This review contains some spoilers.
In general, my experience with My Hero Academia has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. In 2021, when I first started watching the show, I was not impressed. I had just finished the first season which has 13 episodes and was almost ready to abandon the remaining 75 episodes. I felt the show was overly ordinary and clichéd, constantly trying to evoke emotional responses or pump me up but failing to do so. The only aspect of the show that kept me going was its music. Most other stuff were complete failures.
However, just when I was about to give up, a friend of mine stepped in and advised me to continue watching. He told me that the series gets much better and that I should give it a chance. Taking his word for it, I decided to continue watching and...
I am glad that I did. Well, I don't think it's very good but, definitely the sequel of the series was a worth mentioning upgrade.
Despite my initial criticisms of season one, I must admit that season two was a significant improvement. Yes, the unoriginality and cliché elements of the show remained, but the main and character storylines were finally developed, making for a more compelling viewing experience. Most importantly, the action scenes in season two were presented in an exciting and thrilling manner unlike the first season and maybe, with slightly improved animation.
I also believe that season two featured two of the top three arcs in the entire series, covering the entire season. These arcs drew me to the mha universe and its characters to some extent.
Going into season three, I had expectations of course, filled with anticipation, curiosity, and a little excitement. And... I was not disappointed. I wasn't an upgrade honestly, but it didn't get worse either. It was delivering a highly exhilarating "Hideout Raid" arc, which I believe to be the best in the entire series. In addition to this standout arc, there were also a few smaller, passable storylines. Overall, while it failed to top the previous season, season 3 lived up to my expectations and fueled my curiosity for the continuation of the series.
So what's the problem? If I'm pleased, why am I comparing my opinion of the series to a roller coaster ride?
Sadly, things are getting worse.
Seasons 4 and 5 are the reason why my opinion of My Hero Academia has been so inconsistent. While season 4 was generally mediocre in quality (comparable to the first season, although the story was vastly different), it was season 5 that really tested my commitment to the series. If the season hadn't covered that "My Villain Academia" arc, I might have given up on the show, unlike the first season and in that case, I would not probably listen to my friend. (By the way, I blame those who compare the "U.A Sports Festival" arc in Season 2 with "Joint Training". They are on very different levels.)
By this point, it's likely that you noticed my cautious approach to season 6. Due to my inconsistent experience with the series (sometimes good, sometimes bad), I was wary about what to expect from the latest season. The series had been frustrating and disappointing at times, but then redeemed itself, only to falter again. I was at a point where I needed the new season to clean things up, if not, I would have given up on the series entirely.
Thankfully, season 6 manages to redeem itself and right the ship. It is able to clean things up and return to form up to a point, delivering a needed improvement after a few subpar seasons. While I'm happy to say that I like My Hero Academia again, even if it's still not on the level of the second or third season, it made me wonder what could happen next in the series after a long time. (Wow, this paragraph is more positive than it should be. In the end, mha is just an okay ordinary shounen.)
(Except for the part so far and texts I wrote in italic font, the review covers the first 17 episodes, that is the entire "Paranormal Liberation War" war and "Tartarus Escapers" as I watch them. So the tone of the review may vary in that paragraphs).
Following the conclusion of Season 5, which contained a considerable amount of filler material, and the "My Villain Academia" arc was introduced. This arc deviated from the primary storyline and instead placed a greater emphasis on exploring the backstories and character development of the series' villains, especially Tomura Shigaraki. Despite this departure from the main narrative, the arc was surprisingly fine (not great though), and the sole reason why season 5 isn't bad and watchable. I won't dwell on it too much as it's not the main topic. I'm saying that just in case you're worried that Season 6 is relatively unimportant like season 5 and you're not sure about watching it.
Don't worry about it.
Finally, with season 6, mha tells the climax of the main story so far, and that's what the show needed apparently. I won't sum up the story of this season. If you want it, go to the season's anilist page, or ask it to google.
Let's talk about the story now. Is it any good? Well, when it comes to My Hero Academia, story is a thing that I don't pay much attention to therefore don't delve into it in detail. In my opinion, there wasn't anything that particularly bothered me or felt overly negative, nor was there anything that stood out as exceptionally good and praiseworthy. Rather, the story seemed to be relatively ordinary, with the typical portrayal of good guys and bad guys fighting and shouting at each other. This is not to say that the story is necessarily bad, but rather that it did not stand out to me in either a positive or negative way.
To talk about what I've seen so far, Undoubtedly, the latest battle between the villains and the heroes in My Hero Academia presents us with the most challenging battle that they have ever faced. However, the storyline also delves into several aspects that are not the primary focus of the series. For instance, it explores the conflict between Tomura and All for One, shedding light on their complex relationship, also it reveals the truth about Endeavour, who is on his way to becoming a symbol similar to All Might, suddenly falling out with the people because of the secrets his son Toya (Dabi) has just revealed. These plot elements provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the characters and their motivations, while also adding a little bit of complexity and depth to the overall story.
