Taking off right after the last episode of the first season. The school is temporarily closed due to
security. When U.A. restarts, it is announced that the highly anticipated School Sports Festival will
soon be taking place. All classes: Hero, Support, General and Business will be participating.
Tournaments all round will decide who is the top Hero in training.
(Source: Anime News Network)
I have never been a fan of shounen anime, but dear God if this isn't one of the best shows to come out in the past few years. My gripes with the genre are consistently made to seem completely unfounded every week as new episodes air. To have a shounen manga adaptation clip along at a decent pace is already an impressive feat, but to also include incredible characters, stellar animation, and great music is just a medium-shattering achievement, especially when the series came straight out of SHONEN JUMP. The last I remember having this much pure unadulterated hype and fun with shounen was with YuYu Hakusho back when it aired on Toonami, and there's something to be said for recapturing (and going above) that magic. Oh, did I mention yet that there's nearly no filler? Yeah, there's only ONE anime-original episode, and the only way you'd even pick it out was if you were an avid manga reader. It's been said to death by the anime community at large, but the secret to HeroAca's quality is in its perfect execution of what we already expect. You're going to get all of your standard shounen tropes here; HeroAca embraces them to the fullest degree. The difference is in HOW the show does them, and does them so, so, so right. Deku is the most compelling shounen main character I've encountered to date, with, for possibly the first time in shounen history, a believable reason to actually be considered an underdog. You can't help but empthaize with him in his struggles and be hype as all hell for his achievements, and the same can be said for the rest of the cast as well. So much obvious loving time and care was put into making our core cast feel like actual fucking characters instead of power-husk show-offs. Personality-rich, driven, and (most importantly) believable characters are the name of the game here, and I can't help but enjoy pretty much every character that gets any ounce of screentime. None of this is to say that HeroAca, and by extension this second season, is perfect by any metric. There are some misgivings with the plot and some of the general anime "bleh" that plagues all releases to come out within the past several years (high school setting, etc...). World-building is also a little suspect, and there's a clear requirement of being able to both suspend disbelief and to not question the lack of exposition regarding the character's environment. This issue is especially notable when the show likes to play with the idea of the "ideal" of being a "real hero", with some heavy handed messages about how widespread power has warped public perception about what being a hero really is and what sort of behavior they should exhibit. Although an interesting and compelling discussion for HeroAca, it's heavily damaged by this lack of meaningful exposition, and can come across as misplaced and even boring if you haven't properly "bought-in" to the series. Still, if we're talking in-genre here, and if you've been with me for this song-and-dance before you know we always are, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better than this. If you have ever been a fan of shounen anime, or you are just looking for an new pick-up with a fair bit of content on the bone, I implore you to check this one out. Whether you end up watching it or just dive straight into the manga, you definitely won't be disappointed.
BnHA Season 2 Review I’ll try not to put as many spoilers as possible. My Hero Academia has continued to impress me with its portrayal of characters, and being able to present an amazing continuation from season 1. This anime, being the usual shounen, does almost everything correctly to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats. Generating as much hype as possible. To all fellow manga readers like myself. I can probably guess the amount of hype you may have had when the adaptation was first announced, more so season 2. The thought of having the most iconic manga chapters being animated made us have something to very much look forward to. I am glad I read this manga, but at the same time, not. This is because I would’ve actually liked to see both seasons blind, and experience this show to the fullest. To start off, let’s be real for a bit, the story of BnHa is nothing new, we’ve seen this all before. Some guy is weak or powerless and then coincidentally meets strong guy, then gets power and then bam he’s cool and stuff. It’s been done before, but BnHa is one of those series that takes this on a properly executed type of situation. It may be a bit cliche with the story and sometimes how the characters are presented like the usual rival and how they aspire to beat the MC and stuff like that. But like I said, BnHa does it right when it comes to these usual things. Even if it is your typical shounen like I mentioned before, it is still one of the best anime to execute these factors properly and stay within the shounen genre. The amount of goosebumps I get during some of the moments in this season was too much to count. Despite all these things, this still proves to be one of my favourite series. Boku No Hero Academia (Despite all the “cliche” things I’ve said about it) is still up there in my favourites. BnHA 2 happens after the events of season 1. Things are starting to calm down, while new situations may rise in the future. The students take the next step into what it means to be a hero. While that may sound fun, it requires a lot of vigorous training, as well as some big problems to solve. Our characters will then learn how to deal with it and how to become stronger from it. Something I love about BnHA is how it keeps our cast of characters in mind, and leaves almost no one out of characterization. Sure some characters might seem one dimensional to others, which I guess is somewhat agreeable to a certain extent. Some characters do feel like they’re there to just be there a fulfill a certain role. But most characters in BnHa go through some sort of growth or some sort of development, take this along with good written characters and execution, it makes up for it. Another thing I love about this series is the ability to keep me enticed and care for each character in the show, especially the villains. While that may have been a bit lacking in the first season, season 2 comes back and makes up for it for its beautiful character development. Some main focuses of the anime are in regards to Izuku’s development, and him figuring out the true potential of his inherited One for All. With this, he becomes more reliable and less reliant as well as takes matters in his own hands and taking action to suit what most appropriate for the situation. Whilst of course trying to fix his relationship with Bakugo. The season kicks off with a great arc: The Sports Festival. As though tournament arcs are indeed common, My Hero Academia keeps the intensity of tournaments in mind, and adds its own twist to make it as entertaining as possible, while keeping the hype at a maximum. It does a good job of straying from the generic form of a tournament arc, while keeping each skill set of each character in mind and making each match’s result as fair as possible even though some match ups seemed that it shouldn't have been. Of course the results of the arc made sense. It was an arc full of action, as well as helped some characters go through some MAJOR development, making them 100x more likeable (Although those characters were likeable in the first place anyway) The thing about this anime is how very simple yet not simple it is, it portrays beauty in the plot presented and the factors that lead to an amazing series like this consists of the elements that most of us would want to see. I’m sure some of us manga readers were counting each week, a countdown to a specific episode that you know will very much excite anime only’s and excite you because you finally get to see it on screen, fully coloured with an amazing soundtrack and the voice actors that put their passion into each character. After all is said and done, more arcs come into play with more ways each character can find their true strength and learn different ways to help society as a true hero. While Izuku clearly shows his strength, we mustn’t forget about the other characters (which I’m really glad wasn't left out as I’ve said before) and their goals for the future. With this, we get a general understanding about the ambitions of the other characters thus being able