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To the surprise of someMy Hero Academiafans, they are finding themselves immensely enjoying the MHA spin-off known asVigilantesthat is airing in the current anime season more than they expected. Unlike the main series,Vigilanteshas an older, more focused cast. We also get to see a different side of the hero world, from the eyes of somewhat more normal people as opposed to the powerhouses in the universe ofMy Hero Academia.
This change of pace has been refreshing to someMy Hero Academiafans, who are happy to take a break from the intense and seemingly unending emotional stress that comes with watching the main series characters in the Final War arc.
More Focus on Plot and Characters
Vigilantes’Pace is Perfect For Exploring a Fun World
One of the more compelling aspects ofVigilantesis that it keeps the story much less epic in scope and makes time to develop its cast of characters. Rather than trying to flesh out the tens of students from Class 1-A, 1-B, teachers, villains, and other Pro-Heroes, the story in the spin-off really only needs to develop the dynamic between three: Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster. While the story is gradually building up an A-plot, it is also able to take character detours that make them feel more developed in a way that the main series just doesn’t have time for.
In the main series, character arcs and plot events can often feel rushed because we constantly have to cut around to different locations and characters to see how things are unfolding. While this gives the main series an epic scope, some fans feel like it goes beyond the promises it made at the beginning of the serieswhen Deku and All Might were the main focuses. At a certain point, there becomes a limit to how many characters someone can care about at one time, leading to disengagement from some members of the audience as they wait for their favorite characters to get the spotlight again. Soon into the main series, the climaxes for each arc quickly devolved into separate raids and set pieces that often take a while before they come together for a conclusion.The extra breathing roomVigilantesgives its viewers allows them to get more immersed in what’s happening without being worried about the perspective constantly switching to another thing.
Koichi Feels Like Deku 2.0
People Prefer Koichi Over Deku
One of the more common reasons people cite for likingVigilantesover the main story is that Koichi’s character is preferred over Deku. This is the case for several reasons. They share similar qualities as characters, like having an older mentor and being awkward hero fanboys who start out not having many friends. However, since Koichi is older,there is a maturity to his characterthat Deku lacks in the main series. This means a lot less water works and a smoother character arc overall.
“Eh? Me? Heh heh.. I am… The mysterious man with an air of danger… the Crawler!” -Koichi Haimawari.
Some fans also find Koichi’s power progression as a main character more satisfying than Deku’s. Deku gains a rapid burst of powerin the form of One For All, which he has to learn to control, and has sudden jumps in strength throughout the series. By contrast, Koichi starts with an underpowered Quirk that he eventually learns to make his own to stand toe-to-toe with the opponents he faces. In Deku’s story, the audience was somewhat robbed of a typical battle protagonist power progression, as Deku suddenly becomes extremely strong, and his development is rushed to finish the story. By contrast,Koichi’s power progression feels more natural, with implications of his abilities naturally being unlocked as he progresses on his path to becoming a hero. Koichi sort of satisfies those who felt like Deku suddenly receiving All Might’s power at the beginning of the series diminished his appeal as a Quirkless character. Since Koichi’s Quirk starts off so weak, and Knuckle Duster fights villains without a Quirk, we get a better taste of a power progression narrative with these characters than we do with Deku.
Overall, it’s not that fans ofVigilantesdislike the main series; it’s that it provides a perfect opportunity to address some of their complaints with Deku’s story while getting to experience a deeper dive into the world ofMy Hero Academiathan we would have gotten otherwise.
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.
