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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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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 3 Review

It’s well-known by now amongst My Hero Academia fans that Horikoshi got much of his inspiration for Deku from Spider-Man. Both have a strong sense of justice, are adorkable, and get out through the wringer a lot. The one thing that separates Deku from Spider-Man, though, is that the former doesn’t need to live a double life as a hero. That must be why Koichi, the main hero of Vigilantes, takes after that aspect of Spider-Man. Because he’s doing hero work outside the law, that leads to some…stress.

Like a pair of freeloaders mooching off his house and home without his consent.

Poor Koichi

The episode opens up with a glimpse at Koichi’s life as a university student as the teacher is, ironically, discussing the origins of pro-heroes in vigilantism. In most comics, superheroes do operate outside the law. The only reason most don’t face charges is because they’re so capable that it would be a bad idea. More importantly, the episode shows how Koichi is miserable in his normal life. He has no college friends and works at a part-time job he doesn’t like. Is it any wonder he’s compelled to be a Good Samaritan in his off-time?

Unfortunately, his home life is no better, as Knuckleduster and Pop☆Step have turned it into their personal hangout with no regard for what he wants. Knuckleduster eats his food like a parasite, and Pop☆Step turns it into her dressing room. Much to his dismay, this is something that doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.

Then again, it’s not like Pop☆Step has it any easier. Besides the episode revealing how much effort she has to put into her look, her latest show gets crashed by an overzealous fan turned Instant Villain. And this one is a giant eel. The resulting experience is nothing short of cringe for Pop☆Step.

Thankfully, Koichi and Knuckleduster are able to save her before it gets out of hand. More importantly, after the eel guy (Teruro) calms down, the two delinquent fans (Ichimo and Namimaru) from the last episode get to know him and realize he was tricked into using Trigger. So, the three of them agree to meet Koichi and Pop☆Step.

Evil Death Bee

Before they do, though, they run into someone who ends up being more important than they realize: Kuin Hachisuka, AKA Queen Bee.

Thankfully, the pro heroes are able to stop things before the vigilantes have to get involved, which leads to a nice cavalcade of cameos from the main series.

The episode ends on a relatively high note, but Knuckleduster seems troubled by the appearance of the bees. It’s likely that he knows something that he’s not telling the others, but that will have to wait another day. This episode wasn’t that big on the action, but it made up for it by building up its characters, so it was a good one to watch. Good thing I’ve got plenty more to watch.

I Give “Bee” a 3.5/5

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My Hero Academia Season 4, Episode 25 Review/Recap

Well, folks, here we are at the end of this season of My Hero Academia, and what a season it’s been! In a world without the Symbol of Peace, All Might, society’s more on edge than ever. As a result, Deku and his classmates have had to step up far sooner than they would otherwise. Which led to one of the biggest anime moments of 2019 when Deku beat down the evil Overhaul to save Eri, a girl with the power to rewind people.

Things have been low-key since Overhaul’s defeat, with the show focusing on the students. Yet in the penultimate episode, we saw the Pro Heroes return to the spotlight, now lead by Endeavor. He’s always wanted to be the Symbol of Peace (or at least No. 1), and when a deadly new Nomu attacks, he has his chance to prove himself. He. Does not. Waste it.

Recap

As Hawks works to evacuate all the civilians in the area and provide aid to Endeavor, the fiery hero throws everything he has at the Nomu. To everyone’s horror, though, this Nomu can not only regenerate, but is smart enough to come up with plans to fight Endeavor, putting him on the defensive. It turns out, if he uses his fire powers too often, they’ll eventually overheat. As a result, the Nomu manages to briefly overwhelm him. All across Japan, people watching fear that there’s no more Symbol of Peace.

However, Endeavor gets a second wind, as the Nomu reminds him of how he used to be: someone who kept trying to attain more power (or something). Bottom line, he wants to prove that he’s trying to change for the better, and after forcing the Nomu high into the sky, manages to burn him into ash. When the dust settles, Endeavor proudly stands with his fist in the air, having earned his place as the new Symbol of Peace.

Review

Studio BONES manages to create some of the most action-packed fight scenes in modern anime, as this season of MHA proves. Watching Endeavor go toe to toe with the Nomu was the best fight the anime has seen since Deku’s glorious beatdown of Overhaul. The animation was superb, the emotional stakes were high, and when the dust settles, you can’t help but want to cheer for Endeavor.

Yes, I know that Endeavor has been a horrible father and an overall jerk in the past. Though, to be fair, a lot of heroes in Shonen anime start out like that! Piccolo, Vegeta, Gaara, and more. The point is that he’s trying to change and make things right. Why else would he visit his wife in the hospital and give her the flowers she said she liked?

Endeavor’s more than proven himself as the Symbol of Peace. He can take things from here until Class 1-A graduates.

In the meantime, though, we have confirmation that there’s going to be a Season Five, and based on the post-credits, things are about to getting crazy with Midoriya. Those who read the manga will know what’s coming, but for the anime only people, my lips are sealed. I will say this, though: we’re going to learn more about One for All and it’s past in the next season, and it’s going to be awesome. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “His Start” a Solid 4/5.