to feel for them once things don't go a certain way. I will tell you right now that this season is indeed more serious and more violent than the last. It has more emotional segments and more action. Sometimes it may be predictable, but the end result still remains satisfactory for the viewer to take in. The way they presented their Villains was spot on. Guess what, the villains in this anime, are actually THREATS?! Wow, a villain who does his job. Of course villains being threats aren't that hard to achieve. But i’m at a point where I’ve seen too much villains that are better off being called hero’s then anything else. Maybe I haven’t seen enough anime, but I wasn't able to find villains that proved deadly. But i’m glad this series was able to pull it off. While Shigaraki continues to plot some evil scheme, there is the problem of a certain villain, who is very deadly, and must be stopped at all costs. I recommend watching the anime to figure out who that is, for if you watch the initial introduction, you will probably love him more than knowing who it is prior to watching the series. There’s no need to talk much about the quality animation that Bones put into this since I have too much praise to give it, but I am beyond grateful to them for taking this adaptation to heart and showing us each manga panel in colour and in animated form. I loved every single episode of this show and it presents a fine, simple story of people who want to get stronger and taking steps forward to becoming the hero they want to be. Of course becoming one is no easy task. Things must happen whether it has a positive impact or negative. There are then challenges along the way to achieve the goal they’ve always wanted, and I love the way these characters deal with it and handle these problems. Although some characters didn't get too much shine, the amount of character development we had for most of the main characters overtakes the lack of some. The soundtrack was also amazing, presenting emotion and epic music for just the right situations and giving the scenes more impact. Without it, it definitely wouldn't have been as memorable. I loved both OP’s and ED’s for BnHa Season 2. I love the significance behind each opening and what they meant and how each characters are portrayed within the OP. It shows gradually how much development and struggles some characters deal with, along with how they would cope with it and use it to better themselves as a person and hero. Overall, this season was phenomenal and presented what a hero story should look like. Working hard towards it with a cost of many hardships to come. For the Heroes, loss exists. There’s times where they feel a sense of defeat or dissatisfaction. Feeling Inferior and powerless against enemies, which is something I can appreciate. Showing that Heroes can’t win all the time. I’m really glad the adaptation for Boku no Hero Academia was put into the good hands of Bones. Every single panel + some original content was a pleasure to see on my desktop. Thank you Bones, truly. You’ve made the Spring/Summer Season for me.
OH BOY. I could talk about this show for hours on end. While the first season was good don't get me wrong it was a little too campy sometimes and is a little weighed down from its excellent use of a lot of tropes. I understand that the idea of the story is taking all the best parts of most shounen anime and polish them till they shine the brightest the first season didn't do it for me the same way this season did. After watching the Todoroki/Deku fight I ended up binging the entire manga before next weeks episode came out. This was something I've never done with an anime. This story resonated incredibly hard when I watched that fight and is probably something I will always remember. The thing that resonated with me was that this story asked a question. One simple tiny question: What does being a hero mean to you? This isn't something that one protagonist can tackle on their own as heroism means something different for every unique person and the show is using it's giant cast to provide story lines and personality tied answers to that question. It's this mixing pot of ideals and characters providing their answers to this question. Due to the nature of having a large cast of characters conflict is bound to happen either between the aspiring heroes of UA or when the League of Villains shows up and especially for Stain. That's the thing about this show, even the villains have their own answer to that question. Hell I would even go far enough to say that even the antagonists of the show aren't that morally wrong. I won't touch on the Leagues motives because at this point in the anime that point hasn't been explored yet and I wouldn't want to spoil that. Their means don't really justify the ends, but the ends are something that I can't fault them for. Being brought up in a society filled with heroes chasing the almighty (heh) dollar and losing their way as it were, was the reason Stain formed his ideals. He hated seeing selfish heroes only looking out for their own well being because a hero to him was someone who put others far above their own. So what does Stain do? He goes around killing heroes that go against his personal ideals of society. Again can't agree with the means of his ideas cause ya know, murdering is bad but that's his way of cleansing the stains on society (why is this guys name stain again?). That's the most important point of the show. Each character has their answer to the question and pursues them to the best of the abilities given to them. Characters with strong reasons for the actions they take are always bound to clash with someone who has a difference of opinion. Every single fight this season has this underlying narrative of how these two ideas go against each other. If I'm being honest, from a choreographically standpoint the fights are relatively bland. Hell, Naruto has more complicated fight choreography the MHA, but the complexity of the fights doesn't matter. The focal point of the fights in HeroAca is showcasing the ideals of each fighter and how they react to them. MHA at this point has shown it's true colors; a character drama using the guise of its flashy fights to be a shounen. When Midoriya fights off against Todoroki the fight and the show up to that point was purely about the fight. But the show uses subversion of the tropes it employs in great effect mind you, to change the tone of the fight and the series going forward to be about how these characters express themselves in the hero society. The other thing this show subverts it tropes is how it handles an age old technique of the mid battle power up. The way My Hero handles this is by having the characters tackle a mental block on their power or gaining a deeper understanding of how their quirk actually functions (this being explained a bit in season one but exploring that more in this season). Why shounens use this trope is probably to keep the action fresher by introducing new things the characters can do in the fights, gives your eyes something newer to look at. The execution of this trope is one of the coolest things it does to further push the idea that the show is not really about the really cool looking fight sequences and is primarily about the characters. Not to mention the immense amount of character development and payoff we get for these characters. Todoroki before the fight was built up to be this gargantuan hero who had zero flaws. But the reality is his entire existence is a flaw. He existed purely as a way for Endeavor to try and topple All Might as the number one hero and in one moment, in one fight Midoriya shatters all of these walls Todoroki had built up and get this intense depth to his character. Departing from the deep dive I took to explain the highlight fight of the season the other facets of the show got massive developments. More of the classmates and other side characters got a ton of developement, Uraraka and Lida being the highlights but even some of the more minor characters got their time in the spotlight, Yaoyorozu being one of my favorites of the season. My Hero Academia can be surface level for some and enjoyment can be had but below the surface of the show lies one of my favorite character dramas I have had the joy to experience. This series has become my all time favorite anime and I'm curious to see if something else is capable of taking it off that spot. I mean Gurren Lagann was solidly at that spot for the better part of 5 years for me thinking it was unbeatable. But with only 1 episode showing off so god damn much to show its true hand and completely blind siding me with something special. It's a deceptively simple show that has incredible strength in its simplicity and im always grateful for taking the dive into it.
