Summary
My Hero Academiais highly regarded as one of thebest action shōnen anime of the 2010s, to the point that many fans of the genre believe that it became one of the “new Big 3” afterNarutoandBleachended. Of course, this huge level of success was possible not only because of the high quality of Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga but also because Bones delivered one of the best animated adaptations in the entire industry to date.
My Hero Academiais so big, influential, and popular because it does many things better than most of the anime it’s often compared to, even though sometimes this may go unnoticed in the eyes of viewers. This series stands out in terms of storytelling, character dynamics, and the design of its power system, and the following examples perfectly reflect everything that it does better than the competition.
1A Kind But Smart Main Character
Deku Laid The Foundation For A New Generation Of Heroes
During the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, most shōnen protagonists followed the same archetype: they were loud, reckless, rude, and a little bit dumb, but they all had a heart of gold. As a result, Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, and Naruto Uzumaki became the most recognizable main characters in the entire industry. On the other hand, most modern shōnen series nowadays feature kinder, softer, and more sympathetic protagonists instead, like Tanjiro Kamado or Yuji Itadori.
This sudden shift in the industry was almost entirely influenced byMy Hero Academiaand its main character,Izuku Midoriya(AKADeku). He’s a very kind, soft-spoken, and friendly boy who is constantly trying to do his best and wants to save everyone around him, not to mention that he often uses his brains to come up with strategies that’ll allow him to come out victorious from the most challenging battles. WhenMy Hero Academiafirst released, this was seen as a really bold and risky change, but it definitely ended up working quite well for both the series and the entire anime industry.
2A Non-Special Protagonist
Who Remained Non-Special Until The Very End
Many action anime establish their main characters ascomplete nobodies, only to later reveal that they possess some sort of special heritage that allowed them to become so important and powerful in the first place.This type of twist took place inNaruto,Bleach,One Piece,Jujutsu Kaisen, and many other prominent shōnen series, and it’s always met with a lot of disdain from anime fans who believe that it undermines the messages these stories are trying to convey.
Curiously enough,My Hero Academiacompletely avoided this tired and controversial trope, and yet it seems most anime fans haven’t noticed it. When the story starts, Deku is just a regular, quirkless kid who was chosen by All Might to inherit One for All and, fortunately, it was never revealed that he belonged to a special lineage of powerful heroes/villains all along, or anything like that: he became incredibly strong and special through his effort and hard work. Deku’s initial mundanity ended up becoming a major advantage to him because it was later confirmed that he was able to use One for All for so long without dying, specifically because he was born without a quirk.
3A New Take On The Classic Shōnen Rivalry
One Of The Best (Albeit Most Controversial) Rivalries In The Genre
The intense and fascinating rivalry between Izuku Midoriya and his childhood friend,Katsuki Bakugo, is one of the most noteworthy but most controversial aspects ofMy Hero Academia. Most people strongly dislike Bakugo because of his aggressive and violent personality and very easily dismiss him as a generic bully character, but his development and growth throughout the series make him a very compelling rival.
Seeing Bakugo coming to terms with his sense of inferiority, apologizing to Deku, and becoming one of his strongest allies was a breath of fresh air.Most rivalries in the action shōnen genre are surprisingly one-note and simplistic, whereas Deku and Bakugo’s relationship feels much more complex, realistic, and humane in comparison.
4Complex Characters Seeking Atonement
These Compelling Characters Are Far From One-Dimensional
When an action anime for younger audiences introduces certain types of antagonistic characters, like childhood bullies or abusive parents, they usually remain one-dimensional and despicable until the very end. However,My Hero Academiais quite bold in this regard, because it featured more than one character that did horrible things, but they actually went on to condemn their actions and started seeking atonement.
Both Katsuki Bakugo and, especially,Enji Todoroki(Endeavor) are perfect examples of characters that were originally introduced as seemingly irredeemable people but, at one point in the story, realized their mistakes and began doing everything in their power to redeem themselves, no matter how hard it may be. Naturally,this narrative decision ended up being very polarizing among fans, but the fact that these well-written morally gray characters exist in the first place makesMy Hero Academiaa much more interesting and realistic story than most other action shōnen anime out there.
