Summary
My Hero Academia creates a world where superpowers are common, flipping the script on the typical superhero story. The heroes in My Hero Academia are flawed and relatable, demonstrating maturity and imperfection. My Hero Academia is refreshingly honest and straightforward, depicting All Might and Deku's struggles in a unique and relatable way.
My Hero Academy is just one of many superhero anime that have become global phenomena over the past decade. The genre is quite rich, with other famous series included One Punch Man and Sailor Moon. With Marvel and DC creating a major cultural resurgence over the past decade with their respective film adaptations, it makes sense for anime to explore the genre as well.
My Hero Academia, created by Kohei Horikoshi, takes the idea of a world filled with superheroes and adds a fun and unique twist to it. making it different from any other superhero anime out there. Characters in anime possess “traits” which are extraordinary abilities similar to the powers of a typical superhero. Some examples include explosions, healing, flying, and mind control, among many other creative skills.
However, the world of My Hero Academia is unique because, Instead of superpowers being an anomaly, they are very common. Only 20% of people in the series' universe do not possess one of these abilities.
My Hero Academia creates a world where superpowers are the norm
This is the opposite of a stereotypical superhero story, wildly distorting the conventions of the genre.
It is considered unusual for someone to not have superpowers in My Hero Academia. This is completely opposite of the usual superhero story format popularized by other manga and comics where powers like these are extremely limited and available only to a select few. What's surprising is that the main character, Izuku Midoriya, has no special traits from the beginning of the story. He wasn't born with the abilities that most people his age have, leaving him feeling depressed and having no chance of achieving his dream of becoming his idol All Might by becoming the best hero in the world..
Deku then inherited One For All from All Might, eventually giving him his own powers. However, another big change My Hero Academia made was shows the flaws and humble beginnings of all its heroes, acknowledge their imperfections. In cartoons, comics, and other superhero movies, the characters often appear huge and perfect, almost reaching a divine level far beyond the normal level of humanity. This is one of My Hero Academia's greatest strengths: its heroes are extremely relatable and, to some extent, seem closer to everyday people. The main character begins the story without superpowers, and even when he gains superpowers, he still has to undergo extensive training to use it properly.
The heroes in My Hero Academia are both flawed and understandable
No character is perfect; even the greatest hero, All Might
In the manga, Deku has not yet fully mastered One For All, showing his constant state of growth and development and the importance of hard work over natural talent, which is another important theme in My Hero Academia. In other series, characters are often born with inherent, unshakable powers. For example, One-Punch Man's Saitama and Jujutsu Kaisen's Gojo Satoru are gods with power and expertise at a level no human can comprehend. But My Hero Academia is more realisticand offers an easy-to-understand look at how humans can cope with the power of disruption and the challenges that will follow.
Even All Might, the strongest hero in the My Hero Academia universe idolized by everyone, is not without his faults. He reveals to Deku that he can only use One For All for three hours a day. If he exceeds this time, he will become tired, his body will become skinny, and he will lose the massive muscle mass he possesses in his superhero form. The series isn't afraid to show off All Might's moments of weaknessunable to use his Quirk and struggles internally with not living up to society's view of him as indestructible.
My Hero Academia is more honest and straightforward than other superhero stories
The film depicts struggles and imperfections in a way that the superhero genre often does not.
Even the most saintly character in the series displays moments of vulnerability that are unlike any other story in the genre. It is impossible to find another media that depicts superheroes as realistically as My Hero Academia. Every UA student and every other hero or villain appearing in the show faces unique challenges, including living up to their parents' expectations, grappling with devastating loss, recovering from injuries, struggles to use Quirks, and lack of confidence. The characters may be “superheroes” but Their personalities and experiences are accessible and understandable to viewersgiving viewers a greater ability to feel connected to them.
One final aspect that sets My Hero Academia apart is the upbeat tone of the series. Although the heroes face vile villains, horrific injuries, and sometimes even death, the overriding emotion the series evokes is one of fear. a positive and feel-good superhero story, follows an admirable protagonist who strives for daily improvement and fights for peace. The series perfectly combines fun and humor with thrilling and intense battles, making it the perfect example of an ideal superhero anime. The situations and characters in My Hero Academia are certainly heroic but never alienating.breaks the stereotype of “perfect” superheroes.