This season of My Hero Academia is a great show and I really liked it. In this review I will be talking about why I think the show is very good. Do note that As of this review I have only seen seasons 1 and 2. __Cons__ I'm putting this section to get it out of the way first. I hate that stupid business guy that bullies class A he's so cliché and stupid . Bakugo is still not really a good character, however I do think that him wanting to win without any doubts was a cool character development. All Might could have been a bit better in this but he's still fine. Also this is a nitpick, but In the Deku vs Todoroki battle Deku said that he can't make a fist and then he somehow makes a damn fist. I would have also much rather Iida face Deku instead of Todoroki and loses, making his sudden Rivalry stronger against Deku and his pity and frustration and make Deku face todorki in the third round. I also would rather Todoroki beat Bakugo, but I can see why hesitation against using his flames still works. The setup for Villain arc is good but I think one last scene was needed for more establishment. The whole Intern arc is good, but it's painfully obvious it's for the new arc and no one grows other than Deku and Todoroki in terms of physical combat. I think Stain is a great villain but he needed a bit more establishment. The rivalry between Stain and Tomura Shigaraki should have been a tiny bit more developed as well. Some cons will also be mentioned in some sections. __Characters__ The characters in this arc are great with a few exceptions. Ochaco gets a great motivation of her being poor sadly, Momo gets good setup for wanting to be better, Kirishima gets a fun new rival, and Tokoyami is really underrated. Iida is great to near amazing in this season, we see him have a rivalry with Deku and then lose, and then we see him having to deal with his brother getting hurt in battle and him wanting to kill the hero killer Stain, I think it's really good to see a broken down character seeing his mentor almost die and him wanting revenge on the hero killer was awesome. Deku finally use his quirk and he's really, really good but his arc is not as good as season 1 but he's got new motives and stuff such as that. Him sympathizing with Stain was also something I liked and it kind off reminded me of Killmonger from Black Panther. ____"It's Your Quirk, Not His!"____ Shoto Todoroki- I already liked him being a huge badass in szn 1, t was cool and him roasting the shit out of the villains was awesome in the season. I liked the idea of someone abusing the idea of a Quirk Marriage in Endeavor and He also strengthens the Hero killer Stain's character motivation later on. His backstory was masterfully done and the best part of the season and him wanting none of his father. His belief that he will never use his father's quirk is justified fully and I have to give them credit. They also do make him a credible threat, he stole Deku's 10 mil points in the thing to get in and absolutely wipes the floor with Sero. I really liked how he was thinking about his Mom when Deku spured him on. Finally the It's Your Quirk, Not His is awesome. His fight with Deku is also very good. __Story__ The story in this is fairly light at first, which I don't mind really because it makes sense. The plot is that Deku needs to show off his skills in the up coming UA sports festival and the show does a good job conveying the idea of what they did and I have to give it props for this. Deku trying to show himself to the world is a great way to convey tension and it did stick the landing. The story for festival is good, but then it gets better. The story then gets better with the plot of All for One and how One For All exists and how All Might's mentor died and how he got wounded. We also get the plot of Hero Killer Stain and How he works and it works very very well. We finally get the final exam arc, and then this is where it kind off lost me a little. So basically the characters need to do a final exam, which is fine and creates good action and good character development for the worst character in the show ( So Far). However we all know that the characters are gonna pass, because they can't have people fail. The final episode throws in the villain from season 1, which I really liked and I do wish instead of the final exam arc they made a Villain alone episode. __Pacing __ It's paced well and none of the show really feels like a slog, the beginning is solidly paced honestly and it definitely works well. If I had to nitpick it would be the Bakugo vs Ochaco episode should be shorter and The Todoroki vs Bakugo episode should have had more of a fight because It was pretty underwhelming. __Action__ This Season has some good to great action. The first round with an Obstacle course is good fun and shows off Deku's Intelligence well and Shows how the characters can adapt. The second course shows off how Deku can keep things away and how Tokoyami uses Dark shadow which is awesome. The invidual fights are all very good, with Bakugo vs Ochaco being a standout due to Ochaco willingness to never give up and her Mobility and Todorki vs Deku due the Visual Impact shown. The fight with Stain was amazing and you did really feel the tension that the show that it shows off perfectly and the brutality that they that fight and season is frankly very telling. The action with pro heroes vs the Nomus where also good but it could have a little more added to it. The arc of everyone vs the Teachers is good from an action standpoint , and I really like Todoroki and Momo vs Erarser Head , Froppy and Tokoyami vs That Teacher ( I forgot his name lol) and Bakugo and Deku vs All Might. __Villains__ Stain was the best villain of this show so far, he is very good at being a threat and his quirk was made for great use in combat against him easily. I also really love his motivation to fight, with me actually agreeing with him for the most part, we see clear examples of it with Endeavor being a dick. He really reminds me of Killmonger, with me getting the point but disagreeing with the Methods. Deku himself said that he didn't agree with the Hero Killer but he can see why. The fact that he did such a good job in a small period of time was awesome. Shigaraki was also really really good, I liked his rivalry with the hero killer and also his confusion on who he is. The confrontation with him and Deku was very scary as well and his finding of his purpose was good. __Other__ Animation was very great in this Bones did a really good job as well. Voice acting was very awesome in this in both English and Japanese dubs. The score was decent. The Opening song was very good but not as good as OP 1 sadly. The tone almost got it's own section, it's really dark and it's funny when it needs to and it is one of the best part of this show. This show really reminds me of my thoughts of the X-Men movies weirdly, specifically First Class and Future Past. I thought they where great movies and was just that, but for some reason they couldn't get out of my head because they were that good. This is the same thing that's happening here for the 1st 2 seasons of My Hero Academia and I really like that. I really think that this show is very very good, and I can't wait to see what's next.
