My Hero Academia, MHA for short, is just one of the anime shows that swept the world and brought a buzz that was almost unprecedented in the adventure genre of superheroes. Out-and-out action and drama, rendered colorfully with characters, is not enough of a surprise to understand why My Hero Academia has captured the hearts of fans from all over the world. In this blog, I'll share my review of the series as some interesting facts you didn't know about this awesome anime that will also come across your way.
Plot Overview
My Hero Academia is in a world where about nearly 80% of its population has developed unique abilities known as "Quirks." It would follow the journey of Izuku Midoriya, a Quirkless boy who has the heart of a hero, as he envisions becoming the greatest hero there ever was. Born powerless, Midoriya's determination sparked the interest of legendary hero All Might, who passes on his Quirk, One For All, to Midoriya. Hence, Midoriya went to U.A. High School, to which he has many obstacles on his road to becoming a Pro Hero.
Character Focus
One of MHA's strong points is the very rich and diverse cast. Each hero-in-training, villain, and teacher is unique and both interesting and well-formulated with their abilities and compelling backstories. The following are some of them:
Izuku Midoriya (Deku): The main protagonist character, who inherits One For All and throws himself into more working-than-resting for the eventual purpose of becoming the #1 Hero. The character growth of this timid, Quirkless boy who comes to grow as a fighter is probably one of the most satisfying aspects of this series.
Katsuki Bakugo: This childhood friend/ rival to Midoriya has an explosive personality and an even more explosive Quirk. His fiery determination creates a great deal of tension, plus he's got a very complicated relationship with Midoriya, which deepens him.
Shoto Todoroki: The son of the current #1 Hero, Endeavor, Todoroki possesses both ice and fire abilities. His inner turmoil over his father's past abusive tendencies allows for emotional conflict heaping upon his body.
All Might: The Symbol of Peace, the largest hero alive with incredible powers. However, throughout the series, his vulnerabilities show through, especially while training Midoriya to inherit his mantle.
Animation & Art Style
Studio Bones has been brilliant as far as the animation work on My Hero Academia is concerned. The action scenes are smooth, energetic, and therefore engaging-in big battles, including against the League of Villains, and in the U.A. Sports Festival arc. Detailed fight choreography and Quirk usage do make every punch, kick, or energy blast feel impactful.
It also comes to the character designs, absolutely perfect, in which each hero has a costume designed and tailored to their personality and Quirk. Vibrant colors make everything come alive but make every scene really pop, especially those fighty moments that are some of the most epic in the series.
Story Arcs
Well, one thing I love about My Hero Academia is how it balances high-stakes action with that character development. Some of the best arcs in the series include:
The U.A. Sports Festival Arc: Tournament arc, students fighting to prove their Quirks. Lots of action and emotional moments, especially that Todoroki's emotional breakthrough.
The Hero Killer Stain Arc: This introduces a vigilante villain, Stain, whose extremist views on what constitutes a hero force the young heroes to question their own beliefs.
Shie Hassaikai Arc: Also known as the Overhaul arc, it takes place in the story around a criminal organization and, as you already know, touched on sacrifice and redemption. It is also one of the darker arcs that gives the whole series a more serious tone.
Fun Facts About My Hero Academia
Now that we have a deeper understanding of the series, let's dive into some fun facts that will make your appreciation for MHA even stronger!
All Might was created modelled on American Superheroes: All Might is a direct inspiration from classic American superheroes, especially Superman. Such is the reason he has that enormously exaggerated and muscular body along with a larger-than-life personality.
Originally, Midoriya was to be an Adult: In Horikoshi's early drafts, the latter had written Midoriya as an adult hero who worked as a salaryman. In fact, the concept did change with the passage of time and we ended up having a high school setting and a young protagonist like we see today.
Horikoshi has also put thought into how Quirks would work. For example, in the case of Bakugo, who causes explosions, his hands have glands that excrete nitroglycerin-like sweat fueling the eruptions around his body. This scientific approach makes it even more believable why powers work the way they do.
The ranking order of Class 1-A is designed with an eye on the popularity Horikoshi expected they would hold. That is why characters such as Bakugo and Todoroki are given attention so early in the story, having become fan favorites.
Horikoshi Is a Big Marvel Fan: No one denies that Horikoshi loves Western comic books; in his case, Marvel. His favorite superhero is Spider-Man, and you can see elements of the Spider-Man story of responsibility and growth reflected in Midoriya's journey.
Voice Actor Talent: Nobuhiko Okamoto gives his best voice work to voicing hot-head, as he is known for this type of character, which brings extra oomph to Bakugo's explosive personality. All Might gets the English voice actor in Christopher Sabat, who's also voiced other iconic characters like Vegeta from the popular anime series Dragon Ball Z.
My Hero Academia Spin-off: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes: Is going to fill your MHA cravings. It is a spin-off manga and it deals with the darker and underground half of hero society.
The best part is, they do it with the highs of action-filled plots; the heartwarming moments between heroes and friends; and, on a deeper note, some very nice discussions of heroism, sacrifice, and what it means to truly be "heroic." Long-timers and newcomers alike will find something in this show.
Which arc is your favorite in My Hero Academia? Tell me in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment