Introduction

My Hero Academia is a Japanese anime production, originally a manga illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi, available for streaming on Netflix. Its story is based in a fictional world where superpowers or “quirks” are inherited and utilized by individuals to fight crime. In this story, however, every individual has to undergo a merit-based education and licensing process to be considered a hero. Izuku Midoriya, the main protagonist is the “quirkless” individual who is gifted the most powerful superpower from an existing hero, the ‘Symbol of Peace’ – All Might. It was Midoriya’s dream to become a superhero, and thus the series follows him through his education and phases of becoming the best version of himself. That is why this review is to be written.

How Great Works – Work

The greatest writers are those who have understood mankind perfectly. They know the reactions, the small icks, and even the emotions we hide from others. Then, great writers create a world around those features and present it. Humans believe we appreciate the arts from the perspective of their uniqueness, on the contrary, we adore them for their familiarity.
the story of Midoriya is one that anyone can relate to. A boy whose dream is to become the greatest in the world is hit with a handicap and now has to prove to the world through character and honor of his worth, and when he achieves a certain standard is bashed with jealousy and competition. Resulting in Midoriya showing the character of leadership, the greater good as in the show, and so on. This causes people to adore him, accept him, and work alongside him for the greater good, but against him in typical high school competition.

The Nostalgia from My Hero Academia

The whole premise of the show is the future heroes of Japan going to the most prestigious high school U-A, which boasts the most honorable alumni, and teachers, to guarantee these students become the Number One Hero.
The nostalgia is the different characters and their response to one another. Anyone who’s gone to a school filled with competition knows exactly the format of the rat race. There’s the class elections, there’s the favourite student, there’s the high achiever, and then there’s the kids who made it surprisingly who you’d never expect to live up to expectations. There’s the horn dog who’s there for the women, some for heritage, some for idols, and some to achieve greatness. It’s literally being in high school all over again.
The story also reflects the realities of life. Some kids were very rich among us, some not so much. Others came from broken homes, some from happy families. A melting pot of diversity isn’t a race-based conundrum, it is a situation. Each character has his or her battle, one for acceptance, love, achievement, fame, and much more. Each character with a different lifestyle and different approach to life, but the end goal is always the same, to become a hero.

The Lessons from the School

We can derive much from it. Firstly, everyone has their unique superpowers and is trained per them. A feature that every school adopted would surely be the greatest in the world. No monkey is asked to swim, and no fish to climb the tree. Everyone has their greatness but is impacted by weaknesses embedded in both body and mind. The school guarantees an honorable way to eradicate fear and doubt and to create future heroes.
The students themselves are inspirational. Each challenged in their way as mentioned above, and each doing their very best to forge a new future. This combats the snowflake generation that we have all crafted amongst ourselves. Even that student, Shoto Todoroki, conflicted with a broken home, a high achieving father, and a mother in the psychiatric ward, fights his demons alongside Midoriya to then become one of the most commemorable students in the school. Other characters believe they don’t fit in, and those that inherit the ills of families, such as Bakuogo, who in Season 3 is as hot-headed as his mother, but both believe in the virtue of keeping society safe. Bakugo himself is ridden with pride, jealousy, and extreme anger, especially towards Midoriya. Yet, he is the most talented, and one who has to overcome these challenges to become the best hero.
Uraraka, the sweet girl is the representation of what young girls go through. The target of becoming a high achiever, the burden of the family, the love of her friends, and a keen interest in someone with a mission. She is the sweetest character in the show, whose aim is to provide a better life for her parents. She has a keen liking towards Midoriya and goes through odd struggles to keep those emotions hidden early on. She and others like her within the series, show the reality of fighting individual battles, aiming for the best, and much much more. She embodies how with even the simplest of powers, how much one can achieve.

Concluding Thoughts

Although most reviews contain technical storyline criticism or compliments, this one is fairly different. This one focuses on the bliss of childhood, the nostalgia, the lessons, and the greatness of writing.
Every student represents us, their superpowers are our strong features, and their weaknesses are our hidden demons. Those students represent you, me, and them. They represent everything we went through, the highs and lows, and if you have kids you would have them watch some of this, if they are 13+, to obtain the virtues of heroism, that are beyond power, but rather found in character.
The writer has done a great job of showing what we can do with determination, willpower, and hope. Values I believe are instrumental in building the future.

Maria Khuzari
Photo by Branden Skeli on Unsplash