🦸‍♂️ Boku no Hero: the anime that turned superhero comics into shōnen
- officialgeekverse
- 1 day ago
- 11 min read
Anime moves forward, cycles and stages come to an end and, eventually, after some time, certain anime that marked specific eras finally reach their conclusion. That was recently seen with the incredible work Boku no Hero, animated by the great studio Bones and created as a manga by Kohei Horikoshi. If you still have not watched Boku No Hero, this post will be dedicated to talking about the characteristics of this anime and explaining why it managed to become so recognized and beloved by many people.
đź“– Synopsis
In a world where almost the entire population develops special abilities called “quirks”, the idea of becoming a professional hero represents the greatest dream for many people. However, Izuku Midoriya is born without any power, belonging to the small minority considered ordinary, although that never stops him from deeply admiring heroes, especially All Might, the recognized Symbol of Peace.
Midoriya’s life changes completely after an unexpected encounter with All Might, who discovers in him something more important than strength: an unbreakable will to help others even when he has no abilities. Because of this, All Might decides to entrust him with “One For All”, a power inherited from generation to generation that carries an enormous responsibility and a difficult legacy to uphold.
From that moment on, Midoriya enters U.A. High School, beginning a stage marked by intense training, new friendships, rivalries and dangerous confrontations against villains. While trying to master a power capable of destroying his own body, he must also deal with the pressure of becoming someone worthy of continuing his hero’s legacy.
Beyond the action and battles, My Hero Academia addresses themes such as personal growth, the weight of expectations, the fear of failure and the true meaning of being a hero within a society that often idealizes extraordinary people.
🦸‍♀️ A superhero comic-style anime
What undoubtedly makes this anime unique is the way it manages to make itself feel as if it came from Western comics like Marvel or DC. This is very interesting because it takes the way scenes are presented in those comics, their art style and visual identity, and brings them to the screen through its own anime version. At the same time, it becomes something completely new and different from any traditional Western superhero comic story.
This was clearly intentional, since the creator Kohei Horikoshi has revealed before that he loved that type of Western comic, and that it inspired and influenced him a lot when creating his great work. From that inspiration, and together with the great studio Bones, they managed to transmit that idea and that comic-book feeling, bringing that Western comic style into anime.
🌆 Setting
One of the strongest points of this series is its setting. First, it has a great variety of characters, and many of them connect quite well with the audience while also being really fun to watch. In addition, it is a world where the vast majority of people have powers, so it becomes very interesting to see the wide variety of abilities that exist.
There are very fun moments and comedic scenes that honestly did make me laugh a lot, but at the same time they do not destroy the seriousness of the main plot. There is also strong character development, especially with the hero class, as the group becomes more united over time. We see how they mature and learn to become heroes at the academy while, due to certain circumstances, they are forced to face great danger earlier than expected.
While all of this is happening, the series also sends messages about what it truly means to be a real hero, and that it does not simply mean having a valuable power.
On the other hand, something quite interesting in the world of Boku no Hero is the school system of the academy and the way they educate and teach what it really means to be a hero and how seriously that duty should be carried out. For example, heroes must always prioritize the lives of civilians, regardless of the different situations they may find themselves in.
The exams and special classes they have are challenging, very entertaining to watch, and they also show what the teachers truly value in those evaluations. In addition to the exams, they also have special training sessions that are just as interesting, where we can see the incredible creativity of the characters in the way they think of different strategies and combinations using their powers. It also shows the creativity behind how their quirks can evolve, become useful and help in different ways.
The school system is challenging, but it makes complete sense for it to exist within that world. In a hypothetical scenario where almost anyone could have powers and become a hero, the system of Boku no Hero feels quite logical within the context of that universe.
Not everyone can only apply to become a hero either. There are also other areas, such as the general course, which is the common academic education path; the support course, where students help heroes through technology, gadgets, suits, engineering and development; and the management and business course, where they study topics such as marketing, public relations, agency management and everything essential to properly promote heroes, since in this world there is a hero ranking and they will need agencies to advertise themselves.
🎬 Animation + comic
The animation in Boku no Hero is a very special case because, as mentioned before, it uses a Western comic style that many people know from examples such as Marvel and DC, and transforms it into anime. At the same time, the difference is still clear, and it still feels like an anime rather than an animated comic series like Spider-Man, The Avengers or Justice League.
It has all the characteristics of an anime, but at the same time its style is inspired by those types of comics. It is an incredible and very risky original idea from the mangaka, because it could have easily gone wrong, especially when adapting it into animation.
