Go beyond to the next season
What They Say:
In the future, mankind is blessed with superhuman abilities called Quirks and in a response to the growing crime rate, superheroing becomes a viable profession. Izuku “Deku” Midoriya dreams of one day becoming a great hero like his idol All-Might, but he was born completely quirkless with no powers at all. However when Deku ends up having a chance encounter with All-Might in the flesh, it changes his destiny forever.
The Review:
So after a mere 12 episodes, we’re already reaching the end of My Hero Academia’s first season. I say first because thankfully there really is another season in the works, and it’s a good thing too because this episode sure isn’t much of a conclusion. Instead it’s focus is more in setting up what’s to come, even if that means going out on a slower note than it probably should have.
After punching Nomu into the stratosphere, All-Might’s exhausted just about all his power, but with the other villains remaining he’s left with no choice but to try bluffing his way out through intimidation. The villains don’t fall for it though, and when they decide to attack All-Might again, Deku tries jumping in the way to protect him. Instead this stunt almost gets him killed too, and he’s saved by the arrival of Ida returning back with the other heroes. As the League of Villains makes their exit, the hands villain, Tomura vows to return, and we learn that similar to Deku with All-Might, he seems to have a mysterious teacher of his own. The heroes on the other hand are still busy dealing with the aftermath, and All-Might’s last stunt ended up cutting down his time limit even further. In spite of his problems though, he takes pride in the fact that his students have proven they have what it takes to stand up to real villains, and thanks Deku in particular for coming to his rescue in the end.
It’s a bit quiet for a season finale, but it gets the job done, and does enough in setting things up for the next season. My Hero Academia’s anime definitely had a lot on it’s plate for it’s first season, and for the most part, it did what it needed to in order to be successful. There were definitely a lot of strengths to this adaptation when it came to the direction and music, but there were also a few more issues than there really needed to be and they all mostly came down to the pacing. The slower pace worked to the anime’s advantage during the earlier stuff with Deku and Bakugo, and made their character moments really stand out, but it wasn’t nearly as effective when it it came to the straight-up action stuff, and it made these last few episodes sag a little more than they needed to. Thankfully the source material is strong enough that these problems weren’t nearly enough to cripple it, though if the second season is a bit of a ways off, I’m hoping they consider running it than 12 episodes next time. For now though, My Hero Academia’s adaptation has carved out just enough success to keep going, and much like with Deku himself, I’m hoping that there’s still plenty more success to come.
In Summary:
My Hero Academia’s first season draws to a close as All-Might tries his best to bluff his way out of the situation. It doesn’t stick, but between Deku’s bravery, and a timely entrance by the other heroes, the League of Villains is finally sent packing. It’s a close call this time, but things are still only just beginning and the villains are already planning their next move. The same thing can be said for the show itself, as a second season’s now officially on the horizon, and I’m looking certainly looking forward to more.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Funimation, Hulu
