Just when I thought I would have to wait for the final season of My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes made its series premiere on Crunchyroll on April 7. Directed by Kenichi Suzuki and animated by Bones Film, this new series takes place five years before Izuku Midoriya enters U.A. High School. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an adaptation of the original manga by Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kouhei Horikoshi. It follows Koichi Haimawari, a college student who gave up his dream of becoming a hero. One day, his life changes when he and Pop☆Step, a singer, are recruited to be vigilantes by the vigilante Knuckleduster.
I haven’t read the manga yet, but as a fan of the main series, my one expectation is whether or not My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can bring out the same excitement I felt when I watched the main series. I’m not too worried about the animation since Bones is continuing to animate the franchise and this spin-off series. What I am hoping for is whether these new heroes and their story will be able to catch my attention.
There Are New Heroes in Town
The first two episodes of Vigilantes are more of an introduction to the world and our heroes: Koichi Haimawari, Pop☆Step, and Knuckleduster. The first episode introduces us to the world of heroes, villains, and quirks, all in My Hero Academia fashion. The difference is that we see it through Koichi’s narrative. In the second episode, we see our new heroes in action as they stop a villain using a drug called Trigger.
After the first episode’s narration, the show immediately introduces us to Koichi, then Pop☆Step, and then later Knuckleduster. Out of the three main heroes we are introduced to, Pop☆Step hasn’t stood out to me yet, and all I could take away from her is that she is a singer with a Quirk called Leap. Knuckleduster stood out to me more than Pop☆Step as a master or teacher who thinks everything can be solved by punching people and fighting all the time. Perhaps my opinion of them may change, but at this point, they do not stand out to me, and I see them as supporting characters.
Koichi is probably the character who stands out the most and will probably be the character I like in the series, partly because he is the underdog and I cheer for underdog protagonists. Koichi once aspired to be a hero, but has since given up his dream of becoming one and instead does lots of small volunteer work. He then turns into a vigilante, using his quirk to help people and stop villains. Koichi reminds me a lot of Izuku — with the exception of having a quirk — with how they aspire to be heroes, want to help people regardless of whether they are licensed or not, and they both look up to All Might and have a jacket based on him. Despite the similarities in exposition, Koichi does have different qualities from Izuku. One of them is that he is not a Quirk nerd, and the way he uses his Quirk. The second episode showcases his potential as a hero when he uses his quirk to help Pop☆Step. Regardless of their similarities and differences, I like Koichi just as much as I like Izuku. Overall, I’m excited to see how much Koichi will grow during the series.
© H. Furuhashi, BETTEN. C, K. Horikoshi/SHUEISHA, Vigilante Project
When it comes to the dynamic between the three main characters, it’s obvious to me what roles they will play in the future. Pop☆Step will be the brains of the team with how she’s able to help gather intel, Knuckleduster will be the brawn since he’s done the most fighting so far, and Koichi will be the third member to hold the team together, and maybe possibly more. I could also tell which of the members would get the most action, depending on the situation at hand, especially from what I saw in the second episode. While it would be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out in future fights, I hope that each character gets a chance to shine so we don’t see them doing the same thing.
In terms of the story, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes was entertaining and what I would expect from a spin-off of My Hero Academia. While the first half of the first episode was an introduction to the characters, it immediately jumped right into the story. By the second episode, our heroes were already in action and were fighting villains. The two episodes were packed with comedic moments, such as Knuckleduster trying to punch someone while Koichi tried to stop him, and some hero action from fighting a villain or even a pro-hero. There will be many clashes between the pro-heroes and Koichi’s team, and it will be exciting to see what those clashes will bring. Being able to see heroes from the main series, such as All Might and Eraser Head, was also a big plus. I am excited to see more cameo appearances of other heroes in future episodes.
© H. Furuhashi, BETTEN. C, K. Horikoshi/SHUEISHA, Vigilante Project
Final Thoughts
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is what I would expect as a spin-off of My Hero Academia. From the very first episode, Vigilantes has hooked me with its story about Koichi and the gang doing hero work illegally. Seeing a whole different side of the My Hero Academia world besides the usual hero versus villain was a great idea. I’m still unsure of how I feel about the three main characters, but hopefully, that will change once more episodes come out. The best part is that you do not need to know anything about the main series, making it perfect for people who haven’t seen the main series. With more heroes appearing, I am excited to see where this story may lead.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
