Friday, August 22, 2025

FIF#239-My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Five years before Izuku “Deku” Midoriya enters the halls of UA, the Age of Heroes faced a different kind of challenge.  Those who think Heroes and Law Enforcement don’t do enough for the little people begin to emerge as their own kind of justice.  Some are Quirk users looking to make a difference while others seek to take the extra step to stop the Villains they feel Heroes wont take.  But when a new kind of Quirk enhancing drug gets into the streets, Heroes alone wont be enough to stop them.  Welcome to the unknown era of the Age of Heroes: the Age of Vigilantes.
 
Not gonna lie, I fell off My Hero Academia just after I started Season 7.  It’s not that I’d grown tired of the series, life just takes you in different directions away from favorite Anime sometimes.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do before the 8th and Final Season kicks off in October…and that might be a teeny bit more difficult with this new adaptation of the prequel Manga I’m surprised hasn’t surfaced sooner.  I guess with the OG series winding down, nows a good time to continue the franchise with Vigilantes.  Question is, can it rekindle my interest in a series I adore with all my heart and want to get back into at some point?
 
Vigilantes isnt just a Deku-less prequel (though hi Ms. Midoriya cameo), it’s a new look and take on the hero community that definitely doesn’t get enough spotlight in the main series.  The idea of people with powers without a license feels like something that shouldn’t be so rare in the world of heroes.  I like that with Koichi and Knuckleduster have very different definitions and approaches to vigilantism.  For Koichi, it’s doing the little things with his Quirk to make peoples lives better.  Knuckleduster is basically a more unhinged Batman who seems to use his seemingly non Quirkness toughness to pummel anyone he wants senseless until he solves a crime.  Koichi wants to be a hero but is willing to do things at his own pace while Knuckleduster is the polar opposite of All Might, less about instilling hope and more about getting instant results through a single punch.
 
Despite being a prequel, Vigilantes still seems to retain the same colorful and vibrant energy that makes My Hero Academia so endearing.  The fight scenes are creative, despite the usual punch punch methodology of Knuckleduster.  It’s also fun to get a look at Heroes we know and love still in their prime like Eraserhead and Lady Midnight who I hope will pop up in greater capacities later on.  One problem I do have with the premiere is Pop Step.  Don’t get me wrong, her Quirk is cute and her outfit is…well it’s sexy as Hell, girl knows how to draw attention.  She’s a solid underground Pop Star but is otherwise a damsel in distress who doesn’t contribute much as of right now.  Seeing Koichi rush in to save her proves he’s got the chops to be a hero when the chips are down whereas Pop would rather stay out of the way or just run.  It’s sort of the same issues I have with Nejire from the main series: she’s cute but compared to the other two members of the UA “Big Three” I don’t see what makes her so special.
 
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is starting at an opportune moment when its parent series is nearing its finale.  And yeah, I’ll admit, I’m curious to see what becomes of these unknown heroes we’ve not heard anything about in the main show (at least I don’t recall).  It’s still fun, it’s still engaging.  It’s still My Hero Academia and who knows, maybe after I’ve watched a few episodes I’ll pick up Season 7 of MHA where I left off and get nice and pumped for the bigger battles and adventures waiting in this little universe of Superhero awesomeness.

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