There Goes My Hero
After nearly a decade, Shounen Jump’s popular series My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi released its final chapter. I myself did not pick it up until the anime aired, but it was certainly an interesting ride. Now that it’s over, one has to wonder: Did it tell a good story? Were the characters properly developed? Let’s go ahead and take a closer look. And yes: spoilers ahead.
My Hero
Izuku Midoriya, hero name Deku, is one of the most un-shounen-like protagonists in shounen manga. Generally, shounen protagonists are hot-headed, quick-tempered, and vocal about their ideals. Midoriya is quite the opposite. He’s mousey, unassuming, and quirky (kudos if you caught the pun). In a world of super powers, he had none, the underdog of underdogs. This counter-genre choice is one of the reasons he stood out as a protagonist.
Eventually, Midoriya was gifted powers, a quirk called One for All that allowed users to compound and pass on their strengths. While not as flashy as the other abilities in the series, Midoriya’s super strength is powerful, so much so that it shattered his bones the first few times he used it. When it came to ability progression, Horikoshi handled Midoriya’s growth in a genius way. Most shounen protagonists tend to pull new techniques and abilities out of thin air, usually in the middle of a do-or-die situation. In contrast, Midoriya learned how to use his new strength, training his body to withstand the strain and finding new applications to make the power his own. It felt natural and eliminated the deus-ex-machina.
And then…Black Whip manifested. This was the first case of out-of-pocket powers Midoriya received. Horikoshi put a decent spin on it, explaining that the “compounded strength” from past One for All users now included their quirks, too. I can’t say I was completely satisfied with that plot twist, but it made sense and kept in line with Midoriya’s “analyze and reapply” progression.
One of my favorite, consistent qualities Midoriya has is his compassion for others. Despite starting as a bullied child, he chose to protect those who suffered like him rather than retaliating. As my friend Gwen put it years ago, he has an admirable Automatic Kindness (read more here).
Midoriya extends this kindness to many people. The civilians he’s sworn to protect are a given. He’s done much to protect his friends, including going so far as to run solo as a vigilante in order to keep them away from the massive target on his back. He extended a helping, forgiving hand to his childhood bully (whom I’ve talked at length about here). Most surprisingly, he didn’t try to just defeat the villains he fought. He often tried to save them, too.
My Villain
Although not the true Big Bad, Tomura Shigaraki was the main antagonist of the series. He first appeared in a sort of “freak of the week” fashion, but as he garnered more allies and grew in power and influence, he became a bigger threat.
Aside from his introduction and a kidnapping incident, much of Shigaraki’s actions were built up behind the scenes, revealed in small snippets. We got momentary glimpses of him and his cohorts, like a looming, ever-present threat. Towards the latter half, however, the narrative focused on him in the infamous My Villain Academia arc. Everyone in his posse grew in power and resolve. Afterward, they became the biggest world threat.
Now, I’m sure those familiar with the series would question my antagonist claim. “What about All for One? He was the mastermind behind Shigaraki. Isn’t he the true antagonist?” Yes, he is the true Big Bad, but that doesn’t mean he was the main antagonist. The antagonist is the one who gets in the protagonist’s way the most. That doesn’t mean they need to be the true Big Bad.
Take Samuel Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones in the 1993 movie The Fugitive. Gerard was a federal agent tasked with capturing protagonist Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford). He wasn’t a bad guy. He wasn’t related to the true Big Bad. He was just a guy doing his job. However, because that job meant getting in the way of Kimble’s search for his wife’s murderer, Gerard was the main antagonist.
Therefore, even though he inevitably became a vessel for All for One’s machinations, Shigaraki was the main antagonist of the series. All for One was the world’s enemy. Shigaraki was Midoriya’s, the protagonist’s, enemy.
As is common in many protagonist-antagonist relationships, Shigaraki and Midoriya were reflections of each other. They had similar circumstances, but ultimately made different decisions.
