Poor Koichi! He’s Plagued by Freeloaders!
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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Knuckleduster Doesn’t Need No Quirk!
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 2 Review
Anyone who knows about Batman knows why he’s one of the greatest superheroes of all time. He may have no superpowers save for his intellect, gadgets, and martial arts skills, but he’s able to fight alongside veritable gods like Superman. And he’s able to do that because he’s built different. And while Knuckleduster may not have the money or power of Batman, this episode of MHA: Vigilantes demonstrates that he is also built different.
Knuckleduster Doesn’t Need No Quirk
At the end of the premiere, Knuckleduster was about to interrogate another civilian about Trigger when he got stopped by none other than Eraserhead. As Koichi and Pop watch, the pro hero and the vigilante get into a scrap, only for it to reveal something surprising about Knuckleduster. Just as Eraserhead tries to suppress his opponent’s Quirk, it doesn’t work. And it doesn’t work because Knuckleduster…is Quirkless.
My Hero Academia already proved that in a world full of them, it’s possible for someone to be a hero without any powers. Whereas Deku will gain One for All, though, Knuckleduster has no Quirk. Like Batman, he has no superpowers. He’s just a man with brass knuckles and an insane tolerance for pain. Given how most street-level heroes in comics are the ones with either minor superpowers or no powers at all, this means that Knuckleduster fits right in with the likes of Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Batman. It also means that Eraserhead can’t charge him since he’s not abusing his Quirk. However, the pro hero does warn him that he can only get away with being a “concerned citizen” for so long before it gets them into trouble.
Speaking of trouble, the business man that started this mess turns out to be a dealer for Trigger. And once he injects it into him, he turns into a four-armed version of a Titan and starts to manhandle Pop☆Step. The trio is nearly killed before they manage to take him down! While they do manage to acquit themselves well in battle, it has more to do with them getting lucky than skill. There is some merit to the pro-hero system, after all.
The Crawler Cometh
Yet the next time we see them, they’re back at it. The only difference is that Koichi is now going by the name “the Crawler,” and has body armor from Knuckleduster. It doesn’t make him any stronger, but it helps his durability. Sadly, it remains clear that this “team” is still in over their heads. Koichi fails to convince two middle schoolers to stop fighting; Knuckleduster remains determined to punch his problems. In all honesty, Pop☆Step is the only one who makes any headway, warning the students about Trigger as the boys take down an Instant Villain.
Unfortunately for the trio, their activities have not gone unnoticed. By the episode’s end, the police are after them, meaning they’ll have to fight villains while outrunning the cops. Life as a vigilante is never going to be an easy one!
This is only the second episode, and Vigilantes already has me hooked. As a longtime fan of superheroes, I was always going to like something like My Hero Academia. Vigilantes, though, is a love letter to the gritty street-level heroes that many people find relatable, and I’m enjoying it. Expect more reviews for this in the coming days!
I Give “Takeoff” a 4/5
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Putting the “Pop” in Pop Culture!