As a result, the mangaka together with Studio Bones managed to animate their own version of the classic superhero concept that is already familiar around the world, but with the traits of anime and the characteristics of Japan. If someone is looking for a superhero comic-style story like The Avengers, Justice League and similar concepts, then Boku No Hero is probably one of the closest anime to that idea.
đź’Ą One of the best power systems
The power system in Boku no Hero is another one of the best aspects the series has. Quirks present an enormous variety of abilities and practically allow for very broad possibilities, from releasing fire, creating explosions and having super strength, to abilities that affect physical appearance, such as gaining the traits and abilities of a frog or a reptile, having multiple arms and much more.
That said, throughout the story, it seems clear that genetics greatly affect quirks. For example, a person can inherit a power from their parents, inherit both of their parents’ abilities as a hybrid combination, or develop a new variation derived from their parents’ powers. This is the case with Bakugo, whose quirk was created as a result of a genetic combination between his mother’s glycerin secretion and his father’s sweat with oxidizing properties, allowing him to detonate explosions at will. Quirks can be inherited, mixed or appear as variations and mutations.
Because of this, as generations move forward in Boku No Hero, there are fewer and fewer people without powers. It could literally be said that approximately 80% of the world’s population has a quirk. Due to this great variety, there are always new and entertaining fight choreographies, combining quirks in clever, strategic and creative ways, which is always very interesting to watch.
It also helps a lot if someone is lucky enough to be born with a powerful and controllable quirk, but the series also tries to show how a person can make the most out of their quirk and think outside the box to find new opportunities for improvement.
Without a doubt, the power system is one of the strongest points of the series. On the other hand, since it is more hereditary, it may not be considered the most technical or elaborate power system, but here the focus is much more on strategy and creativity. This system is also deeply integrated into society, since quirks affect politics, education, the economy, crime and even racism.
🎨 Creativity
Personally, I consider this to be the strongest point of the series, and it is important to highlight the incredible creativity of Kohei Horikoshi and Studio Bones in creating so many strategic combinations and spectacular fight choreographies.
It takes a great mind to think in such an incredibly creative way, and that is one of the reasons why watching the series rarely becomes boring.
đź‘Ą Characters
The story is centered on Izuku Midoriya, a person without powers who has always loved quirks and that entire world. His dream was always to become a hero, until the opportunity finally appears before him. However, that opportunity comes with great responsibility and forces him to face many unusual problems.
There are several classmates from the academy and teachers who accompany the protagonist. Boku No Hero has a large number of characters, and in Class A of the hero course, where many of our main characters are, their hero names are:
Izuku Midoriya → Deku
Katsuki Bakugo → (Spoiler)
Shoto Todoroki → Shoto
Ochaco Uraraka → Uravity
Tenya Iida → Ingenium
Tsuyu Asui → Froppy
Eijiro Kirishima → Red Riot
Denki Kaminari → Chargebolt
Kyoka Jiro → Earphone Jack
Momo Yaoyorozu → Creati
Fumikage Tokoyami → Tsukuyomi
Mina Ashido → Pinky
Hanta Sero → Cellophane
Mezo Shoji → Tentacole
Koji Koda → Anima
Rikido Sato → Sugarman
Mashirao Ojiro → Tailman
Toru Hagakure → Invisible Girl
Yuga Aoyama → Can't Stop Twinkling
Minoru Mineta → Grape Juice
The class teacher is Shota Aizawa, also known as Eraser Head. Among the teachers, Hizashi Yamada, also known as Present Mic, Nemuri Kayama, also known as Midnight, and of course Toshinori Yagi, better known as All Might, also stand out.
Among the other classes in the academy, there are also important characters from Class B, such as Neito Monoma, also known as Phantom Thief, and Itsuka Kendo, also known as Battle Fist. From the general course, there is Hitoshi Shinso, also known as NightHide, and from the support class, there is Mei Hatsume. There are also the upperclassmen Nejire Hado, also known as Nejire Chan, Tamaki Amajiki, also known as Suneater, and of course Mirio Togata, also known as Lemillion.
Likewise, there are other notable professional heroes in the story, such as Sorahiko Torino (Gran Torino), Enji Todoroki (Endeavour), Keigo Takami (Hawks), Tsunagu Hakamada (Best Jeanist), Shinya Kamihara (Edge Shot), Rumi Usagiyama (Mirko), Ryuko Tatsuma (Ryukyu), Taishiro Toyomitsu (Fat Gum), Yu Takeyama (Mount Lady) and Mirai Sasaki (Nighteye).
On the other hand, there is also the League of Villains, mainly formed by Tomura Shigaraki, Kurogiri, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Twice, Spinner and, of course, the great villain All For One. Throughout the story, new members appear and the League grows, but these are the main members of the League of Villains.
