Is My Hero Academia Any Good? – A Complete Review

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hīrō Akademia) is a Japanese superhero based manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi.

The series is set in a world where superpowers, known as Quirks, have become the norm. The story follows the life of Izuku Midoriya, a young boy who was born without a quirk and with dreams of becoming a superhero.

The manga was adapted into an anime television series by Bones and has aired up to four seasons as of April 2020. A fifth season has been announced.

The manga won the 2019 Harvey Award for Best Manga and has over 26 million copies in print as of December 2019.

1. Quick Review

The series takes place in a world where superpowers or “Quirks” have become a common occurrence. Most of humanity is born with varying quirks whereas very few remained powerless.

Izuku Midoriya falls into the latter population of being born quirkless. His life’s dream is to become a superhero like his role model and inspiration, All Might.

Fate did not favor Izuku’s dreams as his lack of a quirk ended his dreams before they could begin.

Life is forever changed for Midoriya when he meets the number one superhero and his all-time obsession, All Might.

Japan’s greatest hero has a unique quirk that isn’t inborn but passed on through generations based on your life’s purpose and the resolve to do good in the world.

All Might chooses young Midoriya to be his successor as he sees undeniable promise and determination in him.

Izuku then becomes a student at an elite hero-training school known as UA. Along with his eccentric yet gifted classmates, Izuku works hard and faces many challenges to become stronger and learn to wield his newly acquired superpowers.

My Hero Academia is a shonen superhero masterpiece. The characters are charismatic, beautifully designed, and as diverse as they can possibly get.

The storyline is everything you could ask for in a good anime- action, comedy, drama, and most importantly, purpose.

The creators managed to introduce many arcs and characters without losing sight of the main story.

2. Info Card

3. Is It Worth Watching?

My Hero Academia is going to become your new obsession. Each character is memorable and will be etched in your mind forever.

Their development is constant and they have such intense emotions, backgrounds, and goals that you fall in love with every single character that comes your way.

My Hero Academia - Official Trailer 1

The simple yet beautiful storyline about the life of being a hero will make even the cold-hearted shed a tear or two.

The show’s wonderful story and characters are enough to take home the prize. However, Bones’ Studio has outdone themselves with spectacular animation and art.

The music used in the series is inspirational and the sounds add another dimension to the action. My Hero Academia is a journey you will be grateful for embarking on.

I. Plot

The story revolves around Izuku Midoriya who dreams of becoming a hero even though he is born without powers.

He is constantly bullied in school because of this, especially by his childhood close friend, Katsuki Bakugo.

Midoriya’s life takes an unprecedented turn when he crosses paths with his favorite and Japan’s number one hero All Might, who passes his power onto Izuku.

The main storyline may seem typical with the underdog working hard to find his place in the world but My Hero Academia is so much more than that.

Even though a lot of focus is placed on the protagonist Midoriya, the other characters also show significant growth over time.

The series rests on the moral of fighting for what you believe in and as UA Academy’s motto goes, must go beyond your abilities or “Plus Ultra”.

II. Characters

Izuku Midoriya

Izuku Midoriya is the main protagonist of the “My Hero Academia Series”.

His character is described as a quiet and kind boy who often overreacts to situations or mumbles to himself when he is strategizing.

Izuku was initially bulled by Katsuki for being quirkless and tends to be insecure around him.

As Midoriya starts understanding and wielding his newly gained powers, we see remarkable character development as his strong will, determination, and urge to achieve his dream of becoming a hero outshines all his other traits.

All Might a.k.a “Symbol of Peace”

All Might is the No.1 Pro Hero and the tritagonist of the “My Hero Academia” series.

When fighting against villains, All Might portrays a bright and friendly personality, assuring people that he is here to help them by using phrases like, “There is no need for fear. Why? Because I’m here!”.

He fights with all his might, instills hope in people’s hearts, and maintains peace in the world. This is how he earned the name as the “Symbol of Peace”.

However, when he suffered a major injury, he could no longer continue his hero activities and passed on the torch to his successor, Izuku Midoriya.

Katsuki Bakugo

Katsuki Bakugo is a student at U.A. High School and the deuteragonist of the “My Hero Academia” series.

Nicknamed Kacchan by his childhood friends, Bakugo is Midoriya’s classmate in Class 1-A at U.A. Academy.

He is training to become a Pro Hero. His character displays arrogance and is known to be a short-tempered person.

Most of Bakugo’s teachers and classmates try to make him control his anger because his impatience and violent ways come off as being an anti-hero.

He is very competitive and constantly looked down on quirkless Izuku. Katsuki felt superior to everyone because of being constantly praised for his amazing quirk.

As though the story progresses, we see get an interesting insight into Bakugo’s true nature.

III. Setting

The plot of My Hero Academia is set in a world where most of the population has developed superpowers called “Quirks”. Due to this new development in the world, people possessing quirks fall in one of two categories: Heroes or Villains.

Heroes train hard and use their quirks to protect mankind from danger.

Villains are those humans who use their quirks for evil deeds such as breaking the law and wreaking havoc in the world.

In this new society,  Heroes who choose to perform great acts of heroism are recognized as Pro Heroes.

IV. Theme Songs

The opening theme song for the first season is “The Day”, performed by Porno Graffitti and the ending theme is “Heroes”, performed by Brian the Sun.

The second season’s opening theme songs are “Peace Sign” performed by Kenshi Yonezu and”Sora ni Utaeba” (“If I Sing to the Sky”) performed by Amazarashi.

The ending themes for Season 2 are “Dakara, Hitori ja nai” (“Therefore, I Am Not Alone”), performed by Little Glee Monster, and “Datte Atashi no Hīrō” (“Still My Hero”) by Lisa.

The opening theme songs of the third season are “Odd Future” by Uverworld and “Make My Story” by Lenny Code Fiction while the ending themes are “Update” by Miwa and “Long Hope Philia” by Masaki Suda.

The opening themes of the fourth season are “Polaris” by Blue Encount and “Star Marker” by Kana-Boon while the ending themes are “Kōkai no Uta” by Sayuri and “Shout Baby” by Ryokuōshoku Shakai.

The theme songs in My Hero Academia are just as good as the storyline.

The music and lyrics narrate a visual and auditory tale of the journey and struggles that the characters face throughout the series.

V. Action Sequences

My Hero Academia is home to some fantastic fight sequences, especially those involving All Might, Izuku Midoriya, and the characters from Class 1-A.

Being a superhero anime, the show is heavily sprinkled with action scenes.

The fights we see during the training at U.A Academy are mind-boggling, especially the ones involving Bakugo because he goes all out even during a training class owing to his dislike towards Midoriya.

4. Grade

5. Final Thoughts

My Hero Academia narrates a wonderful story with infinite possibilities because of its great cast of characters and their stories.

The series boasts some stunning animation that highlights both the Heroes and Villains as well as their main purpose.

The show has fights that are more strategically focused and continues to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

There is never a dull moment in the series which has a script full of plot twists, terrifying villains, and overall, the undying determination to protect the world and all those in it.