5A Surprisingly Clever Power System
That Complements The World Building
Truth be told, almost every mainstream shōnen anime has a very solid and well-made power system, fromOne Piece’s Devil Fruits and Haki toNaruto’s Chakra and Jutsu, and evenDemon Slayer’s Breathing Styles. However,My Hero Academiahas one of the most brilliant power systems in the entire genre, and it outshines many of its competitors in many ways. At first glance,quirksmay seem like a simple homage to the mutant gene from theX-Mencomics, but they’re implemented into this unique narrative very naturally and efficiently.
The sudden appearance of quirks not only inspired many people to become Pro Heroes or super villains,but it also completely reshaped the entire world’s politics, society, and culture. They are not just tools for combat, they’re a natural part of this fascinating universe, not to mention that they also allowed both Kohei Horikoshi and the anime’s character designers to create all sorts of wacky and over-the-top background characters. Another important aspect about quirks that is worth pointing out is that, since they’re a natural part of people’s bodies, they can be enhanced and evolved with proper training (similarly to muscles), meaning that their growth mechanics are much more organic and comprehensible than other popular power systems in the genre. This perfectly reflects one of the main themes of the series: everybody can become a hero, no matter what.
6It Pays Tribute To Western Superheroes
It’s A Huge Love Letter To Both DC And Marvel
There are a lot of superhero anime out there, but most of them tend to be inspired by classic Japanese tokusatsu franchises (likeGo! Go! Loser Ranger!orLove After World Domination), and the very few ones that reference Western superheroes instead are comedic parodies and/or satires (likeOne Punch ManorShy). On the other hand,My Hero Academiais one of the very few mainstream anime that was not only inspired by Western superheroes, but it’s a giant love letter to that entire medium.
Many characters, powers, and themes in this show are obvious references to classic superheroes and super villains from bothDCandMarvel, with some of the most notorious ones beingDeku, who’s inspired by Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and All Might, who’s inspired by Superman. The series' creator, Kohei Horikoshi, is a massive fan of Western comic books, and he never shies away from paying tribute to his favorite characters. Funnily enough, this ended up working perfectly for him, since theMy Hero Academiaanime began airing in 2015, just when the superhero genre was becoming more and more popular worldwide due to the newfound success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7Inspirational Soundtrack
The Music In This Show Can Inspire Anyone To Follow Their Dreams
Battle shōnen anime and excellent music go hand in hand, andMy Hero Academiais no exception. However, what makes this show’ssoundtrackmuch more special than its contemporaries is the fact that it’s so unbelievably inspirational that it perfectly fits the hopeful and heroic atmosphere of this story.
Veteran musician Yuki Hayashi (known for his work onHaikyu!!) is the main composer ofMy Hero Academia, and every single battle theme he made is downright incredible, with notorious examples includingYou Say Run,You Can Be a Hero,Hero Aand more. This is, without a doubt, the most heroic anime soundtrack out there, and it’s so incredibly moving and touching that it can inspire anybody to follow their dreams and keep fighting for what they believe is right.
8A Spin-Off That’s Arguably Better Than The Main Series
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Is A Brilliant Story
Most spin-offs, follow-ups, and sequel series of popular anime can be either hit or miss, as they often fail to recapture what made the original series so great and end up alienating the original fan base in the process. Shows likeBoruto: Naruto Next Generation,Dragon Ball GT, orYashahime: Princess Half-Demonare not horrible per se, but most fans of their respective source materials have completely failed to enjoy them and pretend like they don’t exist.
However,My Hero Academiais a notorious exception to this phenomenon because its spin-off series,My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, actually elevates the main series’ world-building while also introducing audiences to a new cast of lovable characters with their own powers, motivations, and personalities.Vigilantesfocuses on the titular illegal heroes and their street-level adventures, which feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison to the more over-the-top adventures and high stakes of Izuku Midoriya and Class 1-A. Both shows are excellent, and they stand out in very different areas,butVigilanteswas so unexpectedly good that some fans believe it’s even better than the mainMy Hero Academiaanime.
