My Hero Academia Season 4 was a very diverse season, but at the same time, in my perception, it was one of the most intense and focused. It had several overarching narrative threads that spanned the entire season: firstly, the story of Eri and how she slowly reintegrates into society, overcoming her trauma; secondly, the development of the world in the post-All-Might era and how the world adjusts with its new number one hero, Endeavor, and how Endeavor accepts this role. Accordingly, I found that the different segments of the season fit well together and seamlessly transitioned into each other through this overarching narrative: the school festival was a self-contained arc, but with Eri's presence, it was linked to the previous storyline, similar to the final battle of Endeavor. In this aspect, the season had a stronger focus than Seasons 1-3. Moreover, it was relatively intense, especially due to the detailed depiction of Eri's rescue mission, incorporating many character moments. There was only one part that I didn't like as much, and that was the Mirio vs. Overhaul fight because it was somewhat oddly choreographed. However, the emotional investment was still there, and that's what really sets this season apart: as I mentioned in the first season, every conflict feels personal. The characters are fighting for something fundamentally important to them, often for a person who simultaneously personifies their abstract hero ideals, making each conflict meaningful.

Accordingly, the composition of the season was excellent. Not only were the animations a significant improvement, except for that one fight, there were also several insert songs played in the background that enhanced the scenes emotionally. Eri was the perfect character to characterize Deku and Mirio, highlighting how closely aligned they are regarding their ideals and dreams, and how similar Mirio is to All Might. But even the other character moments, especially Eijiro during his fight and Shoto as he watched his father, finally allowing himself to embrace his emotions for him, were strong. Other characters did get a bit less screen time this time, but that was due to the season's strong focus. Therefore, the school festival was a good addition, allowing more passive characters like Kyoka to come to the forefront, and giving us another glimpse of Bakugo's somewhat more tame side, which was hinted at towards the end of the last season. Nonetheless, the villains of the season were somewhat disappointing for me.

Overhaul lacked some complexity, and his goal made little sense, but he fit the mood of the arc and served as a fantastic obstacle on the way to saving Eri. The same cannot be said for Gentle, although he is not a bad character: his relationship with La Brava and how they found solace in each other, as two lost people providing support, was very touching. In principle, a more fun and cartoonish villain also fits into the series. The problem was how serious the conflict was for Deku, who was determined to make Eri smile and feared the impact it would have on the mental state of others if another school event was disrupted. This makes sense for his character, but the contrast between Deku and Gentle made their conflict tonally inconsistent, especially since it was unclear what goals Gentle was actually pursuing and they seemed very far from the same fundamental needs that Deku was striving for. This is a shame because, especially in the second part of the fight, where Gentle starts fighting for La Brava, there is a beautiful parallel between him and Deku, with Deku having to fight someone antagonistic who has the same emotional drive as he does.

I am very interested in Endeavor's further fate. His struggle with his role, even asking his old rival All Might for help to become a symbol like him, while seeking his own authenticity, showed all his inner turmoil and greatly elevated his character, which was also evident in his final fight, where he raised the victory pose like All Might.

Overall, I found the season very good again. Although it didn't have the same strong character moment as the end of the third season, it was better and more harmoniously written as a whole season, pursuing a clearer goal between the first and last episodes, which paid off in the end. Next up is the second movie and then, perhaps, Season 5 over the weekend.