(includes spoilers for season 2 of MHA) This is the third revision of my original MHA review uploaded in 2021. ___ #Context Deku against Todoroki sucks some fat ass. I’ll get straight to the point and begin explaining why I don't like this fight nor most of the other fights in MHA (nor MHA as a whole), but first let me tell you some context. I dont like MHA I think its quite bad. I dropped MHA after watching deku vs todoroki. It was already bad and that was the nail in the coffin. I have practiced combat sports my whole life, so I'd like to consider myself knowledgeable in fighting and its choreography. That's it for the context part, now let's move on to the actual review, starting with basic plot structure. ___ #Story foundation and credit where it’s due A plot always needs to follow this basic structure in the way it progresses and it is handled, this also applies to big story points, such as, a fight, especially a fight. This structure I am talking about is build up, execution and aftermath. Skilled authors have perfected these structures and are able to change it at will while still maintaining the same basic idea. This basic structure ensures many things, but particularly important for this review, it ensures context and hype, if done well at least. What I mean by hype is that thanks to the build up not only do you get context but you also are engaged and excited for the execution/climax. Before bitching about the fight I’ll be giving some credit where credit is due. Deku against Todoroki perfectly handles the idea of build up. Way before the fight it gives you the idea that todoroki has a secret and that he has a rivalry, or hate, against deku. This is only reinforced when before the fight todoroki confronts deku about his powers also showing that todoroki also poses a potential danger to deku and his powers. These things I just mentioned make you excited for the fight because you know it will be a big story point and place for development for both characters, specifically todoroki. The other place where I have to give credit is that the fight serves its purpose. I know that I didn't mention this in the structure part, but this is still important. What differentiates good fights from great ones is that it is not only a brawl, but also a learning experience for both characters. The learning experience in this fight is with Todoroki when he finally uses his fire. This is a turning point for his character because this means he has unlocked his true potential and it also reinforces his will against his dad in a way. The fight also serves its purpose in fleshing out Todoroki's backstory. This doesn't mean that the fight is good by any means because you can't have something great without a solid foundation, but we’ll talk about that later. The final piece of credit I would like to give is the aftermath portion. Like I just said, this fight marks a changing point for Todoroki and that alone is a good enough aftermath, but that's not all. We also get better introduced to Endeavor thanks to this fight and that is going to be important later. Also the bond/rivalry between deku and todoroki is more fleshed out and that‘s important. Unfortunately, the fight (and MHA in general) has an overwhelming amount of negatives, so let's get into the execution part. ___ #Execution This is going to be the main part of the review so be prepared to read. Before talking about something I hate, let's first talk about some good battles, execution wise. -Orochi Doppio against Hanma Yujiro -Every fight in baki -Sasuke and naruto against that one white dude in boruto -gin mori against park il pyo (before god stuff) -all fights in samurai champloo -araragi agaisnt karen (its just fucking epic) -Toichiro Suzuki vs Mob -etc.. Most of these fights are also good beside the execution part, but we’ll be talking specifically about execution in this section. As you can see there are a lot of good fights in anime, now let's talk about bad fights -deku against todoroki -deku against todoroki -deku against todoroki -deku against todoroki -deku against todoroki -deku against todoroki -deju against todoroki -deku against todoroki I fucking hate this fight, so lets talk about why. Firstly let's talk about how MHA determines a good fight. I think what makes the foundation of a fight is it being visually appealing, i.e. interesting and engaging to watch (with watch being the key part). The way MHA treats the visually appealing factor is by putting all of the budget into making one attack look as flashy and intense instead of using that same budget/effort into making a well choreographed fight that flows dynamically and naturally. Thanks to this fact the fights can often get stale thanks to a lack of sense of flow. Another thing that also interrupts the sense of flow is the overwhelming amount of dialogue and narration of Todoroki's backstory. You may say that the dialogue is necessary, but the thing that separates good fights from great fights is that you can tell the emotions and things that are happening by the fight itself, not by the exposition. A great example of my previous point is kakashi vs obito when they’re in the kamui realm, with the fight dynamically integrating the history, emotions, and implications of the fight through its choreography and directing. The lack of any actual complex choreography is what makes MHA do the thing where they put the whole budget and effort solely on making it look flashy. This lack of flow makes the fight usually unable to maintain your attention and hype as the fight feels slower and unnatural. Now that we’ve established this, let's move on to the fight itself. The fight basically starts (and continues) with the same repeated motion of Todoroki using his ice attack and Deku destroying that thing with a flick of his fingers. They do this around 7 times throughout all the fight and man is it boring. One time, it's surprising, the second time it's fine, the third time it's numbing, and the rest get ever so boring and desensitized as it goes. This is where the point that I made in the last paragraph comes in. They expect you to enjoy the fight because of the quality of animation used during this repeated motion, but because it is repeated so many times not only is it boring and monotonous but it also makes the fight lack a complete sense of flow. On top of that, the interaction between these two moves isn't very interesting, cool, nor nuanced. However, the author is aware of that and that is the reason why he included the sense of limit in the fight. The author of MHA is aware that almost all his fights suck ass, and that is the reason why in every fight he tries to make you hype in it by including a sense of pressure or limit. In todoroki vs deku that sense of pressure comes from todoroki freezing and deku’s limited supply of fingers, but the problem with this sense of pressure is that it is fake, all sense of pressure in MHA is faker than the Kardashians body. The reason why I say this is because you already know the outcome of everything that happens in MHA. Yeah there are some times were you doubt, but the basic aftermath is the same because you know that nothing will happen to the characters and you know that even if todoroki freezed, deku would pussy up and surrender. MHA is a widespread phenomenon and that is the reason why every fight is fake. They try to build hype by making you doubt the outcome of the fight, but in your heart you always know the outcome or that the outcome doesn't matter. It is fake because it plays it safe, it's not like in other anime or manga where characters are at the author's mercy because in MHA there's no such thing as a dead good guy. There is no sense of actual stakes/danger. And in the extremely rare cases where something like this happens, it isn’t played to it’s full potential and still plays it safe. The author knows that if he plays it safe the MHA fans will continue reading it nonetheless and that's why it's a boring anime. This applies to the entire anime and not only the fights. Thanks to this overbearing false sense of pressure, you feel nothing if you aren't caught up in the fight because the fight is handled under the basis that you are hyped and that the hype is blinding you, but if you're not, than you can see it's fucking shit. This wouldn’t be a problem if it was constantly hype af, but