Welcome to Stop>Drop>Watch, an LRM feature where we recommend recent or current TV shows (and movies) you may have missed, stopped watching, or simply want to try out. With DVRs, streaming services, and on-demand it’s easier than ever to discover new stuff, but the amount of content makes it hard to choose what to watch. We’re here to help!
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia was created by Kohei Horikoshi and is a based on where human evolution has finally reached the point of superpowers being the norm in society. With the world filled with superpowered being the creation and the legalization of Superheroes are not too far off. These superpowers are called “Quirks” which everybody is born with all over the world. That is until we meet our main character, Izuku Midoriya who has been inspired by the great hero All Might to become the next greatest hero…. Too bad Izuku just so happens to Quirkless as well.
However, despite this glaring disability Izuku is still determined to find a way to be a hero even without powers. It isn’t until Izuku runs into his childhood idol, All Might, that not only does he discover a big secret about his hero, but also receives a shocking reality check that you can’t really be a hero without power in this day and age. Izuku being crushed chooses to abandon his dream. Luckily, Izuku soon learns that “The call knows where you live.” when he sees his middle school bully/childhood friend is being attacked by a villain. Izuku finds himself, while Quirkless, still running to aid his classmate in danger. This gave All Might a newfound respect for the boy and after saving the two boys, All Might takes back his previous comments and reaffirms Izuku’s hopes that he can indeed become a hero.
Why Should you watch it:
My Hero Academia is an underdog story of how a boy presumed powerless still tries to go against all odds and achieve his dream of being the world’s greatest hero. Izuku breaks the norm of a typical shonen main character (i.e., a character in a show aimed at teen boys). Instead of following the confident, stupid, and naturally strong archetype. Izuku is a clear subversion of these tropes, from the beginning of the show we get a clear idea that Izuku is just a shy hero fanboy that one day wishes to follow in the footsteps of his idols. While it is not common for some shonen characters to start off weak or with a disability. What sets Izuku apart from this is that we clearly see that Izuku lacks the confidence to move forward as we see in episode one that he tries to find some sort of validation in others as to whether or not his dream is possible. This gives Izuku’s character room for growth as the series progress as we see him evolve from the weak hero obsessed nerd he starts out as.
Next, we see the weak aspect of Izuku. While Izuku starts off even below the average person in the show it shows that he has a lot to work on in terms of combat. Unlike most shonen, which usually go into a straight on brawl of who’s the strongest, My Hero Academia tries to change that a little with Izuku and a few other characters in the series. Showing that might isn’t always right, thus this can segway into creative situations for the main characters (especially Izuku) solve problems and overcome certain plateaus showcase their quick wits and ingenuity. Basically, this series shows a lot of varied and interesting characters and their quirks. Which may seem very similar to certain comic book counterparts, but what makes My Hero Academia set them apart is the fact that the series provides creative ways for these characters shine that probably has never been yet. Plus the English dub is probably one of the best I have heard in awhile.
Does the anime hold up to the manga?
Yes and then some. While the manga is a nice piece of fiction I recommend any fan of the superhero genre to read. I can just as equally recommend the anime even if you are already and manga reader. Simply because the anime can range from both a faithful adaptation to a complete improvement to what the original already establish. I can already name a few scenes that did better in the anime than the manga. However, that is for another time. Personally, I fell both the anime and the manga give an amazing experience that should be shared. Although, if you don’t feel like playing catch with the manga then I suggest you try the anime(although you are missing out in the manga).
Who will this appeal to?
With My Hero Academia’s rising popularity, it has already garnered attention from longtime anime fans, especially longtime Shonen fans from the Dragon Ball Era. Not to mention it that the series breaks the traditional mold enough that it could also garner attention from newcomers and casuals onto the scene. Plus with its upcoming release of My Hero Academia’s first movie, the series will just continue to grow till it becomes one of the anime greats next to One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball.
Where Should You Start Watching?
If I managed to convince you into watching this great series Then you should know that My Hero Academia is available for legal streaming at Funimation and Crunchyroll. Currently, the show has three seasons available, with the third when still ongoing at this time. So it’s not late to get invested in this series and share it with others.