn’t let up in Naruhata. In fact, doses that turn users into stronger Instant Villains, dubbed “Next Level Villains” are making the rounds. And while Koichi and Pop are at Naniwa, Eraser Head gathers info from some low-level dealers. Meanwhile, its revealed that Fat Gum and Tsukauchi (Makoto’s brother) are surveilling the idol event, convinced that it’s being used as a front to sell Trigger by this “Villain Factory.” To make matters worse, Tsukauchi can’t help but feel that Koichi and Pop look familiar.

At this point, there are several heroes who already know what the Naruhata Vigilantes are doing: Midnight, Eraser Head, and Ingenium. They’ve looked the other way because they aren’t doing anything too reckless and are just trying to help, which they need. Tsukauchi, though, is an officer of the law. He is supposed to arrest them for vigilantism. Plenty of cops in fiction dont do this because the heroes make their jobs easier, but this isn’t always the case. Fingers crossed that Tsukauchi is one of the former.

Parker Luck in another Universe

What makes this funny, though, is that even when they’re trying to have a day off, Koichi and Pop still get dragged into hero stuff. One of the performers they meet, Monika, is an undercover cop. And when she goes to do her actual job, Pop has to step in to cover for her. Thus, they’ve been dragged into this mess without even meaning to!

Like I said, Parker luck.

This was a soft way to start the next season of Vigilantes, in my opinion. I know this show isn’t for everyone, but for those not ready to say goodbye to MHA, I think this show will serve as a good way to enjoy it for a little longer. That being said, Im looking forward to seeing how Koichi and Pop handle themselves without Knuckleduster to back them up.

I Give “Day-Tripping to Naniwa” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 10

Plenty of people want to be famous for something, but few ever do. They might not have the talent they need to stand out, or they don’t get the right chances to stand out.  Pop☆Step has had plenty of chances to stand out and she has the talent, but she can’t keep doing street performances forever. So when an opportunity to build her reputation comes her way, she’s facing her biggest hurdle yet: her own insecurities.

Knuckleduster Has a Soft Side

This episode of Vigilantes doesn’t focus on one plot, but two, each one taking up half of the episode as a whole. And both plots are focused on the other two members of the Naruhata Vigilantes, Knuckleduster and Pop☆Step. In the first half of the episode, Knuckle, through the now-reformed Soga, is continuing his search for Kuin Hachisuka, AKA Queen Bee, AKA the girl with the bee quirk. His search almost gets him killed, though, when a student under her control sics her bees on him. It’s a moment made scarier considering how the bees come out from underneath the girl’s skirt. The implications of where they were hiding are very unsettling!

Knuckleduster is Closing in on Queen Bee

The experience isn’t a total loss, though. Knuckleduster is able to use the information to help his investigation of Hachisuka, who he’s shown to be very focused on tracking down. At the same time, though, we see that there is a softer side to him: he has a wife. She’s in the hospital and left in a catatonic state, courtesy of Queen Bee, but he’s still there for her. Showing that he’s caring enough to have a wife demonstrates that he is, in fact, more than the trigger-happy vigilante he tends to be. He’s like a version of Batman that’s fallen on hard times, but strives to keep doing the right thing.

As if to emphasize that point further, we get a scene of him training, and it feels like it was taken straight from Batman’s own training montage from Batman vs. Superman. Say what you want about that film, but that moment showed why Batman is the peak of human physical strength. Unfortunately, we don’t see his confrontation with Queen Bee until the next episode.

The real focus, though, is on Pop☆Step, who might be getting her big break.

Pop☆Step Gets her Big Break

During Captain Celebrity’s fight with that Kaiju-sized villain, several buildings in Naruhata got damaged. One of them, the Marukane Department Store, is undergoing renovations before reopening, and theyre promoting it by hiring new talent to perform. And Pop☆Step has been invited to do just that.

Despite how used Pop☆Step is to performing in front of crowds, this marks the first time she’ll be performing in front of a large group. In addition, she’ll be performing alongside other people. With how insecure she is, this is her toughest battle yet. And since Koichi is lacking in the ability to provide emotional support, he calls in someone who can actually help her: Makoto!

After the incident with the cat bus exposed Koichi’s secret identity to her, it didn’t take long for Makoto to figure out that Kazuho is Pop☆Step. Despite her jealousy over seeing the older woman as competition for Koichi, though, Pop☆Step can’t afford to let this help go to waste. And not only is Makoto a good choice due to her organizational skills, she also agrees to keep Kazuho’s vigilantism a secret. Pop may not like Makoto, but there can be no denying that she’s trustworthy.

Go, Pop☆Step!

So, thanks to Makoto, Pop☆Step is able to move forward with participating in the upcoming Narufest. She’ll go out there and sing the Marukane Department Store’s theme song alongside some other artists, and Makoto even got Captain Celebrity to make an appearance. All told, this looks like it could be Pop’s big break!

Assuming that the Bee Girl doesn’t show up to wreck everything. Which we know she will try to do!

This was a quiet episode overall, but not every episode needs to be a banger. Pop☆Step, knock them dead!

I Give “Event Announcement”

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