it isn’t, it ain’t no solo leveling or anything like that. Also the way they handle Todoroki's backstory in the fight also sucks ass. It is another thing that helps me prove my point that this fight lacks any sense of flow, because right in the middle of the fight there is a fucking 4 minute break for the backstory. I don’t have a problem with these sorts of flashbacks during fights, but when they interrupt the flow to such a degree and aren’t weaved in dynamically they only serve to hinder the quality of the fight. Continuing with the fight itself, it provides limited variety. As I mentioned before the concept of repeated attacks is really common in this fight, especially the one I mentioned (because it takes up the whole fucking fight), but in the moments when the fight isn't doing this repeated action, what is it doing? Fucking nothing. During the moments when this motion isn’t being repeated you only get dialogue, backstory and the occasional shield or punch, nothing much. A fight has to have variety and different techniques and if you don't want to get fancy just make it so that all the attacks are done on the same foundation because it doesn't matter as long as it has variety. The fight is made up of very few moves if you count them, even though it’s a 7 minute fight. I can count all of the moves used only using my hands. And I can count all of the different moves used in a single hand. This is disappointing because in the tournament section before this where they had to steal banners the concept of variety was correctly utilized and made the scenes substantially more interesting, despite me not enjoying that section either. In the horse flag segment the concept of variety was handled well because it forced the characters to be creative and use the same foundation to form a good strategy with their techniques and teamwork possibilities, with that being the only interesting part of that segment. But if we compare that to deku vs todoroki there isn't any variety because not only are deku’s and todoroki’s power not as flexible as you think (todoroki without the fire), but they also repeat the same fucking move, as I’ve reiterated. I know I have repeated myself over and over, but it is to draw the point that it’s literally the entire fight. Another core problem present throughout the fight is the way in which the attacks and movements are basically independently from each other and from what the other person is doing, instead of being a reaction to what the other is doing. By having each move be independent from whatever is going on around it, it not only helps to further disrupt the flow, but it also makes it feel unnatural. It makes it feel unnatural because real fights are founded on the person reacting to what the other is doing. Making the characters react to what the other is doing in a more dynamic manner and act in accordance to it also makes each move feel more powerful and consequential, something which is drastically needed throughout the fight. While it is true that deku reacts to todoroki's attacks via breaking them with his fingers, the reactions are still minimal, repetitive, monotonous, and lack dynamacy and variety, making them continue to feel independent from each other and as if they had no major effect or consequence. This is my problem with MHA fights in general; they just lack flow, variety and are full of dialogue and other types of interventions/interruptions. I only chose deku vs todoroki as an example to prove my point. You can also see my point in the way that MHA’s author more commonly makes slow, undynamic strategy based fights instead of natural brawls. Unfortunately these ideas aren’t only present in the fights, with these issues also plaguing the rest of MHA. ___ #What does this mean for MHA I'll try to keep this part short, as I wanted to focus my review mostly on the fights, but this is still an important subject to talk about, as the way fights are handled in MHA are indicators of bigger problems plaguing the rest of MHA. The main problem which can be seen in this fights that's present throughout MHA as a whole is the lack of actual stakes/danger. The presence of actual stakes is very important in an action series, with it being vital to giving importance/meaning to the actions and decisions of the characters, as it means those actions could negatively impact others. A perfect example of this is Chainsaw Man, with the feeling of danger being ever present and a core part of what makes the story good and entertaining. While MHA succeeds in having the illusion of stakes, the illusion isn't believable enough to accomplish what actual stakes accomplish, which is making the story more engaging and making you care more deeply for the characters. I understand that things like plot armour are inevitable, specially in action shounen, but MHA completely fails in hiding it's constant plot armour, thus taking away all the stakes. This lack of stakes makes the series feel more like meaningless entertaining, which, while fine for things like slice of life, isn't fine for actions series, thus making it substantially less engaging. Another big problem present throughout MHA that is clearly seen in the fights is the lack of flow. While in todoroki vs deku this lack of flow is represented via the constant interruptions and lack of dynamic choreography, this can be seen in the story by the way the main plot is constantly interrupted by inconsequential school arcs. By having your main conflict be constantly interrupted by seemingly meaningless arcs that don't do well in expanding the conflict (nor the characters sometimes), it makes the story feel paused and attenuate. This paused nature of MHA makes it constantly vary in quality making it grueling and substantially more boring as a whole. This is a clear indicator of the lackluster structure and lack of vision in MHA. This lackluster structure is explained by the creators of South Park, with them saying that "We can take these beats (story beats) — which are basically the beats of your outline — and if the words ‘and then…’ belong between those beats, you’re fucked… you’ve got something pretty boring.” This applies to MHA in the way that lots of the story beats/points are connected by "and then" instead of by a "therefore" or "but". By having many story beat be connected by "and then" it makes the story feel more like a set of random events put together instead of a living, consequential story that has meaning. It is only through the your story points being connected by "therefore" or "but" that a story can feel interesting, dynamic, and consequential. This lackluster structure causes a lot of other problems apart from making the story feel boring and unnatural, with it also causing the flow, context, build up of hype, and natural character development, to feel lackluster too. These problems can be, at least, partially attributed to this lackluster structure and lack of flow, thus making the story substantially less entertaining and meaningful. This same lackluster structure is also responsible for the constant interruptions and meaningless arcs that have little to no connection nor significance to the overall conflict. As if they were filler. This same lackluster structure can also be seen in many fights in MHA, with deku vs todoroki being a clear example of this, with the each of the attacks being basically independent from each other and from what the other person is doing. The last main issue plaguing MHA that I also want to take about is the way that it handles it's characters. From what I've seen of MHA i've realized that much of the character development in characters comes from single turning points/events causing a complete change or development in charactes. While this approach can also be seen in many other anime and manga, what I found lacking in it was the lack of buildup or constant character development in a slower more developed manner. By having all change happen at once it causes a lack of naturality in the change as opposed to having it happen through a period of time (with one event causing a domino effect). This lack of balancing in the forms of character development leads more towards shock value and inmediate hype compared to feeling of personal connection and flow in the story. A good balance is needed to have proper and meaningful character connection