The biggest disappointment I have about story or action is that when it comes to the greatest battle, I expected the most epic fight scenes the whole series ever had. I had anticipated an epic showdown between Tomura and the heroes, with the classic Good versus Evil conflict. But unfortunately, I think the One for All vs All for One, even the Deku versus Shoto battle in the "U.A. Sports Festival," was more engaging and exciting, especially during the climax. Action-wise, I feel that the quality of Season 6 is fairly comparable to Season 4, (story is whole another story of course). Given the magnitude and importance of the battle, I would say that Season 6 is slightly better than 4, and 5 for sure, although my overall expectations for the most significant battle were not fully met.
But is that all the series is about? It's just a typical battle shonen where the good guys and the bad guys fight each other relentlessly. Didn't it tell a different story?
It told a couple of times, actually. But the best one was the "Vs. Hero Killer" arc.
It was a story about a man who challenges the notion that those who are labeled as heroes are truly deserving of that title. This character engages in a struggle with other heroes in order to promote his own unique understanding of what it means to be a hero, utilizing his own methods and ideology in the process. Along the way, he attracts a following of "villains" who are influenced by his ideas. This arc was unique in that it presented a questioning of the traditional binary between good and evil. While I wouldn't classify this storyline as particularly great or exceptional, Although it doesn't go into detail philosophically (Even though the subject matter is very favorable to it) , it did evoke emotions and reactions that I was not expecting to experience while watching My Hero Academia.
The reason why I'm telling you this is because I expect the rest of season to have a story that adds a different flavor to it. Even if it's not like "Vs. Hero Killer", it can be a more character-driven arc that takes its time rather than being a classic good vs. evil battle. I hope the "Dark Hero" arc will be like this.
How selfish people are.
The "Dark Hero" arc is one of the best in My Hero Academia. Although the action dosage is lower than "Paranormal Liberation War", it is fuller, more emotional and more important.
I think it would not be wrong to divide Arc into two parts, vs. Lady Nagant and vs. Class A. I have to say that while I was bored in vs. Lady Nagant, I was really surprised in vs. Class A. The phrase "Mha is nothing more than an ordinary shonen" that I wrote throughout the review doesn't really apply to this arc, and there are certain reasons for that.
The loss of public faith in heroes in "Paranormal Liberation War" is more emphasized here. People protest against the heroes, instead of relying on them for protection they build their own water defense systems, some bandit for resources, others take out their anger on heroes they perceive as weak. Those who still believe in heroes are ostracized, rejecting the offers of heroes who innocently want to help, either out of fear or distrust.
In short, the atmosphere has turned to sh*t. This is the first time My Hero Academia has dealt with this sh*tty atmosphere in such a dramatic and moral way. In the final episodes, when Midoriya is brought to the U.A., the refugees there strongly oppose his return, saying that he is wanted by the bad guys and that he could be a threat to them if he stays here. That's why I say how selfish people are. When there has been a great defeat, when cities have been destroyed, when heroes have died along with civilians, when everyone has been taken to a "safe" haven by heroes, people still blame it all on the heroes and the government.
What I mean is the lack of solidarity. The people are busy denouncing the heroes, but it is the heroes who work for solutions, not them. The heroes who do everything, who try to make things right, endure the cries of an irresponsible and selfish public.
I'm not sure how realistic this is, but dramatically it's good. I think the people who have been grateful to the heroes as their protectors as they should be for so many episodes, then yelling and screaming at them this time, crying over their losses, and so on, are handled deeply enough for an "ordinary battle shonen". At the same time, it was unusual to see the heroes, who are often energetic and gassed, "Let's blow these a**holes up", "Come on, b*tches!", in a miserable state.
Let me say it again. These themes are not overly dramatic, deep or emphasized. I would say they are just above the standard. Also, even though the fact that the people's trust in the heroes, especially Midoriya, was restored towards the end, partly because of Uraraka's emotional speech, completely destroyed the shitty atmosphere that had been built up to that point; the part until the end was more than enough for me.
In this season, the characters felt somewhat different. I did not find myself getting bored with characters that I never liked and cared about, despite some of them suffered unexpected losses that evoked sympathy, Bubaigawara is the main one here. Also, some characters were given more prominent roles than usual, like Toya, while the U.A. students, played more background roles. If there were any new characters introduced in this season, I didn't even notice them, probably because I wasn't really interested in them . Overall, my opinion of the characters in this season is a bit positive. Additionally, it felt good to get rid of the mediocre shonen-type comedy on characters this season.
