Summary
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In the newMy Hero Academiaspin-off series,Vigilantes, the main character, Koichi, seems to be quite a loner despite his upbeat and helpful personality. In the beginning of the show, he stays isolated and alone in a small apartment out of reach for most people. However, we aren’t immediately given an explanation of how this man with a hero’s heart ended up in this situation.
How did this aspiring vigilante hero end up so isolated and alone, socially shunned by other people while only coming off as well-meaning and positive? In Episode 5 of the anime, we are given a deeper insight into how past eventshave gone on to shape Koichi’s characterand led him to this point in his life.
Koichi’s Failed College Debut
A Misunderstanding Set Him Up for Isolation
At the beginning ofMy Hero AcademiaVigilantesepisode 5, we are shown a flashback to when Koichi was decidedly more socially outgoing than he is now. Koichi is seen hanging out with a group of college students his age as “the new guy” after a late-night bar crawl. Koichi, seemingly much more sober than the group, suggests they come to his place since it is nearby.
“Uh. Oh, hey. My place is close, if you’re feelin’ up! That sound all right to you guys?” -Koichi Haimawari in Episode 5.
The group initially responds positively to Koichi’s suggestion, interested in the idea of seeing where he stays. However, the mood soon changes as they reach Koichi’s apartment, which exists on top of a scary, seemingly abandoned building. The frightening exterior of the building seems to quickly sober them up, but Koichi fails to recognize their obvious discomfort.
“It’s all right, no need to be shy. I’ve got plenty of snacks with your name on them, and tea that’s too die for!” -Koichi Haimawari pulling a college girl into the darkness of the building’s entrance.
Koichi’s words certainly do not helpas the frightened group takes them too literally, with one of the college girls screaming for help as the scene transitions to the next day. News of the incident quickly spreads around campus, with Koichi now shunned as the “creepy freshman.”
“Hey. That’s him. That new creep of a freshman, Haimawari. I hear he tried to force a girl into an abandoned building. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.” -A college student gossiping as Koichi walks through campus.
After bearing the whispers and accusing stares,Koichi retreats to his apartment, lamenting his failed college debut and counting himself lucky that at least he has a place to stay. Although he considers it spacious, this only depresses him further because it makes it feel even lonelier.
A Pattern of Unfortunate Events
Koichi’s Unlucky Circumstances
This opening explanation for Koichi’s loneliness segues into a theme for theMy Hero Academiaepisode, where we see Koichi telling a story of another unfortunate event that led him to miss out on taking the hero exam. He had stopped to rescue someone who had almost drowned in a river on a rainy day, causing him to give up on trying to get to the test on time. He tells this story to Pop Step, but is surprised that she is so angry with the story when he tells it.
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. You were so busy pretending to be one, you gave up your best chance to live your dream and become a real hero!” -Pop Step chastising Koichi after hearing his story.
However, unlike before he met the vigilantes, both ofKoichi’s past desires are now coming to fruition. We see that he is happy to have both Pop Step and Knuckleduster present in his apartment when he couldn’t get people to come up to it before. He is also operating as a vigilante hero thanks to their help, something he couldn’t fully realize before. Even though Koichi had become shunned through misunderstandings and unfortunate circumstances, his heroic spirit never wavered. This helped him eventually find his way back to the hero’s path, inspiring the likes of Pop Step and Knuckleduster in different ways.
My Hero Academia
Cast
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the “One-For-All” quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