that can cement a personal connection with the characters and by having it not take place in a constant, ever-evolving manner, it strips these feeling from the development. For character development to feel natural it needs to be constant, buildup, and have a good resolution which proved the changing and evolving of the character, something which I fear isn't present in MHA. Fortunately, this wasn't as much of a problem with Todoroki and more of a problem I saw as a whole. Again, I must reaiterate that I haven't seen enough of MHA to give a proper judgement on the character development, but still wanted to bring this up as a possible seed for issues in the future and as a problem which I saw to a degree in the first two seasons. I think this is the end of my review, thanks for reading it. What can you take away from this review? Read Baki, that's it. ___ #Conclusion It is sad for me to shit on MHA because even though I hate it I think it had lots of potential and it started really strong with a the extremely powerful idea of wanting to be a hero even without a quirk. The start of MHA was really captivating and emotionally striking with those first 6 episodes being genuinely great and intriguing. For a moment I was struck by it, but unfortunately it couldn’t keep up this level of quality not only with the story, but with the themes and characters. I would give MHA in general a 3.5/10 (until about where I dropped it) but I would give the MHA fights in general, not just deku vs todoroki, a 1.0/10. (P.S. this having a 1 to 5 like to visits ratio (at the time of rewriting) is really funny to me, keep at it)
# ~~~__The Decline of My Hero Academy Part 1: Season 2__~~~ ~~~[Season 1](https://anilist.co/review/13276)~~~ ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOGiUkXkF6Y)~~~ __(SPOILER WARNING FOR HUNTER X HUNTER, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, AND NARUTO + SHIPPUDEN)__ # ~~~__Sports Festival__~~~ Season 2 starts off strong, with the best arc in the anime, the Sports Festival. Admittedly, a lot of why I like it is because it reminds me of my favorite arc from Naruto, the chuunin exams. Regardless, the Sports Festival is honestly pretty great. Tons of action and drama, a tournament of 1 on 1 fights, and most importantly: no villains around to distract Horikoshi. Let's quickly run through the first 2 stages so we can get to the part I like: __Stage 1: Obstacle race__ The first stage is pretty good, but the least interesting stage overall. Deku, Todoroki and Bakugo dominate this stage, settings things up for the cavalry battle. __Stage 2: Cavalry battle__ Groups of 4 fight each other in weird formations. Need to grab other participants’ headbands to get points and pass. The higher you placed in the obstacle course, the more points you’re worth in this stage, meaning the bigger target you are to the other students. Deku finished #1 so he’s worth 1 million. This stage is also pretty good, except for this stupid part where some of the students retire from the festival because their memories of it are gone. img(https://i.imgur.com/h7zTZIg.png) But where it really gets good is stage 3: the 1 on 1 tournament. This was the best part of Naruto, and I think its obvious Horikoshi took heavy inspiration from Naruto (Naruto was stated as being his chief inspiration/influence for MHA) for this arc. In fact, some of the fights are basically copied from Naruto: Like how Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu ends in a draw after both contestants knock each other out with punches to the face, aka the same way Sakura vs Ino ends. img(https://i.imgur.com/iB5mISC.png) img(https://i.imgur.com/7Sy80zN.png) And Bakugo Ururaka is basically Neji vs Hinata. Aka: female side character that's interested in the main character romantically tries to fight off arguably the strongest student, is inspired by the main character and fights on and on even when they're overwhelmed, and they end up collapsing. I think this part of MHA outshines the rest of the show for a number of reasons, but the main reason is because it’s the most focused Horikoshi has been through the entire first 4 seasons of the show. Without poorly written villains running around to distract him, Horikoshi is able to focus not only on the strengths of what he’s created (characters, drama, setting), but also the strengths of the battle shounen genre itself (stakes, fights/action, worldbuilding). You have characters informing the action, like Todoroki using his fire powers against Deku, and losing because he refused to use them against Bakugo. img(https://i.imgur.com/TfXe1ag.png) The world building is informing the action, like Mei using her fight against Iida as an advertisement for her inventions. The action is informing the character development, like Yoarouzu despairing because she lost so easily. Which becomes a plotline going forward. It all comes together at once to create easily the best arc of the show, and also leads to the best fight of the show: Deku vs Todoroki. If I had to compare it to another fight, I'd say this is MHA's Rock Lee vs Gaara. Deku's ability is actually pretty similar to Rock Lee's, where using their ability damages their body and overusing it could prevent them from fighting again. And Todoroki has always struck me as MHA's Gaara, what with his overwhelmingly strong ability, seemingly invincible defense, and how both characters hold back their full strength in every fight thus far, never being pushed enough to use it. Which is what makes the 2 fights exhilarating. For the first time, you see someone actually get to them. In both fights, the challenger (Rock Lee and Deku) is forced to overwork their bodies to dangerous degrees to level the playing field. And then, it happens. The thing we were told would never happen, happens. Gaara gets hit and is forced to use his real ability. Todoroki snaps and uses his fire. And this moment, right here, is My Hero Academy’s peak. It is the moment where all of its strengths converge into one incredible moment. This moment is great, but its the last time My Hero Academy reaches anything close to such a high. Because this is where the decline of My Hero Academy begins. img(https://i.imgur.com/n4ivpb4.png) img(https://i.imgur.com/zEH65lV.png) img(https://i.imgur.com/ckh1znQ.png) After this arc ends, the first signs of a recurring problem the show has yet to solve through season 4 pop up: Horikoshi declaring stakes and then retreating to a safer option that's easier to write around. __1: Stakes__ So. This is class A’s chance to show off their stuff for potential internships and hero agencies, as the event is broadcast across the nation but also tons of scouts are present. If you thrive, everyone will witness it but the same is true if you fail. It could hurt your reputation going forward. Class A is also threatened with the possibility of being demoted to a lower class if they underperform. This one is interesting, as it adds a lot of pressure to the fights with class B students. After all, if a class A student loses to one from class B, there’s a high chance those 2 will be switching places. The problem with this one is Horikoshi doesn’t follow through with it, as only class A students end up advancing and no one from class B is promoted. In Naruto, all 3 of the sand ninja end up advanced to the finals of the chuunin exams. I liked this because it established the strength of the other nations, and indicated clearly that they're just as strong as Konohagakure and pose a very real threat to it. Which uh, yeah, turned out to be the case. img(https://i.imgur.com/HIC6oLO.png) With MHA though, that doesn't happen. Now, I am not saying that this decision is bad because MHA didn't do what Naruto did in a similar situation. It's bad because MHA does this consistently, creating stakes for a situation and then retreating from them, which constantly deflates tension and handicaps the potential for viewers to get invested in the drama in later arcs. It's not a huge deal here, but as you'll see when we get to season 3, it becomes a very large problem the series has yet to solve through the current season. __2: Deku's body__ Despite being told many times that Deku is risking his body by using his power the way he does, Deku never actually suffers any long-lasting consequences like permanently damaging his body, or