I've got to say that I'm not a fan of My Hero Academia's visual style. Whether it's the bright color palette used even in the most intense moments, the linearity of the drawing style, or the smoothness and frame count of the animation in general, it falls below most of mainstream battle shounen standards, which I don't understand, because I know the problem is not with the studio that making the series. Considering the scenes they did in Mob Psycho 100, which can be considered a side project of Bones compared to Mha, I think it doesn't make sense that the animation quality being so mediocre in the series is their main material. (Maybe transferring some of the team from Mob Psycho to Mha while Mob Psycho is finished can fix this issue).
And it's not just Mob Psycho. Bones also personally produced Bungou Stray Dogs and The Case Study of Vanitas. Even though I don't know much about the production process of an anime series, I assume that these 4 series were largely made at the same time. In this case, it seems really strange that My Hero Academia looks worse than all the other anime. I'm not saying it should be much better, but if it was at least as good as one of these, it would be enough (because the others are good). You can say that the crews are different, I wish they had assigned the most qualified crew to Mha then. Or let me put it this way, maybe it would have been better for them if they handed Mha over to the best team. As I said, I know very little about this process, I might be rambling.
You know, they had their times for it. Because Mha previously had a gap of one year between two seasons, then increased this to 1,5 year with Season 4. And yet, when I thought Season 2 and 3 had the best animations in the series (though they weren't that great either), I wondered if there had been some changes in the part of the studio that handles animation and art design, maybe the new team might not be as good as before. It doesn't look like that. Although I haven't researched it in too much detail, it looks like the staff has mostly stayed the same. In this case, there's not so much to tell. For some reason, My Hero Academia got a slight downgrade in terms of animation and maybe art direction. Even Season 5, which was made during Covid's peak, doesn't fall below Season 6, but rather stands out by a few frames.
Maybe the stuff they tried in World Heroes' Mission, where the camera angle moves smoothly and (honestly, I couldn't find a way to explain this clearly, but for you to understand, there is a lot of this between 52:05-53:04 minutes of the movie. I couldn't find the video link), but they didn't use it here. Every scene is from the classic fixed camera angle, or like a slideshow moving in one direction. It's not a bad thing, This is already standard, but because of seeing what they did in the movie, I think the studio wasted a bit of its potential again.
To sum up, the color palette used in the series, the fps in the animations, the effects, etc. are nowhere near the level of Demon Slayer (ufotable) or Chainsaw Man (Mappa), and that's not the problem. The main issue is that it's not very good even compared to the general standard, and most importantly, it's slightly downgraded in itself. They also chose not to use some of the experimental styles they did in the last movie.
Fortunately, my opinion is more positive when it comes to sound. The voices are still good. Most of the time they speak in a very tense tone and shout, and there's nothing wrong with that. Battle Shounen are all like that (Chainsaw Man comes to mind now, as an exception). It's just the usual. But the music might be my favorite thing about Mha in general. If you remember, in the first paragraph of the review, I already said that the first season couldn't hold me in anything except the music. Music in mha is the crucial factor in making what should be epic scenes truly epic (along with the voiceovers) . It is the most important aspect that makes the show stand out and adds to the emotional impact of the series.
In addition to the music that played during the epic scenes, there were other tracks in the series that did not leave a lasting impression on me. In comparison to other battle shounen series, such as Naruto that holds the crown here, the background music in My Hero Academia did not have the same impact. However, there were two tracks that have remained my favorites since the first season: "My Hero Academia" and "君はヒーローになれる" (Kimi wa Hero ni Nareru), both epic if you noticed.
About the openings and endings, so far I've not paid attention to the endings in any anime except Chainsaw Man, but I have some idea about the openings, and Mha's openings... They're fine. But that's it.
In this case, I want to talk about the entire series, not just season 6. About videos, I have noticed that many of them tend to have a slow-paced beginning. The footage gradually introduces the primary and supporting characters of the series in a sequential fashion, while also providing glimpses of the storyline's direction and new characters. However, once the song reaches its crescendo, the video becomes more dynamic, featuring action scenes and battles between various characters. It's a standardized format for most of the openings, with the majority of the songs supporting this structure. Typically, the songs commence with a calm and measured tone after a short intro part, with the climax occurring in the late first minute or early second minute. My favorite song-wise is the first opening, the day (porno graffitti), but I'm not sure about my favorite video. I think I'll go with "the day" again.
I didn't expect the review to be this long, I think it's because I've talked a bit about the previous seasons. I was expecting around 6k characters, like my other reviews that don't exist anymore, but it turned out to be up to 16k. Wow, I almost tripled it. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Finally, after a long wait, we can say that "My Hero Academia is back!" i guess. To be honest, I was apprehensive about the continuation of the series, particularly after the disappointment I felt with the "Paranormal Liberation War" arc. However, just like in the second season, the show managed to captivate me with unexpected elements that go beyond the typical shonen anime formula.
At the beginning, the series followed the classic trope of a battle between good and evil, but as the season progressed, it delved deeper and offered a memorable final act that was both dramatic and protest. I hope we will see something more developed in every sense next season and I can say that I like Mha with peace of mind.
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