See You Next Season! Stay Safe From the Virus!

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My Hero Academia Season 4, Episode 24

It’s been a crazy season for My Hero Academia, and while the second half hasn’t been as exciting, it still aims to go out with a bang. Until now, the show hasn’t really focused on how All Might’s retirement has affected the Heroes. All we know is that Endeavor is now the number one hero, but people aren’t that confident in him. In this episode, though, we see him start to make an effort to change how people think of him. Even if he doesn’t do a good job at it.

Recap

With the School Festival over, Class 1-A gets some exciting news: Eri is going to be living in the Teacher’s Dorms! Due to her Grandfather, the head of the Hassakai, being in a coma, Mr. Aizawa’s basically adopted her so they can learn how to control her powers and then reverse what happened to Togata. In the meantime, the Wild Wild Pussycats visit and bring Kota, who acts like a tsundere fan of Midoriya.

On a national scale, the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart, which determines the ranking of Heroes in Japan, releases for the first time since All Might’s retirement. Endeavor is now officially the number one Hero, while in second place is a young man named Hawks. After the new ranks are revealed, Hawks pulls Endeavor aside and asks him to come with him to his hometown. He reveals that he’s been tracking reports of more Nomu across the country, and that he wants to help Endeavor become the leader that the Heroes need. However, their meeting gets interrupted when an extremely powerful Nomu attacks them, forcing Endeavor into battle.

Review

If All Might is the Superman of My Hero Academia, then Endeavor has to be its Batman. It’s dark, edgy, and abrasive Batman that doesn’t care what others think of him. We’ve already seen how much of a jerk Endeavor can be; look at his son, Shoto! However, I think we’re finally see him own up to the fact that he was a jerk and try to change. Trying to be like All Might, though, isn’t going to work.If he wants to make the title of No. 1 Hero his own, he has to do it in his own, Endeavor-way. At least he has Hawks to back him up.

I don’t quite know what to think of Hawks. On the one hand, he acts very laid-back and lazy despite being the No. 2 Hero at such a young age. At the same time, this episode shows how seriously he takes his Hero duties, protecting people while walking down the street and giving out autographs. In addition, while he has the ability to do so, he has no desire to be No. 1 because of all the work; he thinks Endeavor can be that guy. In other words, he wants to be the man in the chair for the hero so he can be lazy.

Endeavor and Hawks make for an interesting pair, but I think them being polar opposites is what makes this episode work. It almost makes me feel bad that the season’s ending next week, as I want to see more of their relationship. For now, though, the villains seem to be gearing up for something big with that new Nomu. With the next episode the last one of the season, here’s hoping that it lives up to the series motto: GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart” a Solid 4/5

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My Hero Academia Season 4, Episode 23 Review/Recap

You know, it’s almost funny when you think about it. Right now, the world of My Hero Academia is going through some tough times. Meanwhile in the real world, everyone’s hunkering down from the pandemic. But you know what, it’s in these trying times that we need to remember how to smile and have fun. That’s just what this episode of My Hero Academia does for us.

Recap

Thanks to Deku’s efforts, Gentle and La Brava’s plans to crash the school festival are stopped. Gentle turns himself in to the heroes and tells them he brainwashed La Brava so she won’t go to jail with him. Before he leaves, though, he affirms his respect to the young hero, who then proceeds to finish his task and make it back in time for the concert.

And rather than talk about it, I’ll just show you what happens.

Needless to say, the concert, and the festival, are a huge success, with everyone enjoying themselves and having fun. And best of all, Eri was finally able to smile for the first time in living memory. At last, Overhaul’s grasp on her has been broken.

As for Gentle and La Brava, the authorities seem like they’re willing to be lenient with them.

Review

I absolutely loved this episode; it’s the best one since the fight between Deku and Overhaul. It wasn’t action-packed or suspenseful as any of the big fights in the series, but it’s still a great episode. In fact, I think Studio BONES improved on the manga. As great as it can be, some things can only be fully appreciated in animated form.

Being able to see Eri smile for the first time was enough to bring tears to a person’s eyes, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Right now, the entire world’s paralyzed with fear by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Here in America, the country’s close to being on lockdown! People are as scared, confused, and alone as Eri was when we first met her.

I know it may sound silly, but I think that it’s in times of hardship that we need to remember the importance of smiling and having fun. No matter how bad things may get, we need to keep reminding ourselves that things can get better, and it’s concerts like what Class 1-A put on that help with that. Heck, even Gentle and La Brava get a silver lining from all this.

Rather than treat him badly, the authorities seem to be willing to help him rebuild his life. Moreover, they’re impressed with La Brava’s hacking skills and even offer her a job. Hopefully, they’ll be able to turn their lives around and move beyond their sad past together. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA

I Give “Let It Flow! School Festival!” a 5/5.

Also, I love the face that Bakugo makes here

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