being sidelined for a while so he can actually recover. Quick stop to the hospital and he's good to go next episode! This is again, not a huge deal now. But if you're going to create that subplot, you have to actually follow through with it somehow eventually. And Horikoshi never does, which again we'll get to in more detail in season 3. # ~~~__Stain__~~~ So. The series is riding high after the sports festival arc, and I started becoming convinced that My Hero Academy could actually live up to its endless hype. After all, Horikoshi and Studio Bones proved capable of drawing out the show's strengths to overpower its weaknesses for one great arc. If they can keep doing that, the series is bound for greatness. But like I said earlier, the decline of the series begins after the sports festival arc. And that decline starts with the show's next big villain, Stain. img(https://i.imgur.com/rTDTwm2.png) Now, Stain himself is fine. Stain isn't a fan of current hero society. He believes that hero is a title that should only be bestowed upon those who accomplish good deeds. He thinks that the world has become overgrown with fake heroes, and that greed and fame have tainted what it means to be a hero. The first time I watched season 2, I was confused by Stain and didn't understand what statement Horikoshi was trying to make with this arc, but couldn't really put a finger on why. On re-watch though, this line made me realize why Stain felt off: img(https://i.imgur.com/tkuropR.png) Okay, now think: how many heroes can you think of that fit that description? How many heroes have we seen that are greedy, that will take bribes, that are willing to compromise their beliefs for money, or became corrupted by money? That's right. There aren't any. And this is why Stain as a villain doesn't work. None of the heroes of MHA align with the way Stain sees the world. His reasoning make sense, but its rather difficult to think of any that represent why what he's saying is a bad thing. All the heroes in MHA are too morally upstanding to reflect Stain's criticisms of society. The worst hero I can think of in terms of behavior is Endeavor, and he's the worst by a LOT. He definitely checks the box for being overly obsessed with fame via aiming for the #1 spot, but at the same time he is the only example of this. Ideally, you want your villain's criticism of society to be something that resonates, where you look everywhere and see it. With Stain, you have to squint to find any examples of what he's talking about. As for the money thing, the only characters that come close to validating Stain's claims are Uraraka and Mt Lady. Uraraka's motivation to become a hero is to make money, making her the only hero to have the motivation Stain is criticizing. And in her case, the money isn't even for her. Its for her parents. She wants money to take care of her parents, which hardly sounds like money-worshipping and doesn't stand to prove what Stain said correct. img(https://i.imgur.com/F3Hkbkt.png) As for Mt Lady: there are several instances of her acting like a jackass, but these scenes don't seem to be written in a way that criticizes her behavior. Horikoshi seems to be writing it as charming. And if Horikoshi is trying to say fame-chasing and the over-commercialization of heroes is bad here, then that message is contradicted by this moment in season 4 when Deku wins over Nighteye because he knew some absurdly specific fact about an All Might poster. img(https://i.imgur.com/mDrm6nX.png) ~~~_I thought it was supposed to be a bad thing?_~~~ And just generally, quite a bit of hero society feels over-commercialized but A LOT of it is played straight, rather than more deliberately critical. I can think of many scenes where the celebrity status of heroes grosses me out, but none that I can think of and immediately say "oh yeah, the show is very clearly portraying this as a bad thing." So for money-chasing, you have 1 example that sort of works and another that completely contradicts it. Not exactly an ideology that resonates strongly. Stain's problem is that not enough effort was put into making his claims about society ring true. The show isn't consistent in how it treats fame-worshipping and over-commercialization, and there aren't enough examples of either problem in the show for either issue to feel systemic rather than isolated. And before you dismiss this as nitpicking, this particular issue is something other good battle shounens don't usually have a problem with. There's a reason you feel some empathy for Scar in Fullmetal Alchemist. Because we know exactly why he's attacking state alchemists, and we know that there are bastards in the military that ENJOYED slaughtering his people, the Ishbalans. Beyond just that, thousands of other officers like Roy Mustang turned the other cheek or didn't take a stand. In a way, they're all guilty and deserve to be punished. Point being, we know what Scar believes and understand why he believes it because what he opposes is systemic in the world he inhabits. This just isn't the case for MHA. Stain is effectively opposing a strawman, a non-existent class of greedy heroes that we as audience aren't shown. As such, his words ring hollow. There's potential here, but you have to be willing to take risks like making more heroes less than perfect. Endeavor was a good start but you need more if you want a villain like Stain to work. With all this in mind, its no surprise that Deku's takeaways from their encounter are nonsense. img(https://i.imgur.com/ZsgdrtL.png) Why is that? Stain left everyone alive! He failed to kill anyone! This ties into another issue I have with Horikoshi refusing to kill heroes. It isn't obvious he left Deku and the others alive for a reason rather than killing them, because we have yet to see him kill anyone. I don't want to dig too deep into this particular issue yet, so for now let's move on to Deku's other takeaway. img(https://i.imgur.com/9nHAdf9.png) He also says something about in the end Stain was the only one standing against his opponents, which um??? Deku did that when he approached Stain in the alley? Deku's body moving on its own when someone is in danger or a hero is needed and so on is one of his signature personality traits. It’s THE THING that convinced All Might to pass One for All to him. So Stain having the courage or resolve to "stand against his opponents" isn't something Deku can or needs to internalize. It is his signature strength. Ideally, you want the main character to learn a lesson that they needed to at the end of an arc. They acquire some knowledge or learn something that changes them. This one is half-assed and isn't relevant to the character's growth. Him being unafraid to stand against his opponents is literally his greatest strength. His takeaway from his encounter with Stain is meaningless! He already does that same thing, more so than any other hero! He's always done it! It's nonsense! Deku not taking away anything from this arc due to Horikoshi's bad writing ties into another problem the show has: Deku as a main character. And yes, I did say I liked him as the protagonist in season 1. But that’s only in the context of season 1, ignoring the rest of the series. Now, there are things I like about his character like his thing where his body moves without thinking, and the way he inspires change in people reminds me a bit of the way Naruto does the same thing. But like in terms of him as a person? He isn't very good. There isn't much to him as a person after he gets One for All, they spend more time developing his powers than him as a character, and he has very weak interpersonal relationships with the rest of the characters except for All Might and maybe Bakugo. But the problem I wanted to cover relative to Stain is that he doesn't believe in anything. # ~~~__Deku Doesn't Believe in Anything__~~~ As you can probably guess, I have an issue with Deku's belief system. That is to say, there isn't one. And no, "doing bad things is bad", "you should always try your best", and "never give up" do not count. I think Deku is most similar to Naruto as a protagonist, so that'll be the comparison I use to illustrate my point. In Naruto, it is obvious what the writer identifies as the bad parts of the shinobi world. It is war. The event that caused Naruto's parents to die was an act of war. An attack by Tobi