My Hero Academia: Season 1
Episode 1 Review: Izuku Midoriya Origin
Another day, a new anime! While this series isn’t hot off the press, it’s still one of the more recent kids on the block. As seasons have dropped over the past few years, I’ve seen glimpses of characters and action that have given me hints of this anime’s potential offerings. And I’ll admit I’m excited to see if Hero Academia can live up to the hype. I’ve just finished watching Episode 1, so let the journey commence.
World Building (The Map)
Straight away from our opening scene, we see this universe is colorful, high-energy, and pretty comedic. The animation is vibrant and unique. Often animes tend to blend with one another, but the series appears to be establishing its own distinct style.
Per our narrator, the world was spinning amongst the cosmos when, without any known trigger, a baby started glowing soon after birth. A short time after, citizens across the globe similarly begin displaying new unnatural abilities. Earth comes to coin these abilities quirks. During this dawn of the supernatural, criminal activity explodes, and in-kind, heroic citizens rise up to fight the tide. In time, the role of heroes becomes a profession. And with it comes the love of the citizens. In essence, the more successful the hero-> the more significant the pay-> the greater the celebrity status.
And as you guessed, this leads to the show's underlying premise. A boy who wants to be a hero.
Characters (The Travelers)
Our first introduction to our titular character, Izuku Midoriya, is a boy tearfully defending a classmate from a trio of bullies. Although small in stature, he is big in heart. From the get-go, it’s obvious he has the classic Shonen protagonist characteristics of selflessness and righteousness. Despite these Goku-sized qualifications, there’s a massive problem. He doesn’t have a quirk. Not even an atom of it. He falls in the unfortunate 20% of the population who are powerless. Side note, it’s humorous how people with quirks have one less pinky joint. I may or may not have checked my feet after the episode. And is it just me but did the doctor giving the unfortunate news to Izuku and his mom look like Mr. Robotnik but without the extra calories?
Learning Corner: Shonen is a manga/anime that focus on octane, high-energy plots and is typically geared toward the young male audience. I don't think the world got the memo, because they are loved by everybody.
Izuku’s first stop to becoming a hero is to get into U.A. High. An academy for budding students with heroic potential. Without a quirk, this appears unlikely, if not impossible. However, his dream of becoming a hero remains unshakable. And made all the stronger by the reverence he holds for his idol, All Might. A constantly smiling champion who is known as the greatest hero the world has ever seen.
All Might himself makes an appearance when we see a shriveled man transform into a massive, familiar, blonde-haired form to chase down a man with a goo-transforming quirk. As he apprehends this sludge-shaped deviant, he inadvertently saves none other than Izuku Midoriya. Side note, you have to chuckle at how Kohei Horikoshi portrays All Might’s American background. Who calls a punch Texas Smash? I love it. I can’t wait to see more of his moves. Outside of being extremely strong and having a curious transformation, he remains an enigma to us.
Another character that gets an honorable mention in this episode is Katsuki Bakugo. The same little tyrant who beat up Izuku years ago. Top of his class and with a personality just as explosive at his hands, he finds joy in tormenting our quirkless companion. Even going as far as burning Izuku’s journal containing all his latest updates for current heroes (the boy is a fanboy with a capital F). Surprising no one, Katsuki also has the goal of getting into U.A. High. From the onset, he has the characteristics of a classic anime rival. All the ingredients are in the pot. So let's see what we have so far. They're childhood acquaintances, share the same dream, display opposite personalities, and even have different hair colors. Am I missing any? The two are essentially super mild versions of Naruto and Sasuke.
Plot (The Journey)
Soon after the episode begins, Izuku runs into a live battle on his way to school. The ease with which he does so displays the common occurrence of street-level conflict while showcasing a snapshot of heroes and villains that run rampant in this world. While standing with other bystanders, he throws out facts concerning the good-doers who come to save the day. He carries a notebook titled "Hero analysis for the future." So it's obvious even now, he's preparing for his hopeful role as a protector of society. I must admit, it's an excellent method of providing info to the audience without being disruptive or unnatural.
Although he's come to believe that all men are not created equal due to his limitation, he presses through life with the belief his dreams can be accomplished. He directly models himself after All Might, who laughs and pushes forward no matter the trouble. We see this in action during the flashback of little Izuku obsessively watching All Might's initial debut. A video where the smiling giant saves people from burning wreckage while laughingly exclaiming, "It's fine now. Because I am here!"
The purpose of this episode is to set up the meeting between Izuka and All Might. And although the coincidence of their run-in appears improbable, his obsession with his idol makes their encounter seem to be an act of fate. Instead of thanking All Might for saving his life and going about his day, Izuku holds tight to the hero as he jumps away to do whatever heroes do. As Izuku clutches desperately, All Might lands on a nearby roof to rid himself of the fanatic. With his icon before him and feeling as if his entire life has led to this moment, he asks the all-important question, "Even if I don't have a quirk, can I become a hero?"
We are left hanging on the outcome of this chance encounter. But I’m guessing our leading protagonist’s life is about to forever change. Wow, that sounded as cheesy as the smile on All Might’s face.
Thus far, the series is off to a decent start. The synopsis about a world of quirks is straightforward, with tons of story potential. While our main character may be weak, it leaves a margin for growth (physically and emotionally). With a population of heroes, I sense the upcoming cast will be huge. To top it off, the designs, while cartoonish, appear fluid and dynamic. We’ll see how this translates once the action begins but I'm optimistic.
Additionally, the first episode is already setting up a few captivating mysteries. Who exactly is All Might? What in God's name is going on with him? What triggered quirks to come into being? What does U.A. stand for? How is Izuku going to get quirks of his own? Since the episode is titled "Origin Story," I'm sure the answers will come soon enough. I'm now locked in and ready to see where the story goes.