With all of this said, even though many people may have characters like Bakugo, Todoroki or Deku as their favorites, I personally want to highlight Aizawa, also known as Eraser Head. For me, he is one of the best teachers in the world of anime. He is strict with his students, but he always cares about them and always treats them as his number one priority.
In addition, his plans and strategies throughout the story stand out a lot, as well as the way he makes the most of his power, which is obviously very useful. Eraser Head had great relevance as a teacher, as a hero and during the final events of the story. He is a great example of how having a different personality, appearance or lifestyle does not mean someone is repulsive or evil; what truly defines a person is their actions.
🎥 Movies and OVAs
Boku no Hero had incredible success, and if one day you want to see even more quirks, fights and creative combinations, movies and OVAs were also made thanks to that success.
🎞️ Movies
My Hero Academia: Two HeroesÂ
My Hero Academia: Heroes RisingÂ
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' MissionÂ
My Hero Academia: You're Next
đź“ş OVAs
Save! Rescue Training!
Training of the Dead
All Might: Rising
Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training – Part 1
Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training – Part 2
Departure
Hero League Baseball (HLB)
Laugh! As If You Are in Hell
UA Heroes Battle
A Piece of Cake
⚠️ Controversy around the ending — NO SPOILERS
Here I would once again like to make a brief reflection, and that is that people always seem to complain about every ending, or at least that appears to happen constantly. Personally, I liked the ending. It is true that they could perhaps have done a little more, but as an ending, I liked it, and actually quite a lot. It closed the story and, in my opinion, resolved most of the main conflicts.
Lately, and this is something that needs to stop, people often act as if not liking an ending automatically means that the ending is bad. In my opinion, we also have to respect the author’s vision. A bad ending would be one that comes out of nowhere, has no foundation or arguments to end that way, or leaves too many loose ends unresolved.
This ending, on the other hand, personally worked quite well for me. It closes the relevant stories that existed within the series, and the final battle was epic. Therefore, this was one of those times where I did not really understand why there was so much criticism toward the ending of an anime.
Something that perhaps could have been interesting is that the story could have been divided across the three years of the hero academy, instead of focusing mainly on the first year.
🧩 “More” Final final
In addition, after the final chapter, a special chapter was released that provides more context about what happened to several characters after the conclusion of the final confrontation.
🎧 Soundtrack
Boku No Hero is an anime that honors superhero comics, and its music and soundtrack follow that same style. This is fully demonstrated through its most well-known soundtrack, “You Say Run”, which basically represents everything mentioned above, but in musical form. It has that epic superhero comic style, yet its essence clearly feels like anime, like something from Japan.
Its soundtrack was also brilliant, and it fits perfectly with the entire idea and theme created by the mangaka.
There are also many well-known openings. One of the most popular because of its rhythm and chorus would be “Peace Sign” by Kenshi Yonezu (Opening 2), but others also stand out, such as “Merry-Go-Round” (Opening 9) by MAN WITH A MISSION, or “Hitamuki” by SUPER BEAVER (Opening 10). Honestly, every time I listen to the opening from the final season, I like it more as well.
My Hero Academia Season 2 - Opening 1 | Peace Sign
My Hero Academia Season 5 - Opening 2 | Merry-Go-Round
My Hero Academia Season 6 - Opening 1 | Hitamuki
🏆 Conclusión
Boku no Hero was a series that managed to build something quite special. It not only took the classic idea of superheroes and transformed it into anime, but also managed to give it its own identity, allowing it to stand apart from other works. Through memorable characters, an interesting world, a very creative power system and a large number of emotional moments, it became one of those anime that marked an era for many people.
Beyond the spectacular fights, the powers or the animation, I believe one of its greatest achievements was transmitting messages about effort, sacrifice, growth and what it truly means to be a hero. Because in the end, the series makes it clear that being a hero is not simply about being the strongest or having the best power, but also about having the will to help others even when the circumstances seem impossible.
Some people may have been completely satisfied with the story, while others may have preferred different decisions, but regardless of that, I think it is difficult to deny the impact Boku no Hero had within modern anime. Personally, I take away the enormous creativity Kohei Horikoshi had in building this world, as well as all those moments, characters, fights and soundtracks that made the experience so entertaining to follow.
And as happens with many works that reach their end, perhaps the saddest part is not only that the story ends, but realizing that an entire stage has also come to an end. But that is precisely one of the things that makes certain series special: they manage to stay in people’s memories.
Even though my vote went to Gachiakuta, I was still very happy that Boku no Hero also won the award for Anime of the Year. Honestly, all the nominees this year were very strong, and the competition was quite tough. Congratulations to the anime!
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