to get the nine-tails to attack the leaf village. Most of the villains are in some way raised by war, or the circumstances they currently face are the result of it. Haku was an orphan due to an ability he inherited from his mother: Due to a war prior to Haku's birth, many in his clan hated and feared this ability, due to its association with the war and the fear that its existence would mean more war. These circumstances resulted in Haku's entire clan being wiped out except for him. He is now an orphan as a result of war. The same is true of Zaku later. He was taken in by Orochimaru after being found on the streets. And ultimately, Zaku was sacrificed as a means of another attack: the Konoha crush. img(https://i.imgur.com/lMuuJcL.png) img(https://i.imgur.com/wtUWH51.png) Neji's belief system of people being unable to change their fate is a result of his father's death, which was a cover-up to protect the family after a Kumogakure Head Ninja visiting Konoha took advantage of a peace treaty and attempted to kidnap Hinata in order to gain the secrets of the Byakugan. Nagato ended up an orphan after his parents were killed by shinobi from the leaf village, and was forced to leave his village and search for food and shelter after killing those shinobi. After nearly collapsing from hunger, he met Konan and Yahiko, orphans like himself. They shared dreams of a future where they were in charge and could use their power to eliminate war. This group became known as the Akatsuki. They grew in numbers blah blah blah, and eventually the leader of Amegakure (Hanzo of the Salamander), felt threatened. Hanzo pretended he would work with the Akatsuki so that he could ambush Yahiko and Nagato, with support from Konoha's Danzo. Some shit went down, Yahiko dies, and Nagato severs all ties with Amegakure. Yahiko's death ultimately convinced Nagato that his philosophies about achieving peace were foolish; the world would never willingly end the cycle of death and hatred it had operated on for so long. Only through direct experience of war and all the losses and agonies it brought could anyone truly desire peace. img(https://i.imgur.com/QYsmKBF.png) The scars of war are inflicted on many characters throughout Naruto, and Naruto himself embodies the things that the shinobi world needs to change, such as a willingness to forgive those who don't deserve forgiveness (such as the villagers who shunned him as a child) and compassion even towards your enemies. The fact that Deku doesn't have a similar level of depth is for a lot of reasons, but a large part of it is that the villains lack an ideology that is followed up and/or informed by the world around them. Deku doesn't represent a change needed in hero society. He just wants to be like All Might. The villains all say there are problems with hero society, but none of them actually have a point. When you look at what Pain says about continuing the cycle of death and hate, you understand what he's talking about. Because you've seen it in tons of characters. Naruto having to live in a village that hates him for something he can't control and having to grow up alone because his parents were killed during his birth. Sasuke's entire clan was wiped out. His entire existence is based around getting revenge and killing the person responsible. Tons and tons of examples. img(https://i.imgur.com/9NhpCGa.png) And when I examine MHA's world in a similar way based on Stain's ideology, there's very little there. The things that the villains claim are just that, things that Horikoshi wrote for them. They aren't based on anything Horikoshi worked into MHA's world. As a result of all this, the villain arcs of MHA feel hollow. The pieces are there, but by not having opponents or a world that challenge the protagonist as a person, there isn't that emotional core they need. I really wish Horikoshi would just change his approach to writing villains to something more simple, as he never puts in enough effort to make a villain like Stain work. Or alternatively, write a villain based around your protagonist. Remember when Deku didn't have a quirk at the beginning of the series and it frustrated him to no end? Write a villain around that. You could very easily write villains that abuse their powers and don’t appreciate what they have. That's something that would naturally infuriate Deku given he knows what it’s like to not have a quirk at all. I thought this is what he was going to do with Overhaul, but the show never touches on the idea. Before I go further, I'd like to clarify this so my point doesn't get misconstrued: Stain isn't bad because he isn't Scar, and Deku isn't bad because he isn't Naruto. Stain doesn't work because he requires the world to be written in a certain way, and Horikoshi's failure to do so has a negative impact on Deku's potential development, and that impact is best illustrated by other, more effective protagonists like Naruto and better villains like Scar. # ~~~__Conclusion__~~~ That's about all I have to say for season 2. It’s harder to judge than season 1 because half of it is great and the other half is...sloppy. Overall though I think its decent, and has yet to hit truly bad. The next part is season 3, which is where it starts to be truly bad. ~~~[Season 3](https://anilist.co/review/13321) ~~~
The overall composition of the second My Hero Academia season works relatively well, focusing on a narrative framework around the first trimester and showcasing the various activities and milestones of the students during this time. What would have made it even more organic would have been individual classroom situations that could have embedded the whole experience a bit more. Instead, the larger events were so central that they were perceived less as events. The individual events were mostly well-executed. All three rounds of the tournament were distinct, featuring creative character constellations where Deku's ability to plan and strategize took the spotlight without making him overpowering. Particularly, Shoto's character journey was portrayed believably, helping to characterize him, but given that it was a tournament arc, the focus on individual characters and fights was a bit too narrow. Shoto/Deku, Ochako/Bakugo, and Shoto/Bakugo were all very strong, but many others felt like nothing more but a footnote, especially in a tournament setting that offers the opportunity to subtly delve into deeper stories about characters and their relationships. A similar ambivalence extends to the internships. While it was a great moment for characters like Deku, facing the challenges he's been struggling with since the first episode, and Shoto, putting the lessons from the tournament into practice and showing character growth, they somewhat took the focus away from Tenya, who was emotionally most invested in the conflict. This slightly diminished the strong personal connection that I appreciated in each conflict in Season 1. However, I found it fitting that the internships varied in quality, from exciting adventures like Tsuyu's to dull patrols like Bakugo's, creating a realistic picture of the life as a hero and the different personalities at play. The practical exam, on the other hand, was another highlight. All characters were put into situations where they had to overcome their weaknesses or break under pressure and had to coordinate with their partners. No character was left behind, and by the end, it was clear why they either failed or succeeded. Additionally, many teachers were properly showcased for the first time. What was somewhat peculiar was the League of Villains, which lurks in the background but currently appears so incompetent and passive that I'm curious if they will ever become a serious threat. However, I'm very intrigued to see how the All-for-One and One-for-All lore will develop. Overall, I found this season weaker than the first, but I can appreciate how, despite some issues, the series still manages to juggle so many characters without egregiously neglecting some or disproportionately highlighting others. The narrative framework that spans all these arcs has turned them into a coherent whole, clearly showcasing the strengths of the seasonal format. At times, it feels like there was a lot of setup in this season for concepts and story arcs that will pay off later, so I'm eagerly looking forward to Season 3.