*Childhood Fascinations with Heroes
—Shigaraki looked up to his hero grandmother
—Midoriya idolized All Might
*Abused
—Shigaraki’s anti-hero father beat him
—Midoriya was bullied by Bakugo
*Traumatized
—Shigaraki accidentally killed his family
—Midoriya was deemed quirkless, crushing his dreams of becoming a hero
*Taken Under a Mentor’s Wing
—All for One picked up Shigaraki
—All Might trained Midoriya
*Brought People Together
—Shigaraki and the League of Villains
—Midoriya and Class 1-A
While their teachers were a major influence, Shigaraki and Midoriya responded to their histories in different ways. Shigaraki succumbed to the pain and chose to take it out on the world. Midoriya understood his pain and wanted to save others from theirs. This is why Midoriya tried to save Shigaraki, too. He empathized with him and tried multiple times to pull him out, despite many claiming he was beyond hope.
My Story
There were many notable plot arcs within the series that showcased the growth of heroes and villains alike. Although it was a superhero action story, Horikoshi blended it with school life moments, such as sports competitions and study camps. Every moment in the series, including the slower, lighter ones, gave the characters time to develop and progress.
Season 4 of the anime had an interesting blend of the two genre facets. First, Midoriya and the heroes rescued a little girl named Eri from a yakuza with the moniker Overhaul. It detailed her abusive treatment and the sacrifices it took to save her from a terrible situation. The second half of Season 4 covered the cultural festival, where Midoriya and Class 1-A put together a concert.
When I read these two arcs in the manga, I figured the cultural festival was a breather section after the tense battle with Overhaul. Tension and Release need to go hand in hand when it comes to story writing. However, when Season 4 of the anime aired, I questioned why they would pair these two events together. Why not end the season with the epic showdown with Overhaul and start the next season with the light-hearted cultural festival?
Then I got to Episode 23, when Class 1-A performed their original song. All we got in the manga were silent, celebratory still-shots, so I didn’t understand the impact. Hearing the music and watching the action play out hit differently. It also revealed something I didn’t catch when I first read it. Take a look.
Did you see it? At the climax of the song, Overhaul’s looming shadow was blown away, and Eri had this massive smile on her face. It was only after watching this that I realized why the producers decided to end the season with the cultural festival. Eri had been rescued, but she still suffered from Overhaul’s influence. It wasn’t until the concert that she was truly saved.
My Thoughts
And now, the burning question: Now that the series is over, was I satisfied with the way it ended?
Honestly, my feelings are mixed (cue major ending spoilers).
While not as hardcore as other fans, I will admit to being a casual shipper. I like seeing how character relationships develop and try to predict who has good chemistry with who. Several relationships were heavily hinted at, especially Ochako Uraraka’s feelings for Midoriya all throughout the series. However, we didn’t really get to see anything laid out at the end. Sure, we had a heartwarming scene of Midoriya claiming Uraraka was “his hero,” but nothing to truly confirm they became an item. Apparently, there were some “blink and you’ll miss it” details in the final chapter, such as two members of Class 1-A having their hero offices right next to each other, but, again, nothing clear and concrete. Yes, I was bummed, but I have to remember that this is a superhero story, not a romance one.
On the plus (ultra) side, Midoriya had a wonderful there-and-back-again moment. He ran into a young, insecure boy who asked if he could become a hero despite his lackluster quirk. Midoriya had witnessed him try to aid someone, even though he didn’t have the chops to do so. He saw himself in that boy. With a big smile, he told him the same thing All Might told him years ago;: “You can be a hero.” It was a beautiful use of book-ending.
Lastly, I felt somewhat lied to. In the very first chapter, and almost every episode of Season 1, Midoriya declared that this was the tale of “my becoming a top hero” or “the world’s number one hero,” depending on the translation. We all boarded the train to see Midoriya’s words come true. Technically, they did, but not in the way we expected. At the close of the final chapter, in a moment of reverie, Midoriya declares in his inner monologue, “And that’s the story of how we all became the greatest heroes.” Sure, there’s something to be said about his focus shifting from self to all, but it cheapened the tagline we wanted to see fulfilled.
Nevertheless, I can say My Hero Academia was an entertaining read. I felt inspired by Midoriya’s Automatic Kindness and desire to save everyone. I was blown away by the way Horikoshi interwove superhero action with school life shenanigans. Maybe I’m bittersweet because I didn’t get everything on my personal checklist, but that doesn’t mean this was a bad story. There is still plenty to enjoy, and now that it’s complete, you can spend time binging it from start to finish.
That’ll be it from me, everyone. Go beyond. Plus Ultra!
