Boku no Hero Academia: A Fangirl’s Review

Boku no Hero Academia makes the superhero high school dreams you never had come true.

I feel like its become a habit that I chance upon anime pretty late in the game. About a year late it seems! As I’m writing this (16/9/18), season three of Boku no Hero Academia is being aired, and I only started watching season one late last year (2017). I haven’t seen any of the new episodes in season three, but that’s only because I like to wait for episodes to finish airing so I can BINGGGEE. (edit 14/1/19: I’ve binged season three and it was FIYAH!!! 🔥🔥🔥)

Anyway as youge, here’s a spoiler-free review of Boku no Hero Academia. Just gotta say, I have a weakness for Shounen anime with growth! character development! and BL potential! so prepare for subjective opinions!

 Plot Perspective

The first thing that stood out to me in Boku no Hero is the unique setting the story takes place in. I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything if I get into the specifics of Horikoshi Kouhei’s genius idea in creating the manga and the incredibly unique world-building skills , but just in case, I’ll avoid mentioning even the smallest plot details. But just because it’s in the title of the anime, I don’t think it’s a spoiler if I say this anime involves superheroes. 

I’m not sure how to approach this review, because while I can acknowledge that this anime is probably too simple and the plot too easily-digestible, I cannot deny that there’s something very charming about Boku no Hero, even in its simplicity. When you were a child, what was your dream? If you’re a working adult like I am right now, did you achieve your dream? Screw dat, did you even chase your dream? 

Boku no Hero satisfies a part of me that still clings onto the idea that as long as you work hard, you can achieve your dream. I promise I’m not being fatalistic, but I don’t think everyone has had the opportunity to chase their dream. The childish glee that comes with becoming one step closer to your goal is perfectly represented in this anime. I couldn’t help but root for Midoriya Izuku each time! He’s such a wholesome bean! I want him to achieve his dreams! 

Even though it’s been about two years since I watched season one of Boku no Hero, I still remember my friend and I sobbing quietly multiple times throughout the first three episodes. Then again, it might’ve just been me who was sobbing. I can’t remember. I cry as soon as I see someone else cry, fictional or otherwise.

Sure, Boku no Hero is a classic Shounen anime at its roots; it utilises the common Shounen trope of “I must get stronger so I can be the best in the whole wide world/protect the ones I love!”, but is that so bad? It’s hard to hide the feeling of excitement when we get to witness characters overcoming an obstacle (especially when the odds are stacked up against them) and becoming stronger. I am weak to it! I admit it!

The overarching theme of justice is pretty prevalent throughout the anime, and surprisingly, the show has some dark aspects. I wouldn’t say it had anything that teens wouldn’t be able to handle, but I think the way Boku no Hero approaches those darker concepts of life and death were a refreshing change to the pace of the show.

Characters and Relationships

By far my #1 favourite thing about this anime is rival and resident angry dandelion Bakugou Katsuki. His catchphrases are “DIE!” and “*insert insulting nickname for all other characters because he can’t be bothered to call them by their name*” My precious explo-demon-child, Bakugou Katsuki is the greatest gift to this show. And yes, I do love both him and my other child Midoriya Izuku equally, I just love Bakugou more! But wait…

Never mind! Who cares! Who says we can’t have a favourite child?

Bakugou and Midoriya’s relationship can be pretty much summed up by calling them “rivals”. Catching up to your rival because you admire them is pretty common in Shounen anime, but because of their… shall we say… “history”, the Bakugou and Midoriya relationship is very dynamic and multidimensional. There’s a theme that emphasises personal growth, redemption, and pride. Some “boke”s might just say Bakugou is selfish or a bully, but those people would be wrong to assume that Bakugou Katsuki exists for the sole reason of being a plot-device as the rival for Midoriya Izuku. Personal growth is one of the themes of this anime, and if people cannot recognise that the most rewarding thing about life (and anime) is growth, then poo! 💩 They probably don’t know how to see characters as whole individuals with thoughts of their own.

(I suppose you can guess who I ship then 😁 Some Americans aren’t fans of the Midoriya/Bakugou ship, and it’s apparently the Japanese that ship them as one of the top 20 couples in the WHOLE OF JAPAN. LIKE WHUT?? THIS INCLUDES HET COUPLES YOU KNOW?? I’m so glad. 😌 Thank you to the Japanese OGs fighting the good fight lol)

Another character worth spotlighting is All Might. Midoriya’s relationship with All Might is truly “aww”-worthy. If you can find someone else who is more on the side of justice, or more caring of every human being, hit me up. Because there’s no way anyone can compare to All Might. All Might is our hero. All Might is our saviour. But most of all, All Might is our dad. And I’m going to leave it at that.

Most of the characters in Boku no Hero are well written, even if there are so many and not enough time can be dedicated to them all equally. Their relationships with Midoriya hasn’t developed much, but alone, the non-main characters do well enough to stand on their own. Most of them are written in a way where they’re not just props for the main characters development.

I have a fondness for all the Boku no Hero protagonists EXCEPT one. In the interest of keeping this spoiler-free, I’m just going to leave these initials for one of my most hated characters of all time: M. M.

Just thinking about him makes me disgusted. *shudders*

Special recognition to Aizawa-sensei who is a professional deadpan sensei, Kirishima who is the BEST BRO, and Shouto who is basically a clueless but powerful lil boi that needs to be protected at all costs.

Art and Animation

I was initially not very fond of the American-style art. It was something I just got used to, I suppose. It’s an anime, but the animation reads a bit like a comic book and I wasn’t fond of that. But maybe you’ll enjoy that style! It’s certainly uncommon!

The animators did a wonderful job of animating every movement into magnificent fluidity and precision. And I have to give them kudos that while the art style was not to my tastes, their work was visually spectacular. You can tell the animation was done by a bunch of pros who put in a lot of effort into the colour designs and fluid panelling. 

The fight scenes tho. Like daaaaamn those were definitely the animation highlights of this show. Studio Bones did such a magical job I get lost for words when I see animation this good:

Overall, the animation was great! At certain parts the art itself was a bit too quirky and exaggerated for my tastes, but I can appreciate the well-developed animation!

Worth it?

Boku no Hero was cute and simple and hype-y and sometimes, a bit dark. I can see how this easily appeals to the younger crowd, but for my more mature anime watchers *cough*adults*cough*, I think you too could gain a lot from this anime.

So is it worth the watch? Doi!

WORTH IT.

Feel like recommending similar anime you think I’ll like? Leave me a comment below!

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(#bakudeku fo life beech)