Superhero Media: My Hero Academia - Season 1

One of my friends is a huge fan of this programme, so when it popped up on Animelab, I gave it a bit of a go. I came away a little ambivalent, as, whilst there is plenty in My Hero Academia that I enjoy, some of the Anime affectations and tropes really wore on me and reduced the overall impact. I'm well-aware that there is a particular style to Anime and Manga, that creators use cultural and genre shorthand to convey meaning, but sometimes it doesn't sit well with me, personally. In near-future Japan, genetic abnormalities mean that a majority of humans possess super-powers, though many are of limited use. Becoming a superhero is the dream of many, with high schools and universities set up to train for this very career, a role which is regulated by the government. The world's greatest hero, All Might, is the icon of Midoriya, a young man about to enter high school, who, unfortunately, has no powers of his own. 

Midoriya, aka "Deku", is a huge hero fan, keeping detailed diaries of their exploits to better plan for his own career, despite his lack of power. A chance encounter with All Might results in Deku inheriting the legendary hero's power and being trained just in time to pass the entry exam to "UA", the greatest superhero High School in the country. My Hero Academia is full of reversals of fate, with Deku especially saved from dire situations by convenient twists, which is one of the things that bug me about the programme. The implication of the first few episodes is that Deku will get into UA on the basis of his knowledge, much like a heroic take on Prometheus (DC), but once he gets the "All for One" quirk from All-Might, the focus shifts to learning to manage his powers. The analytical intelligence comes back in later episodes, but isn't used all that much. Deku is constantly crying and expecting the worst, which makes him hard for me to identify with, and I find myself waiting for the focus to shift to another character. 

I like the setting of My Hero Academia, with the idea of an academic institution dealing with superheroes and a huge world metahuman population, but the characters and high-school drama grate on me. Deku is more annoying than compelling, though I'm fond of the over-the-top pastiche of All Might and some of the other students, especially Deku's friends. One is a speedster from a family of wealthy speedsters, making an interesting twist on the legacy identity concept, one is a girl who can control gravity and one is a girl with frog-powers. The villains are mostly bland and uninspired, but I've be 'assured' that the second season is a marked improvement. When compared to other Japanese takes on Western Superhero stories, My Hero Academia doesn't feel as thoughtful as K-20 or One Punch Man, which pushed against tradition and societal expectation more; My Hero Academia has a very traditional take on career, expectations and youth in Japanese culture. Whilst I'm not rushing out to find miniatures for these characters, I wouldn't say no to an All Might for Ultimate Alliance or Melee of Champions.